Philosophy 226 - Philosophy of Religion

This course addresses basic questions in the philosophy of religion. We will focus, in particular, on theistic religions (like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that posit the existence of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent creator of the universe. Does God, in this sense, exist? What is the best argument for the existence of such a God? The best argument against? And what if such arguments are inconclusive? Does it make sense to believe anyway? The course will examine classic and contemporary texts from the Western philosophical tradition that address arguments about the existence of God and the rationality of religious belief.