by Roger Bourke White Jr., copyright September 2016
Philosophy of Religion Handout 4/5 -- Faith versus Reason, Science and Faith, Miracles, Religious Experience arguments and Religious Pluralism
Explain Pascal’s Wager and what it entails for any believer and/or disbeliever in God (Reading pp. 100-101).
Pascal argues that if you have no solid evidence for or against the existence of a Christian God you should believe because... Why not? And if he does exist that belief will get you into heaven, if that exists. He further argues that humans have no chance of understanding God because he has no parts or limits that humans can perceive. So this is a real-world issue.
Give Hume’s definition of a miracle. What reasons does Hume give ‘against miracles’ (reading pp. 465-471—although he specifically gives four, there are two others I like to point out. One within the second reason and one within the third)?
Editorial: Boy, he is wordy! That said, here is his definition, "That no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavors to establish; and even in that case there is a mutual destruction of arguments, and the superior only gives as an assurance suitable to that degrees of force, which remains, after deducting the inferior."
What is fideism and some of the strengths and weaknesses of this position (reader pp. 65)? What does Kierkegaard mean by “Truth is Subjectivity” and how does this relate to his fideism (reading pp. 116)? Briefly recount Kierkegaard’s teleological suspension of the ethical in his story of Abraham and Isaac and explain why this is important when it comes to God’s commands. Explain what he means by faith by virtue of the absurd http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/5t.htm and http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kierkegaard/ . Also explain the three types of lives Kierkegaard argues we go through and which life is ‘best’ and why.
"Fideism can be defined in many ways here we will define it as the view that religious belief systems are not subject to rational evaluation."
o Advantage: This is faith, one doesn't need to spend time, energy or attention messing around with logic systems to support it. It is the axiom.
o Kierkegaard, "Without risk there is no faith."
o Disadvantage: How does one decide which faith to leap for? There are many alternatives available.
o Teleological suspension of the ethical: "That is, Abraham recognizes a duty to something higher than both his social duty not to kill an innocent person and his personal commitment to his beloved son, viz. his duty to obey God’s commands. However, he cannot give an intelligible ethical justification of his act to the community in terms of social norms, but must simply obey the divine command."
o Faith by virtue of the absurd: "Christian dogma, according to Kierkegaard, embodies paradoxes which are offensive to reason. The central paradox is the assertion that the eternal, infinite, transcendent God simultaneously became incarnated as a temporal, finite, human being (Jesus)."
List and explain Ian Barbour’s Four Models of how science and religion deal with one another and a ‘philosopher’ that espouses the view (reading pp. 531-532 and http://deaconbob.stjosephbristol.org/peacemaking/religion_science.html).
List and explain Ian Barbour’s Four Models of how science and religion deal with one another and a ‘philosopher’ that espouses the view:
"Barbour sees the relationship between religion and science in the context of the following four models, Conflict, Separation, Dialogue and Integration."
o Conflict -- The Conflict model presumes that the approaches to reality by religion and science are in constant conflict. One must choose either religion or science as the worldview by which to come to truth.
Barbour's response -- "Both positions fail to observe the proper boundaries of science."
o Separation -- Specific Beliefs Unique to these Two Positions
oo Scientific Materialism
oo Biblical Literalism
Barbour's response -- "In both schools of thought the differences between the two disciplines are not adequately respected."
o Dialogue -- "In this model science and religion communicate in areas of investigation and experience of reality that appear to intersect."
Barbour's response -- "Science, it appeared, is not objective, nor religion as subjective, as had been claimed."
o Integration -- "There are scientists and theologians that hold that some sort of integration is possible between the content of theology and the content of science."
Barbour's response -- none listed
What does Dawkins argue is the major difference between science and religion and why (http://www.skeptical-science.com/essays/science-religion-richard-dawkins/)?
"Well, science is not religion and it doesn’t just come down to faith. Although it has many of religion’s virtues, it has none of its vices. Science is based upon verifiable evidence. Religious faith not only lacks evidence, its independence from evidence is its pride and joy, shouted from the rooftops. Why else would Christians wax critical of doubting Thomas? The other apostles are held up to us as exemplars of virtue because faith was enough for them. Doubting Thomas, on the other hand, required evidence. Perhaps he should be the patron saint of scientists."
Define religious pluralism and the view of The Dalai Lama in regards to other religious traditions (Reading pp. 593-598).
Religious pluralism is the viewpoint that there are many paths to understanding "The Real", many religions can be right.
The Dalai Lama says that "what matters are not these differences, but rather the fact that all religions aim at transforming persons so that they can achieve permanent human happiness."
William James identifies four characteristics typical of mystical religious experiences. What are they and what do they have to do with religion (Reading pp. 44-51)? Correspond these to the five types of religious experience Swinburne describes through examples (Reader pp. 35-36).
o they are inexpressible in words
o they yield knowledge
o they are short in duration
o they happen independently of our wills
These are important because the deep source of religion is feeling, not rational thinking.
Swinburne comes up with five types -- perceived by the person experiencing the experience -- that are mutually exclusive and totally exhaustive.
1. Experience of God or Ultimate Reality mediated through a common, public, sensory object -- such as seeing an icon or a sunset.
2. Experience of God or Ultimate Reality mediated through an unusual, public, sensory object -- such as a bush that burns but is no consumed.
3. Experience of God or Ultimate Reality mediated through private sensations that can be described in a normal sensory language -- visions, dreams, locutions and the like.
4. Experience of God or Ultimate Reality mediated through private sensations that cannot be described in normal sensory language -- it is ineffable.
5. Experience of God or Ultimate Reality that is not mediated by any sensations -- the person claims to be intuitively and immediately aware of God. This type is most richly illustrated by the higher mediational states of Hinduism and Buddhism.
--The End--