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Interface between Religion, Science and Philosophy

This course will examine topics in the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science, as well as issues that arise at the interface between the disciplines of science, religion, and philosophy.

About the Course

Course Length	2 weeks
Dates/Location	29th July - 11th August Corpus Christi College 12th - 24th August Corpus Christi College 25th-11th August Corpus Christi College 15th July - 28th July 2012 29th July - 11th August 2012	Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University Corpus Christi College, Oxford University
Accommodation	All students will be staying in Lady Margaret Hall or Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford
Fees	3,095 GBP
Prerequisites	Only suitable for native/near-native English speakers
Participants	Open access. Students attend from all over the world
Further Information	For further information on the college, the staff and the all inclusive activities and excursions click here

Jim Driscoll - Web Size.jpg

Tutor Profile: Dr Jim Driscoll

Jim Driscoll studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics before embarking on graduate study in philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford. He received his doctorate in 2006 with a thesis in the philosophy of psychology. In Oxford, he has taught for Balliol, Lincoln, and Magdalene Colleges, amongst others, and is currently teaching logic and the history of philosophy at Corpus Christi. Jim also has a background in adult education, having taught Access to Higher Education courses for Oxfordshire County Council, and serving as an external moderator for the Open College Network. He has also run courses for the mental health charity Restore, taught various summer schools, and for many years has run a popular course on science, religion, and philosophy for ASE, a study-abroad programme in Bath. At present, as well as his teaching commitments, Jim works part-time as assistant to the composer Michael Stimpson. He is a poet, playwright, and musician, and is working on his first libretto, about the seventeenth-century Dutch philosopher Spinoza.

Course Details

The NOMA view of science and religion - an investigation of Stephen Jay Gould's view of science and religion as constituting ‘non-overlapping magisteria'.
The beginnings of the universe - scientific, religious, and philosophical approaches to the question ‘why is there something rather than nothing?'
The meaning of life - scientific, philosophical, and religious approaches to the question ‘what does it all mean?' Morality, religion, and science.
What is the relationship between morality and religion? Can science give us any insight into morality
Natural theology. Are there any plausible arguments for the existence of god?
Philosophy of science. Are scientific theories (known to be) true?
Science, religion, and philosophy ... and politics. What are the political implications of science and religion (and philosophy)? Is science ideological or politically neutral? What place does religion have in the public sphere?

Suggested Rreading:

Reason, Faith, and Revolution by Terry Eagleton
God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn.

No previous experience of philosophy is required, students who have studied philosophy before will also find the course stimulating. Students interested in taking the course might want to have a look at the following optional pre-course readings:

Further Information about the Summer School

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