Syllabus
& Homepagephil270/Philosophy of Religion/3 Credits/49071
Northern State University/Fall/2009
NMJ204/9:30-10:45A/TT
Dr. Kenneth C. Blanchard, Jr.
NSU Box 704
1200 S. Jay St.
Aberdeen SD 57401
Office Hours: 10am-11:50 MWF/4-:50 MW/or by appointment.
Office Phone: 605.626.7796
e-mail: blanchak@northern.edu
A critical exploration of philosophical analysis (mainly theistic but including agnostics and atheistic) of religious ideas: for example, the nature and existence of God, religious faith, immortality and eternal life, ethics and phenomenology. The course will also compare western and nonwestern thought and mysticism.
None but an open mind and a willingness to ask questions.
Lecture/Discussion
Required Textbook:
Michael Paterson, et. al., Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, 3rd Edition.
Class attendance is part of your participation grade. Missing a day will affect your grade, and in summer school you can't afford to miss that much class. If your attendance is good, and you find yourself asking for some reasonable favor, you will probably get what you want. If your attendance is bad, you will find me a mean old Scrooge.
If you are caught cheating, you will receive an automatic F for the course. Cheating will consist in using any unauthorized source of information during a test, or passing off someone else's work as your own.
If you miss an exam or due date for a paper, you should consult me. In almost all cases I will make arrangements for you to turn in the work or take the test, but this is entirely up to my discretion. It is always best to let me know ahead of time.
Your grade will be determined by the following components, weighed equally:
The two midterms will be a combination of short answer and short essay. You will be given a lot of information about what to study. Most of the questions will be taken from the textbook. You are not allowed to look into the soul of other students during the exam.
A short essay (about three double spaced pages) will be due during the last week of class.
Participation points are awarded based on any conversation with me about the material. One point will be awarded for attendance. Four additional points are available during each class meeting, given for any point made or question asked. If you call me a son of a bitch during class, that might or might not earn a point, depending on the context. It might be the most intelligent thing you will ever say.
If you are dreadfully shy and would rather eat a live frog than speak in class, you can earn plenty of participation points by engaging in conversation with me out of class. You may do this in person during office hours, or you may do so by phone or e-mail.