Philosophy of Religion
San Francisco State University
Spring Semester 2007
Dr. Michael Sudduth
Philosophy of religion examines the meaning, coherence, and prospects for a rational justification of religious beliefs. In this section of Philosophy of Religion, we will examine the meaning, coherence, and rational justification of religious belief in the survival of death, as well as its place in the broader conceptual territory of religion (e.g., the existence of God, the religious view of the purpose of human beings).
Two Central Questions
To what extent is belief in survival an intrinsically religious belief?
What precisely is it, if anything at all, that survives death?
Course Handouts
Introduction (Weeks 1-2)
The Coherence of Survival (Weeks 3-5)
Survival and Philosophy of Mind (Weeks 6-9)
The Empirical Case for Survival
To be Posted
Course Calendar
January 25: Introduction to Class
February 1: Reincarnation (Hinduism)
Sri Aurobindo (on-line), John Hick, "Karma and Reincarnation" (Reader)
See Sudduth Handout "Eastern Religious Views of the Afterlife"
February 8: Reincarnation (Buddhism)
February 15: Bodily Resurrection and Disembodied Survival
John Hick, Immortality and resurrection (reader)
Tabor and Baker readings (on-line)
February 22: The Coherence of Dismembodied Survival
Sudduth Handout #5: Coherence of Survival
Reader: H.H. Price
One-Page Response Paper #1 Due: What are two ideas about the afterlife common to eastern and western religious traditions?
March 1: Exam#1
Exam #1: Religious Models of Survival
March 8: Coherence of DisembodiedSurvival
Reader: C.D. Broad and H.H. Price
March 15: Coherence of Disembodied Survival
Reader: Hospers, Penelhum
March 22: Survival and the Problem of Personal Identity
One-Page Response Paper #2: How would Stephen Braude respond to Peter Geach?
Reader: Peter Geach, Charles Tart
On-Line: Stephen Braude, "Personal Identity and Post-Mortem Survival"
March 29: Philosophy of Mind
Reader: Trenton Merricks, Charles Taliferro
On-Line: Dean Zimmerman
April 5: Empirical Evidences of Survival:
Paul Edwards, "Consciousness Depends on a Functioning Brain" (Reader)
Alemeder, "On Reincarnation" (Reader)
Stephen Hales, "Evidence and Afterlife" and "Reincarnation Redux" (on-line)
April 12: No Class - Spring Break
April 19: Empirical Evidences of Survival:
Reincarnation and Mediumship
Take Home Exam #2 Due
April 26: Empirical Evidences of Survival:
Mediumship
Alan Gauld, chapters on mediumship (Reader)
May 3: Guest Speaker: Loyd Auerbach
Apparitional Experiences and Poltergeists
Alan Gauld (Reader)
William Roll (Reader)
May 10: Last Class
Final Exam: Due Tuesday, May 22 at 1:30pm
in class
The final exam was e-mailed to the class as of Monday, May 9. If you have not received this assignment, please e-mail me.
If you did not receive your exam paper #2 in class on May 10, I will give it to you on Tuesday (if you are enrolled in World Religions or Medieval Philsophy OR you may pick it up in Philosophy Department in HUM 388. Present ID to Erik, the administrative assistant.
I also have response papers from earlier in the course. These will be included with exam #2 essays if you haven't already picked them up.
