Module PHIL2071: SCIENCE & RELIGION

Department: Philosophy

PHIL2071: SCIENCE & RELIGION

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To investigate the subtle and complex historical interactions of science and religion (organised and personal) and their dependence upon individuals and circumstances.

Content

• The metaphysical commitments of scientific, philosophical and religious communities
• The historical and cultural relevance of natural theology and the philosophy of religion
• The institutionalisation of science and its impact on religious and secular conceptions of matter, evolution and aesthetics.
• The interaction between philosophies of science and personal beliefs
• The overlapping modes of argumentation and communication used within scientific and religious networks.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students will have knowledge and understanding of:
• the different methods (philosophical, sociological, theological, etc) used to approach the interaction between science and religion.
• the contextual, biographical and cultural factors that shaped intellectual arguments and evidentiary claims during the long nineteenth-century.

• grasp, analyse, evaluate and deploy subject-specific concepts and arguments
• locate, understand, assess and utilise pertinent philosophical (and, where appropriate, historical) sources
• interpret and criticise relevant texts.

• express themselves clearly and succinctly in writing
• comprehend complex ideas, propositions and theories
• defend their opinions by reasoned argument
• seek out and identify appropriate sources of evidence and information
• tackle problems in a clear-sighted and logical fashion.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures deliver the content of the module via the use of illustrations (OHP), handouts, discussion diagrams and terms written on the blackboard.
• Tutorials explore a set question and sources relevant to the module's aims and content. Each one begins with a brief presentation in which a student orally offers an answer to the set question. Once this is done, the other students are asked to respond to the presentation based on set sources they have read in advance of the meeting.
• Informal appointments made by the students with the lecturer allow them to discuss their essays in advance of writing them.
• The Formative Essays allow the students to test their research and compositon skills. Here they are given a set source and they are then invited to answer a question relevant to the aims of the module. This approach provides the opportunity for them to test their understanding and knowledge of the module content, and their ability to present and critically evaluate relevant arguments and interpretations, uninhibited by the demands of summative assessment.
• The unseen examination tests students' overall knowledge and understanding of the module's content, and their ability to present a clearly written essay under the pressure of time.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Two 2000 word essays