Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to the course

In this module Professor Duncan Pritchard welcomes you to the course and gives you a preview of our journey together over the next six weeks.

Mind, Science, and Religion

Dr. Sarah Lane Ritchie starts us off with a tour of the relationship between the various brain sciences and religious belief.

Science and Religion in the Public Realm

In this series of lectures, Professor John Evans describes a sociological approach to the question of religion and science that focuses on contemporary society. Using debates about fact claims and morality of human evolution as his continuing example, and with a focus on the relationship with science that religious and other citizens have with science, he describes three types of conflict. Unlike the philosophical and theological debate that focuses upon conflict over knowledge claims about the physical world, Evans shows how the contemporary debate for citizens is more likely to be about morality.

Religious Disagreement and Friendly Theism/Atheism

In this series of lectures Professor John Greco discusses the topic of religious disagreement. Part One considers two problems that we find in the epistemology of religion: The Problem of Evil (or Suffering) and The Problem of Divine Hiddenness. In these contexts, theists and atheists often accuse each other of irrationality. Even worse, each party of the debate explains that irrationality by positing some moral or intellectual flaw in the other. The basic idea is this: If you don’t see things the way I do, that must be due to some intellectual or moral flaw in you. Part Two introduces resources in social epistemology that help us to understand what is going on here. The main idea is that social location affects epistemic position-- that social location matters, epistemically speaking. This is a central lesson of contemporary social epistemology, and one that can be fruitfully adopted by religious epistemology as well. Part Three explores some further implications of a “social religious epistemology.” Most importantly, we see how moral and practical aspects of the social environment can have epistemic consequences.

The Hiddenness Argument and the Contribution of Philosophy

In this series of lectures, Professor John Schellenberg introduces and explains a new argument for atheism known as the hiddenness argument. He highlights the self-imposed limitations of this way of reasoning, which is aimed at ruling out just one candidate for the status of a divine reality, the notion of a personal divine. He then clarifies the relations between this approach to the question of God's existence and other features of the contemporary landscape in philosophy and science – including the philosophical problem of evil, certain results of the cognitive science of religion, and recent moral changes suggesting cultural evolution.

Religious and Scientific Fundamentalism

In this series of lectures Dr. Rik Peels considers religious and scientific fundamentalism. Scientism is the currently popular thesis that only natural science gives rational belief or, alternatively, that there are no principled limits to science. In this lecture, I give several examples of scientism, such as scientism about free will. After that, I present seven reasons that have been given for scientism. Subsequently, I outline three arguments against it. Finally, I explain some crucial similarities and differences between scientism on the one hand and fundamentalism on the other. I argue that, even though some varieties of scientism resemble fundamentalism, most of them are more similar to religions or worldviews.

Epistemic Virtues and Vices in Science and Religion

In this lecture, Professor Mark Alfano discusses the role of epistemic virtues and vices in science and religion. The lecture has three main sections. First, Alfano distinguishes four types of epistemic virtues and vices. Source virtues such as honesty make someone an excellent primary source of knowledge. Receiver virtues such as intellectual humility make someone an excellent recipient of knowledge provided by sources. Conduit virtues make someone an excellent conveyor of the knowledge they receive from others to third parties; these dispositions might include a willingness to gossip carefully in order to protect others from a sexual predator, as well as the virtues that journalists try to embody. Echo virtues make someone an excellent sounding board for others. Along the way, Alfano mentions various vices that can attach to people in the role of source, receiver, conduit, and echo. In the second part of the lecture, Alfano uses the notions of source, receiver, conduit, and echo virtues to make sense of scientific collaborations and trust in science by laypeople. In section three, he shows that unless we have unreasonably high credence in very long chains of conduit virtues, we should not accept testimony in favour of miracles or divine revelation.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Strong foundation for learners interested in religious studies, especially Christianity and Islam

Examines the interface between philosophy, religion, and natural sciences, which is relevant to higher education in these subjects

Conducted by renowned instructors who are recognized for their work in their respective fields

Interdisciplinary with perspectives drawn from social and cognitive sciences

Taught by instructors from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford, all prestigious institutions

Requires prerequisite knowledge on the topics of philosophy and religion

Reviews summary

Thoughtful philosophy and religion course

According to students, this engaging course delves into the complex relationship between philosophy, science, and religion. Many learners found the material thought-provoking, helping them to question their own beliefs and consider different perspectives. They particularly appreciated the diverse range of instructors and topics covered, as well as the optional readings and videos that provided further context. The course is well-suited for those interested in exploring the intersections of these fields, regardless of their prior knowledge or background. However, some students did encounter challenging concepts and found the quizzes to be occasionally difficult.

Comes with optional readings and videos, providing additional support for learning.

"It was such a constructive experience to attend these courses. The course's content was really interesting and it filled me with so many thoughts."

"The course includes several readings you can download and save."

"The optional textbook is a good value for students who are new to philosophy."

Features a variety of instructors and topics, offering a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter.

"Excellent variety of instructors and topics covered."

"The course was extremely excellent. It gives an overview of the major concepts in philosophy and religion with a bit in depth discussion. It also links to the modern science and technology."

"It stretched my understanding and thinking."

Provides a thorough examination of the connections between philosophy, science, and religion.

"Excellent course. It gave me a lot, as well all professors and presentation have excellent knowledge about the subjects"

"Science, religion, and philosophy seek answers to intriguing questions that have occupied the human mind for many centuries."

Some quizzes may be challenging, requiring careful review of the material.

"This to some extent felt more like Philosophy vs Science."

"I parsed one of the questions repeatedly, went back over and over to the lecture transcript, and I could make neither heads nor tails of what it was getting at regarding the correct response."

May present difficult concepts that require effort to grasp.

"I found some of the material difficult to understand, both the concepts and reasons for them."

"This was by far the most difficult of the three-course series for me, and it may be that philosophy for me is the most challenging of the three fields."

"I thought that this course was generally rather poor.."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion with these activities:

Read 'The God Argument' by Quentin Smith

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Introduce key concepts and arguments in the philosophy of religion, providing a strong foundation for the course.

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Read the introduction and first chapter.
Read the remaining chapters, taking notes on the main arguments and criticisms.
Formulate your own thoughts on the arguments and write a short summary.

Read 'Science and Religion: A New History' by John Brooke

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Provide a historical perspective on the relationship between science and religion, enhancing understanding of the current debate.

View Science and Religion: Some Historical... on Amazon

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Read the introduction and first three chapters.
Read the remaining chapters, paying attention to the changing attitudes towards science and religion over time.
Write a brief essay discussing the key themes and insights from the book.

Explore the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy articles on 'Science and Religion'

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Gain a comprehensive understanding of different philosophical perspectives on science and religion.

Browse courses on Science and Religion

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Read the main SEP article on 'Science and Religion'.
Follow the links to related articles, such as 'The Conflict Thesis' and 'Naturalism'.
Take notes on the key arguments and counterarguments presented.

Four other activities

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Engage in group discussions on the course forums

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Deepen understanding of the course material through active discussions and peer feedback.

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Join the course forums and introduce yourself.
Participate in ongoing discussions, asking questions and responding to others.
Start a new discussion thread on a topic you're particularly interested in.

Develop an annotated bibliography of key resources on science and religion

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Expand your knowledge base and facilitate future research by organizing relevant sources.

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Conduct a literature search to identify key resources on science and religion.
Create a digital or physical bibliography, including full citations and annotations.
Annotate each entry with a brief summary, evaluation, and key takeaways.
Organize the bibliography thematically or chronologically.
Share your bibliography with others who may find it useful.

Write a blog post on a topic related to science and religion

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Synthesize your understanding and develop a unique perspective on a topic of interest.

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Choose a specific topic related to science and religion.
Research the topic thoroughly, gathering information from academic sources.
Write a draft of your blog post, presenting your arguments and insights.
Revise and edit your post, ensuring clarity, organization, and originality.
Publish your post on a relevant platform and share it with others.

Contribute to an open-source project related to science and religion

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Apply your knowledge and skills while making a direct contribution to the field.

Browse courses on Science

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Find an open-source project related to science and religion.
Review the project's documentation and familiarize yourself with its goals.
Identify an area where you can contribute your skills and knowledge.
Make a pull request to the project, adding your contributions.
Engage with the project's community and provide feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Philosopher

Philosophers study the fundamental nature of reality, knowledge, and existence. This course may be useful for philosophers who want to specialize in the philosophy of religion or the relationship between science and philosophy. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different philosophical approaches to these topics, which can help philosophers develop new insights and theories.

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Theologian

Theologians study the nature of God and the relationship between God and the world. This course may be useful for theologians who want to specialize in the philosophy of religion or the relationship between science and theology. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different theological approaches to these topics, which can help theologians develop new insights and theories.

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Ethics Consultant

Ethics consultants advise organizations and individuals on ethical issues. This course may be useful for ethics consultants who want to specialize in religious or philosophical ethics. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different ethical theories and approaches, which can help ethics consultants provide sound advice to their clients.

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Professor

Professors teach and conduct research in higher education institutions. This course may be useful for professors who want to teach or research in the areas of philosophy, science, and religion. The course can provide a comprehensive overview of the different approaches to these fields and the debates that surround them.

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Lawyer

Lawyers provide legal advice and representation to clients. This course may be useful for lawyers who want to specialize in religious or philosophical law. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different legal issues that arise in these areas, which can help lawyers provide effective legal advice and representation to their clients.

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College Professor

College professors teach and conduct research in higher education institutions. This course may be useful for college professors who want to teach or research in the areas of philosophy, science, and religion. The course can provide a comprehensive overview of the different approaches to these fields and the debates that surround them.

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Editor

Editors review, edit, and publish written content for various media, including books, magazines, newspapers, and websites. This course may be useful for editors who want to specialize in religious or philosophical topics. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different perspectives on these topics, which can help editors make informed decisions about what content to publish and how to present it.

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Grant Writer

Grant writers write proposals to secure funding for various projects and organizations. This course may be useful for grant writers who want to specialize in religious or philosophical projects. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different perspectives on these topics, which can help grant writers write compelling proposals that resonate with potential funders.

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Journalist

Journalists research, write, and report on news and current events. This course may be useful for journalists who want to specialize in religious or philosophical topics. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different perspectives on these topics, which can help journalists write informed and insightful articles that resonate with readers.

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Librarian

Librarians help people find and access information. This course may be useful for librarians who want to specialize in religious or philosophical collections. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different types of resources available in these areas, which can help librarians build and maintain comprehensive collections that meet the needs of their users.

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Psychologist

Psychologists study the human mind and behavior. This course may be useful for psychologists who want to specialize in the psychology of religion or the relationship between science and psychology. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different psychological approaches to these topics, which can help psychologists develop new insights and theories.

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Policy Analyst

Policy analysts research and analyze public policy issues. This course may be useful for policy analysts who want to specialize in religious or philosophical issues. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different perspectives on these topics, which can help policy analysts develop informed and effective policy recommendations.

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Museum curator

Museum curators oversee the care and preservation of museum collections. This course may be useful for museum curators who want to specialize in religious or philosophical artifacts. The course can provide a deep understanding of the different types of artifacts available in these areas, which can help curators develop and maintain exhibitions that engage and educate visitors.

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Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers oversee various aspects of human resources within an organization, including hiring, training, and employee relations. This course may be useful for human resources managers who want to create a more inclusive and respectful workplace. The course can provide insights into the different ways of thinking about diversity and inclusion, which can help human resources managers develop effective policies and practices.

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Chaplain

Chaplains provide spiritual and emotional care to individuals in various settings, such as hospitals, prisons, and the military. This course may be useful for chaplains who want to deepen their understanding of the relationship between philosophy, science, and religion. The course can provide insights into the different ways of thinking about the world and our place in it, which can help chaplains better understand the perspectives and needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds.

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