PHI1015 : Philosophy and Religion
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Miriam Baldwin
- Owning School: School X
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To introduce students to themes and perspectives in philosophy and theology. The Philosophy and Religion module aims to introduce students to the fundamental concepts and issues in philosophy and religion. Students will be encouraged to critically analyze and evaluate different arguments and perspectives, and to develop their own philosophical and religious perspectives. Through the module, students will gain an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of philosophical and religious traditions, and will be able to engage in informed and respectful dialogue with those philosophical and theological concepts from diverse traditions and perspectives.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module examines questions such as: Do aspects of ‘secular’ society contain traces of religion? If God does not exist can we have something like a ‘divine’ or ‘sacred’ experience? Does religion provide us with a different kind of knowledge to ‘pure’ rationality? These questions may be addressed with relation to thinkers from the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and contemporary Europe. Central themes include:
• The death of God and the death of the subject
• Onto-theo-logy
• The end of metaphysics
• The relation between faith and reason.
• Proofs for God’s existence
• The language we use to describe God, with particular reference to negative or apophatic theology.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Essay preparation and completion |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Specific research or reading activities developed and directed by academic staff |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Tutorials |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 52:00 | 52:00 | Review lecture material, prepare for small group teaching and assessment |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures provide students with broad introductions to various texts/thinkers/themes, while seminars provide the opportunity for closer textual engagement and discussions with lecturers/tutors and fellow students.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | A | 100 | 2000 word essay |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The essay is based on the material covered in the module and provides students with the opportunity to further research topics of interest. The essay tests the ability to think creatively, self-critically and independently. This assessment method also gauges students’ ability to move between generalisation and appropriately detailed discussion, to cite relevant texts and interpret them adequately, to discover examples in support of or to challenge a position, and to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant considerations.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- PHI1015's Timetable