Transcript Class #2 - 3/15/16

Philosophy 2200
Spring, 2016
Class #2
Title:
Introduction to Comparative
Religion
Instructor:
Paul Dickey
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Class Website:
www.quia.com
Create your own userid & password.
Guest Speaker on Thursday:
Rabbi Steven Abraham
from Beth El Synagogue
Class will visit the Zen Buddhist temple on April
14th as guests of the Rev. Nonin Chowaney.
Nebraska Zen Center
3625 Lafayette Ave.
Omaha, NE 68131
Philosophy 2200
Introduction to
Comparative Religion
For Thursday:
1) Make absolutely sure you have
completed your reading of Chapter 8 in
preparation for guest speaker, Rabbi
Abraham.
2) Prepare two sincere, respectful, and
honest questions for the Rabbi based
on your reading.
Reflective Essays
Judaism is due on 3/24. Presentations on 3/29.
Christianity is due on 4/5 . Presentations on 4/5.
Islam is due on 4/19. Presentations on 4/19.
Buddhism is due on 4/26. Presentations on 4/26.
Hinduism is due on 5/7. Presentations on 5/7.
Indigenous Religions is due on 5/12. Presentations
on 5/12.
Please email me ASAP with your two
preferences on which world view you would
like to do your presentation. I will try to assign
everyone their first preference, if possible.
However, we will have to cover all equally, so
please understand if you don’t get your choice.
Does God Exist?
•
Theism is the belief in a personal God who is
creator of the world and present in its processes
and who is actively engaged in the affairs of
humans.
•
Pantheism is the belief that God is the universe
and its phenomena (taken or conceived of as a
whole). God exists but is not personally involved in
the lives of men.
•
Atheism is the denial of Theism. It states that there
is no God.
•
Agnosticism is the view that it cannot be known
whether God exists or not.
•
According to Logical Positivism, the question
Does God Exist? is meaningless.
Can Philosophy Help?
We'll try to see how a philosophical treatment can
aid us in this endeavor that cannot be avoided.
How well do our ideas hold up to scrutiny? Are
they based on sound assumptions, or could we
think otherwise? Are we applying them correctly,
or as best we could? Perhaps most importantly, are
there alternatives we have not yet considered?
The guidelines of critical thinking and logic are
the rules of the road in philosophy.
Why Study Religion?
Everyone likely has pondered whether a divine being exists
and/or whether there is “something more to life” than
“this” (in some sense).
William James defines the Religious hypothesis as
the belief that the best things are the eternal things, and
that we will be better off right now if we practice that in
our lives. We might define the religious option as
“either believe the religious hypothesis or don’t believe the
religious hypothesis.” James argued that “a
momentous option is an irrevocable option for
significant stakes” For many of us, the religions option is
momentous.
What is Religion?
Professor Ninian Smart argues that religion is
typically (though not necessarily always)
composed of six dimensions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Doctrine (or Creed)
Personal Experience with God
Myth
Ritual
Morality, and
Organization
Do you agree? Would you take any out? Did
she leave anything out? Would you include
something else?
What about our emotions? Our
feelings? Do they help us to have
insight? Or do they just get in the way?
Traditionally, philosophical inquiry often suggests
we check our feelings at the door, reminding us
that our feelings do not help us to confirm that
something is true. That can only be done by
evidence or proof, it is often said. Can “how I
‘feel’ about it” really be relevant to the question
whether God exists or what, if any, religion is the
“true way?” What do you think?
How do we Study Religions
Comparatively?
1) First, we must understand
the concept of Worldviews
How do we Study Religions
Comparatively?
2) Then we must appreciate
the diversity of worldviews
In this class, how will we respond to
different worldviews?
1.
Try to work through areas of agreement in worldview.
Find common ground.
2.
Be humble. Recognize that 1) at some point all of us
may make logical mistakes in our reasoning and 2) but
what may at first appear to be a “mistake” actually
shows that they understand something we don’t yet.
3.
Be aware when your (or others) core human and
personal interests are at stake.
4.
Make every effort to understand why someone might
disagree with your worldview.
5.
Understand that deciding one or another worldview has
to be either “right or wrong” may be a premature
assumption and/or beside the point.
How do we Study Religions
Comparatively?
3) And only then can we begin to
describe and appreciate the wide
dimensions of religions
experience.
Judaism: The Promised Land
(Video: 25 minutes)