PY427-6-SP-CO:
Topics in the Philosophy of Religion
2018/19
Philosophy
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 14 January 2019
Friday 22 March 2019
15
30 January 2014
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA VV56 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics,
BA VV58 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV59 Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VV5P Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (Including Year Abroad)
Module Outline (updated 11.05.18)
(content may change)
This course will focus on conceptions of the human in Islamic philosophy. In particular, we will look at some of the ways in which medieval Muslim thinkers have characterised human reason, and the relationship between this and religious faith. The way in which a religion or religious philosophy characterises human beings has clear political ramifications: Whose business is it, if anyone’s, to make sure that our lives and minds are in line with the requirements of religion? How, if at all, should the role of women differ from that of men? This focus on the characterisation of human reason and the human intellect also has a direct bearing on the way in which philosophy is seen to relate (or not) to religion and theology: What are the goals of each of these disciplines or practices? How do they differ in terms of the questions they seek to answer and the type of knowledge they promise to yield? Is philosophy compatible with religion? The aim of this module is to approach some of these very general and fundamental questions, and to do so through a close study of developments in Islamic philosophy from the ninth century onward. While for most of the course, we will concentrate on a particular thinker each week, the last three lectures will be more thematic. In those sessions, we will draw on the thinkers covered earlier in the course in order to discuss the treatment in Islamic philosophy of key ethical and political issues, such as the role of women, the good or virtuous life, and the limits of legitimate interference with the conduct of the individual.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students ought to be able to:
• display knowledge of selected classic texts in the history of Islamic philosophy, and their characterization of the human being, faith and reason.
• display knowledge of the ways in which Muslim thinkers have understood the relationship between Islam and philosophy.
• show understanding of the way in which insights from ancient Greek philosophy informed the work of early Muslim thinkers, on issues such as the nature of God, the soul, the human intellect, and the good life.
• explain and critically discuss the central points of controversy among the thinkers studied, and the main arguments advanced on each side.
By the end of the module, students should also have acquired a set of transferable skills, and in particular be able to:
• define the task in which they are engaged and exclude what is irrelevant;
• seek and organise the most relevant discussions and sources of information;
• process a large volume of diverse and sometimes conflicting arguments;
• compare and evaluate different arguments and assess the limitations of their own position or procedure;
• write and present verbally a succinct and precise account of positions, arguments, and their presuppositions and implications;
• be sensitive to the positions of others and communicate their own views in ways that are accessible to them;
• think 'laterally' and creatively - see interesting connections and possibilities and present these clearly rather than as vague hunches;
• maintain intellectual flexibility and revise their own position if shown wrong;
• think critically and constructively.
No information available.
No information available.
Study Abroad students should have already taken two philosophy modules at their home institution.
1 x 2-hour lecture and 1 x 1-hour seminar each week. Week 8 is Reading Week. Week 8 is Reading Week.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Essay 1 (3000 words) |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
Essay 2 (3000 words) |
|
50% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Pavel Reichl, email: preich@essex.ac.uk.
Mr Pavel Reichl
spahinfo@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
No
Dr Thomas Joseph Stern
University College London
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 27 hours, 27 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Philosophy
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