PHIL 390.001 – Special Topics (Philosophy of Religion)
Instructor: Ryan Preston-Roedder. This course meets MW 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. in CW 213.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov is a gripping story of murder and romantic rivalries, a wonderfully inventive literary work, and one of the finest philosophical novels ever written. We will read all of The Brothers Karamazov and discuss some of the main philosophical issues it addresses. Course topics will include: (1) the conflict between faith and reason, and the role – if any – that faith occupies in a good human life (2) the nature of love, and the meaning and significance of the command to “love your neighbor” (3) what it means for human beings to flourish, and what sort of community makes flourishing possible. We will also discuss related work by more recent philosophers and theologians, including Robert Adams, GA. Cohen, C.S. Lewis, Thomas Nagel, Ryan Preston-Roedder, and Samantha Vice.