Philosophy and Ethics (Religious Studies)

Course summary

Students study philosophical language and thought, and issues and questions raised by belief:  Ancient philosophical influences (AS)  The nature of the soul, mind and body (AS)  Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God (AS)  The nature and impact of religious experience (AS)  The challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil (AS)  Ideas about the nature and attributes of God (A2)  Issues in religious language. (A2) Component 2: Religion and ethics. (H573/02) Students explore key concepts and the works of influential thinkers, ethical theories and their application:  Normative ethical theories – Natural law, Utilitarianism, Situation ethics and Kantian ethics (AS)  The application of ethical theory on euthanasia and business (AS)  Meta ethical theories - ethical language and thought (A2)  Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience (A2)  Sexual ethics (A2) Component 3: Developments in Christian thought. (H573/03) Students study Christianity systematically as follows:  Augustine and human nature (AS)  Death and the afterlife (AS)  Knowledge of God’s existence (AS)  The person of Jesus Christ (AS)  Christian moral principles and actions (AS)  Religious pluralism, theology and society (A2)  Gender, society and theology (A2)  The challenge of secularism (A2)  Liberation theology and Marx (A2)