Phl 327 Spring 2011 Prof.

Rob Koons

PHL 327 CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY

We will examine recent work in philosophy that is written from a Christian point of view or that examines philosophical questions that arise within the framework of the Christian faith. The issues to be covered include the relationship between faith and reason, the possibility of demonstrating the existence of God, the problem of evil, the problem of reconciling divine foreknowledge and sovereignty with human responsibility, and the relation of God to time. Special emphasis will be placed on the relevance of Christian philosophy to foundational questions concerning reality, knowledge and ethics. Prerequisites: no prior work in philosophy is expected. Non-majors are encouraged to enroll. Texts: G. K. Chesterton, St. Thomas Aquinas C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man Josef Pieper, Leisure: The Basis of Culture Etienne Gilson, Methodical Realism Francis A. Schaeffer, He is There and He is not Silent Kelly J. Clark, Return to Reason Phl 327 Supplemental Readings. See "Course Materials" below. Course Materials Supplemental reading materials for this class are available at Speedway Copies in the Dobie Mall. In addition, excerpts from Alasdair MacIntyres After Virtue and Etienne Gilsons Methodical Realism are available at the UT Libraries e-reserves. Course Web Site. Lecture notes and other information about the course will be available at the Course Blackboard site.

Phl 327 Page 2 Evaluation: Three in-class exams (combination of essay and multiple choice): 25% each (including an in-class test on May 6). There will be an optional, comprehensive final that can be counted for 25% of the course grade, permitting a student to drop the lowest in-class test grade. Short papers (eight 2-page responses to the readings): 10%. Short papers are to be turned in at the beginning of class on Tuesday, responding to the coming week's reading. Class and section participation: 15% Optional term paper: due the last day of class (May 6). 2500-3000 words on a topic preapproved by the instructor. The term paper may be used to drop a low midterm grade, or in place of the third in-class exam, at the student's discretion. Instructors: Prof. Rob Koons. Phone: 471-5530. koons@mail.utexas.edu Office: WAG 405. University of Texas Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Use of E-mail for Official Correspondence to Students Email is recognized as an official mode of university correspondence; therefore, you are responsible for reading your email for university and course-related information and announcements. You are responsible to keep the university informed about changes to your e-mail address. You should check your email regularly and frequently -- I recommend daily, but at minimum twice a week -- to stay current with university-related communications, some of which may be time-critical. You can find UT Austins policies and instructions for updating your email address at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotif.php. Documented Disability Statement If you require special accommodations, you must obtain a letter that documents you disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Division of Diversity and Community engagement (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY). Present the letter to me at the beginning of the semester so we can discuss the accommodations you need. No later than five business days before an exam, you should remind me of any testing accommodations you will need. For more information, visit http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/.

Phl 327 Page 3 Religious Holidays By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. Behavior Concerns Advice Line: (512) 232-5050, or visit www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal.

Schedule of Lectures & Readings

Week #1 (Jan. 19 & 21) Philosophy & Christian Philosophy Week #2 (Jan. 24, 26 & 28) Critique of Naturalism, 1
Schaeffer, He is There and He is not Silent, pp. 1-20, 37-88. Supplement: Schaeffer, The God Who is There, pp. 87-99, 108-115; Chesterton, Orthodoxy, pp. 216-248.

Week #3 (Jan. 31, Feb. 2 & 4) Critique of Naturalism, 2

Supplement: Lewis, On Miracles, pp. 12-24; Plantinga, Warrant and Proper Function, pp. 216-238.

Week #4 (Feb. 7, 9 & 11) Chesterton and Pieper on Philosophy

Chesterton, Saint Thomas Aquinas, pp. 19-48, 66-119, 144-180. Optional: Pieper, Leisure: The Basis of Culture (all)

Week #5 (Feb. 14 & 16) Gilson on Idealism, MacIntyre on the Enlightenment

Gilson, Methodical Realism, selections. (in e-reserves) MacIntyre, After Virtue, selections. (in e-reserves)

Feb. 18th: First in-class exam. Week #6 (Feb. 21, 23 & 25) Lewis on Morality and Objective Value
Lewis, The Abolition of Man (all) Supplement: Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 17-35.

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Week #7 (Feb. 28, Mar. 2 & 4) Theism and Morality

Schaeffer, He is There and He is not Silent, pp. 21-35. Supplement: Mackie, The Miracle of Theism, p. 114-118; R. M. Adams, "Divine Command Metaethics as Necessary A Posteriori", pp. 109-119; Farrer, Finite and Infinite, pp. 287300.

Week #8 (Mar. 7, 9 & 11) Arguments for God's Existence

Clark, Return to Reason, pp. 15-54. Supplement: Swinburne, The Existence of God, pp. 102-115, 133-151, 280-291; Gilson, The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, pp. 54-57, 84-87, 92-95. Optional: Farrer, Finite and Infinite, pp. 21-25, 88-96, 262-286 (Supplement).

Week #9 (Mar. 21, 23 & 25) The Rationality of Religious Belief

Clark, Return to Reason, pp. 97-122 Supplement: Farrer, Faith and Speculation, pp. 1-35.

Week #10 (Mar. 28 & 30) Reformed Epistemology

Clark, Return to Reason, pp. 125-158. Supplement: Plantinga, "Reason and Belief in God", pp. 16-93.

April 1st: 2nd in-class exam Week #11 (Apr. 4, 6 & 8) Providence and Middle Knowledge
Supplement: Flint, "Two Accounts of Providence", pp. 147-181; R. M. Adams, The Virtue of Faith, pp. 77-93.

Week #12 (Apr. 11, 13 & 15) Chance, Creation and Sovereignty
Supplement: van Inwagen, "The Place of Chance in a World Sustained by God", pp. 211235; Farrer, Faith and Speculation, pp. 104-130, 156-170.

Week #13 (Apr. 18, 20 & 22) The Problem of Evil: Preliminaries
Clark, Return to Reason, pp. 55-68. Supplement: Lewis, The Problem of Pain, pp. 26-54; Swinburne, The Existence of God, pp. 216-22.

Week #14 (Apr. 25, 27 & 29) Plantinga's Free Will Defense
Plantinga, God, Freedom and Evil, pp. 5-64. Clark, Return to Reason, pp. 68-91. Supplement: Mackie, The Miracle of Theism, pp. 162-176.

Phl 327 Page 5 Week #15 (May 2 & 4) The Problem of Evil: Last Words
Supplement: R. M. Adams, The Virtue of Faith, pp. 56-76; Farrer, Love Almighty and Ills Unlimited, pp. 47-94. May 6th: 3rd in-class exam. Optional term paper due.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To learn to write clear, well-argued philosophical papers, avoiding unnecessary jargon and affectation. To write well-organized essays clearly laying out good reasons for a philosophical thesis. 2. To be introduced to the central tasks of philosophy -- metaphysics, epistemology and ethics -- as carried out be representative figures in 20th century Christian philosophy. 3. To grasp how Christian faith has affected the philosophic methods and starting points of key 20th century figures. 4. To become familiar with two of the critical debates with philosophy -- naturalism vs. theism, and realism vs. idealism -- and to be aware of some of the principal arguments offered on each side. 5. To become well-informed about the debate among Christian thinkers over the propriety and efficacy of natural theology (including the proofs of God's existence), and over the status of a basic or unargued-for belief in God's existence. 6. To become aware of some of the variety of theories in the 20th century about the nature of divine providence, the relation of God's action to the world, and the explanation of the existence suffering and wickedness, and to be able to ably defend or critique one or more of these.