Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
OUA Unit Convenor and Tutor
Jennifer Duke-Yonge
Contact via Email or via "Dialogues" in iLearn
Philosophy Dept, Level 2, Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University
By arrangement.
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Religion has been an important feature of human life throughout history and it continues to shape human affairs across the planet today. All religions posit the existence of some divine force, and the major monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - take this divinity to be a single all-powerful God. But what kind of justification can be given for belief in the existence of God, so conceived? Does science support or undermine belief in God? Or have science and religion got nothing to do with each other? Can religious belief be justified on practical grounds? Might religion provide a basis for morality and spiritual fulfilment that secular or non-religious people lack? Or are there secular sources of meaning available in the modern world that could make religion redundant? Is there a link between religion and violence? Should religion be viewed as an antidote to violent conflict or a cause of it? What place should there be for religion in the political sphere? The unit does not presuppose any religious commitment or particular religious perspective, just a willingness to explore these questions, and others like them, in an open-minded and rigorous way.
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Assessments are to be submitted through Turnitin, and will be marked and returned via Grademark. For information about these tools, see:
http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm
Special Consideration
Requests for extensions should be submitted via a Special Consideration request, which is available in the http://ask.mq.edu.au portal. Your request must be accompanied by appropriate documentation, such as a medical certificate, and must be submitted within five days of the due date. Please see the Special Consideration policy in the list of policies at the end of this document for further details.
Read the policy closely as your request may be turned down if you have not followed procedure, or if you have not submitted a request in a timely manner.
Late Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Academic Honesty
In Philosophy, academic honesty is taken very seriously. Misrepresenting someone else's work as your own may be grounds for referral to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. If you have questions about how to properly cite work or how to credit sources, please talk to one of the teaching staff and see also Academic Integrity Policy (see the Policies and Procedures section below).
Please note that the policy also prohibits resubmitting work you have already submitted in another unit or unit offering. This counts as self-plagiarism. To avoid self-plagiarism, if you have done this unit previously, you should write on another topic this time. If this presents you with any problems, please contact the unit covenor as soon as possible.
For information about extensions, late penalties and special consideration, see Policies and Procedures section below.
Please note that all times mentioned in due dates are Sydney time.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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On-line Quizzes | 25% | No | Weekly |
Major Essay | 40% | No | 11.59pm, Sunday 10/11 |
Participation | 20% | No | Weekly |
Project management | 15% | No | Weekly; + Essay plan Sun 20/10 |
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 25%
Multiple choice questions to test knowledge of material covered in the unit each week (weeks 1-10).
The criterion for assessment is understanding of the week's material, as demonstrated by the correct selection of answers in a multiple choice quiz.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: 11.59pm, Sunday 10/11
Weighting: 40%
1 x 2000 word essay (+/- 10%) with bibliography on a specified topic.
The task must be submitted through Turnitin.
This task will be assessed by the following criteria: Content; Focus; Clarity, Critical Engagement, Argumentation and referencing. A detailed rubric for this task will be supplied in through Turnitin.
No assignments are accepted more than seven days late.
Work submitted in a previous version of the unit may not be resubmitted. If you have done the unit before, you will need to choose a different question.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Contribution to class discussion based on appropriate preparation. Criteria for this task: Engagement in online community; content of posts; regularity of engagement. Detailed information about participation requirements will be given in iLearn.
Due: Weekly; + Essay plan Sun 20/10
Weighting: 15%
Project management will be assessed by the following criteria: Timely engagement with unit resources, engagement with project management activities in the dedicated forum, and adequacy of essay plan and bibliography to be submitted in week 10. A rubric and further instructions will be provided in the Assessments and Guides section of iLearn.
The essay plan must be submitted through Turnitin.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. Unit resources include video lecture recordings, quizzes, written content, discussion forums and assignment submission. A reliable internet connection is required throughout semester.
PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.
All essential readings will be available electronically through the Macquarie University website, and can be accessed through the 'Leganto' link on the unit website.
Important schedule information: Please note that OUA units offered by Macquarie University now follow Macquarie Sessions rather than OUA Study Periods. This will include a mid-session break of two weeks. You will find the dates below:
WEEKLY LECTURE SCHEDULE
Week 1 (week beginning (29/7) |
Introduction; What is religion? Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology |
Part 1: Classical Problems in Philosophy of Religion | |
Week 2 (w/b 5/8) |
The idea of the perfect being: Descartes. |
Week 3 (w/b 12/8) |
Providence and the problem of evil: Leibniz |
Week 4 (w/b 19/8) |
Religion within the limits of reason: Kant |
Week 5 (w/b 26/8) |
Faith and subjectivity: Kierkegaard |
Week 6 (w/b 2/9) |
Part 2: Understanding and Explaining a secular world Understanding secularism – Nietzsche and his heirs |
Week 7 (w/b 9/9) |
Secularism, religion and morality - Richard Rorty’s pragmatism |
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Mid-semester break (16/9-29/9) |
Week 8 (w/b 30/9) |
The significance of religious pluralism – Charles Taylor |
Week 9 (w/b 7/10) |
Part 3: Contemporary Social Issues of Religion Science and religion
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Week 10 (w/b 14/10) |
Religious toleration and its limits (Essay plan due Sunday 20/10) |
Week 11 (w/b 21/10) |
Religion and violence
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Week 12 (w/b 28/10) |
Review, essay writing
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Week 13 (w/b 4/11) |
Review, essay writing (Essay due Sunday 10/11) |
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.
You need to show that the circumstances:
If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:
Outcome
Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.
You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.
If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.
If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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