The Reasonableness of Religious Belief

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2014:

60 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

In contemporary analytic philosophy of religion, various strategies have been developed in order to show that religious beliefs are, or can be, intellectually acceptable for well-educated and intelligent people living in the 21st century. During the course, the best elaborations of these strategies will be examined critically, and students will have to make up their minds as to whether one of them may work. Writings of prominent philosophers of religion such as Alvin Plantinga (emeritus, Notre Dame) and Richard Swinburne (emeritus, Oxford) will be studied, and the course will include introductions into epistemology, the philosophy of science, and probability theory.

To provide advanced intensive instruction in a topic or area of scholarship in the humanities, social sciences or creative arts. A student who completes this subject should have:

• enhanced knowledge of the topic or area of scholarship taught in the module;
• an ability to reflect upon their own research work in relation to the content of the module;
• enhanced engagement with leading-edge research in Arts today.

• one 500-word essay proposal. Due during the teaching period (20%)
• one 2000-word essay. Due within four weeks of completion of teaching (80%)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.