Skepticism, Atheism, and
Religious Faith (RS 3MM3)
Fall 2007
TEXT
PREPARATION 4
Recall that Text Preparation 2
was cancelled; members of Group 2 are free to submit this or any other
remaining Text Preparation instead.
Assignment due in class on November
12*
from members of Group 4
*Since part of the value of the text
preparation assignment is that it will prepare you to be an active
participant in tutorial and in class, it may only be submitted in class
on the day it is due. If you have to miss that day's class, please
contact the instructor or TA to make alternate arrangements.
Please re-read:
- Immanuel Kant, selection from Critique of Practical Reason (1788),
trans. Mary Gregor [included in coursepack; or copy from Practical
Philosophy on reserve: pp. 236-55]: Part V ("The Existence
of God as a Postulate of Pure Practical Reason").
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and please read:
- Martin Buber, I and Thou (1923) [book available for
purchase/on reserve]: First Part: all (but skim 67-73); Second Part,
pp. 100-110
and address the following two questions, with close attention to the
texts.
1. (one well-written paragraph) According
to Kant, in what respects does the Christian doctrine of morals conform to
"the moral law"?
2a. (2 well-written paragraphs) Buber writes, "Those who experience do not participate in the
world" (p. 56). Explain what Buber means by "experience." What
concepts/ideas/terms is "experience" aligned with, and what
concepts/ideas/terms is it opposed to? What examples are used to clarify this
opposition?
- or -
2b. (2 well-written paragraphs) What might it mean for the I/You relation to be "exclusive"?
Since this is your
first reading of this text, and since we have not yet discussed it in class, you
are not being asked to supply definitive answers but preliminary, thoughtful
responses based on close attention to the text. Your answers may also include
1-2 important questions raised by your reading for further discussion.
In preparing this assignment, please follow the
citation guidelines in
- Gordon Harvey, Writing with Sources,
pp. 1-5; 20 ("Abbreviated Citation for Frequently Used Sources"),
and 37-38 ("In-Text Style for the Humanities") [selection in
coursepack / purchase book / book on reserve]
Your assignment should be printed double-spaced
and with one-inch margins, using a 10-12-point font. Please
number and staple the pages you hand in.
Please keep a copy of your assignment to refer
to in our class discussion.
posted November
6, 2007