Aims

By the end of this course, the students should be able:
to know how to read a Modern or Contemporary philosophical text on the question of God;
to have a good knowledge of the various interpretations of the text;
to take a position about the questions raised by the text and the commentaries on it.
In summary, the student should learn the methods for thinking critically about philosophical texts.

Main themes

The lecturer prepares the work of the students through:
a reading of a Modern or Contemporary philosophical text on the question of God;
a critical reading of a selection of interpretations of the text;
taking a position on the questions raised by the text.

NB: The course of Natural Theology is a metaphysics course (in the traditional classification this was a course of special metaphysics). As such, this course discusses the critiques raised against metaphysics both during the Modern period (by Kant, for instance) and during the Contemporary period (by different authors and schools).

Content and teaching methods

Content:
The content of the course changes from year to year. Cf. The summary given in the philosophy study guide.

Methods:
The main goal of the lectures is to show the students how to read a text while keeping in mind the exigencies of contemporary critique.
The student is encouraged to do his/her readings and will be accountable for them during the exam.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Pre-requisites:
Introductory metaphysics course.

Assessment:
The exam bears on the lecture course (60% of grade) and on the essay written by the student (40% of grade).

Supporting material:
Class notes and bibliographical references.

Programmes in which this activity is taught

Other credits in programs