I’m running a new course at Centre for Adult Education, CBD Melbourne 7 Aug to 4 Sep 2012:

GOD IN TODAY’S SOCIETY

We discuss different concepts of God from the interventionist, personal God to the good spirit to nature. Bookings are coming in fast, so check and book at the CAE site:

http://www.cae.edu.au/web/?course=DNX100

Alex McCullie

Philosophy

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/ (a massive online site of academic articles on most philosophical topics)
• Templeton foundation (Christian organisation set up to promote discussion between science and religion):  Does moral action depend on reasoning? (series of responses) http://www.templeton.org/reason/
• BBC guide to the ethics associated with abortion: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/
• Teach Yourself Understand Philosophy (Teach Yourself – General) (Paperback) gentle introduction to philosophy:  http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781444104998/Teach-Yourself-Understand-Philosophy
• Teach Yourself Understand Ethics (Teach Yourself – General) (Paperback) By (author) Mel Thompson another good intro by same author as one above. http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781444103519/Teach-Yourself-Understand-Ethics

Religion

• Godless Morality – Peter Singer and Marc Hauser: http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/200601–.htm
• Relationship that leads to life On evangelical take on Christian morality in Christianity Today online magazine: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/august/14.48.html
• Abortion in Jewish Law: http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48954946.html
• BBC summary of Judaism and abortion: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/jewishethics/abortion_1.shtml

Psychology

• Steven Pinker, NYT article Moral Instinct, 13-Jan-2008: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/magazine/13Psychology-t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1300665621-B8C05uYqKjPkma1+MLIkIw
• Does evolution explain human nature? http://www.templeton.org/evolution/ see comments re Templeton above.
• Does science make belief in God obsolete? http://www.templeton.org/belief/ (see above)
• Numerous papers by Jonathan Haidt (available on request): http://people.virginia.edu/~jdh6n/publications.html

I’m running three courses Feb to Apr this year at the Centre for Adult Education in Melbourne.

Centre for Adult Education: Melbourne
Content

MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD – 4 World-views

What is Reality?
We shall examine two competing ways of understanding reality. Naturalism with its strictly physical world-view and traditional Christianity with a divine creator and organiser. Since the 18th Century Enlightenment, western society has moved away from traditional Christian understandings to a more naturalistic view of existence. We shall compare the two views.

What is Truth?
Modernism (there are universally reasoned truth) and Post-modernism (we can have personal truths only) also compete with different explanations on the status of knowledge and truth. This conflict lead to the (in) famous science and history wars of the late 20th century.

5 sessions:
Tuesdays 6.00PM-7.30PM: 19/04/11, 03/05/11 to 24/05/11

Venue: CAE Building B – 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

Click to book

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Centre for Adult Education, Melbourne

SEARCHING FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS
Explore the historical Jesus, separate from the figure of devotion. In doing so, review the use of Christian and non-Christian sources and treatment of miracle claims, society, political and religion of early first century Israel and Middle East, analysing the primary source – the Gospels, review of research from the past 300 years, how Jesus, the man, is profiled by today’s scholars.

Class details
5 sessions:
Tuesdays 6.00PM-7.30PM: 22/02/11 to 22/03/11

Venue: CAE Building B – 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

Click to book
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Centre for Adult Education: Melbourne

BEING GOOD: 3 VIEWS OF MORALITY
We think about moral issues every day. Newspapers, television programs, and internet web-sites tell us what is immoral and moral.

Class details
5 sessions:
Tuesdays 7.30PM-9.00PM: 22/02/11 to 22/03/11

Venue: CAE Building B – 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne

Content
We explore two traditional foundations of Western moral attitudes – traditional Religious beliefs and Philosophical thinking – with the more-recent and challenging research of Moral Psychology and ask the questions, does morality exist? Can there be universal moral rules? How do we know right from wrong? What is evil? How does culture influence morality?

Click to book

Atheism & Agnosticism:rejecting the god delusion: Tuesday 6.00-7.30pm: 16 March to 13 April 2010 (5 nights)http://www.cae.edu.au/?course=DNT800

Searching for the historical Jesus – what do we know?: Tuesday 6-7.30pm 25 May to 29 June 2010 (6 nights)

Naturalism – a complete world-view without god: Tuesday July 6-7:30pm 6 July to 20 July 2010 (3 nights)

Alex McCullie