Philosophy of Religion: Midterm Exams in Philo 104

Midterm Exams – Philosophy of Religion (Philo 104)

General Instructions:
Please write legibly. Please use only ballpens. (black or blue)
Read and understand first what the statement is all about.
For every thesis statement, it is assumed that you should be able to explain, elaborate and present evidences or examples.

General rating system will consider the following:

· Content (relevant themes, topics, terms, phrases) 50%

· Cohesion (organization and presentation of thoughts) 25%

· Analysis or illustration (connection of themes, topics, terms, phrases, examples) 25%

Thesis Statements
Explain each to the fullest of your knowledge. 20pts each

1.
1. Philosophy of Religion aims to deepen our understanding of certain religious concepts and beliefs as it tries to critically analyze and examine them through the method of philosophical inquiry. Philosophy of religion does not study what we believe but more significantly, subject these beliefs to rigorous rational criticism and assessment.

2. 2. The cosmological argument is widely recognized as a classic major attempt to demonstrate and prove the existence of God by an appeal to human reason alone. Having its basis on the indisputable fact of our experience with the sensible world, it is known in philosophical parlance as an example of an a posteriori proof or argument for God.

3. 3. St. Anselm claims to derive the existence of God from the concept of a being than which no greater can be conceived. St. Anselm reasoned that, if such a being fails to exist, then a greater being—namely, a being than which no greater can be conceived, and which exists—can be conceived. But this would be absurd: nothing can be greater than a being than which no greater can be conceived. So a being than which no greater can be conceived—i.e., God—exists.

4. Pascal’s Wager