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P HIL. 32 : P HILOSOPHY of R ELIGION. Note: Phil. 64: Existentialism is in Dey 302 * * * Instructor: Ben Theis Office: Caldwell 206B , Tel. #: 962-3330 Office Hours: Wed. 2:00-4:00 E-mail: theis@email.unc.edu Course Web Site: http://www.unc.edu/~theis/phil32/ * * *.
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PHIL. 32: PHILOSOPHYof RELIGION Note: Phil. 64: Existentialism is in Dey 302 * * * Instructor: Ben Theis Office: Caldwell 206B, Tel. #: 962-3330 Office Hours: Wed. 2:00-4:00 E-mail: theis@email.unc.edu Course Web Site: http://www.unc.edu/~theis/phil32/ * * *
Course Requirements • Attendence and Participation(5%) • Short Paper(5%) • Two Reading Quizzes(15% each) • Term Paper(35%) • Final Exam(25%)
Guiding Question Is it reasonable to believe that God exists?
“Argument” An argument is a set of sentences one of which (the conclusion) is taken to be supported by the remaining sentences (the premises).
“Argument” Premise 1 Premise 2 Premise 3 … ----------------- Conclusion
Examples I wear glasses. I am a philosophy instructor. ----------------------------------------- Therefore, at least one philosophy instructor wears glasses.
Examples I am the star player on Carolina’s basketball team. Everyone on the Carolina’s basketball team is over 7 feet tall. ----------------------------------------- Therefore, I am over 7 feet tall.
Examples If my battery is dead, then my car won’t start. My car won’t start. ----------------------------------------- Therefore, my battery is dead.
“Valid” An argument is valid if and only if it isimpossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false.
“Sound” An argument issound if and only if it is validandthe premises are all true.
Two ways for an argument to be bad: • One or more of the premises could be false. • The premises could fail to support the conclusion. (There could be some gap in the reasoning.)