Content

Does God exist? And can this be proved to the satisfaction of a non-believer, or even the doubter in myself? This unit looks at how philosophers – from Plato’s time to ours – have sought to answer these questions. It explores traditional moves, such as ontological proofs, cosmological proofs, and Pascal’s wager, as well as more recent discussion, including the intelligent design argument, and Richard Dawkins’ characterisation of this and other proofs, including those invoking religious experience, as “deluded”. Gradually, great philosophers – Aquinas and Descartes, Hume and Kant – are seen to shine within an ongoing quest, to which we ourselves might be drawn: the search for a God whom philosophy can persuasively defend, but never enclose.

Unit code: AP3850P

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Philosophy

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Analyse and assess arguments comprising various traditional proofs for God’s existence

2.

Broaden concepts of particular proofs to encompass reasoning patterns or "types" which those proofs identify

3.

Construct and/or critique modern versions of the traditional proofs

4.

Sustain reasoned debate on the question of whether a given philosophical proof enhances faith claims for God’s existence

5.

Reflect at meta-level on the question of the philosophical meaning of "proof" when applied to the question of divine existence

Unit sequence

18 points in Philosophy at Level 2

Pedagogy

Synchronous interactive lectures and tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • Davies, Paul. The Mind of God. London: Penguin Books, 1992.
  • Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion. Paperback ed. Boston: Mariner Books, 2007.
  • Descartes, René. Discourse on Method and the Meditations. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968.
  • Hick, J.H. Arguments for the Existence of God. London: Macmillan, 1970. (recommended for purchase)
  • Hume, David. Principal Writings on Religion including Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and the Natural History of Religion. Pref. J.C.A. Gaskin. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  • Küng, Hans. Does God Exist? New York: Crossroad, 1991.
  • Levering, Michael. Proofs of God: Classical Arguments from Tertullian to Barth. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2016.
  • Mackie, J. L. The Miracle of Theism. Paperback ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
  • Spitzer, Robert J. New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2010.
  • Swinburne, Richard. The Existence of God. Rev. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay - 1st essay

A philosophical essay relating to types of argument for God's existence studied in the early part of the unit.

2500 50.0
Essay - 2nd essay

A philosophical essay relating to types of argument for God's existence studied later in the unit.

2500 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 24 Aug, 2022

Unit record last updated: 2022-08-24 14:58:00 +1000