Harvard University Philosophy Philosophy Concept of God Questions

The following 5 assignments are different and each one should be answered separately:

1st assignment: you need to read Article 1 (in the attachment) then answer the question bellow following the requirements:

In this article Johnson presents the most common explanations given by theists for the presence of evil in the world and then offers his reasons for their inadequacy.

1. What do you understand Johnson to mean by “moral urgency”?

The answer must be at least 5-6 sentences.

Choose one of the following, depending on your belief:

2a. If you believe that God exists and is good, which of Johnson’s arguments create the greatest challenge to your belief that God is good, and why?

2b. If you do not believe that God exists, which of Johnson’s arguments do you find most compelling to support your view, and why?

3. Near the end of the article Johnson offers his “conclusive objection” to the excuses of theists’ for the presence of evil in the world that is allowed by God. What is that objection and do you find it convincing? Why or why not?

________________________________________________________________________________________

2nd Assignment: You need to read the philosophical note below then answer the question on Bold

For the sake of discussion let’s assume that there “is a god.” This god has the qualities that are usually attributed to him/her: all-good, all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-forgiving

Since these qualities express the nature of god and are all positive, serving to enhance the well-being of humanity, why would he/she permit evil in the world and do nothing about it (at least on this side of eternity)?

Why does God permit evil?

The answer must be at least 5-6 sentences.

________________________________________________________________________________________

3rd Assignment: You need to read the philosophical note below then answer the question on Bold

There are many in the intellectual world today who argue that philosophy is dead. The argument goes that the questions philosophy has historically asked have been answered, or are being answered, by science and other related academic disciplines.

In your opinion, is philosophy dead? Explain.

The answer must be at least 5-6 sentences.

________________________________________________________________________________________

4th assignment: you need to read Article 1 (in the attachment) then answer the question bellow following the requirements:

Are wars against terror analogous to conventional wars? Why or why not?

The answer should be at least one-half of a page, double-spaced

Statman claims that targeted killing is morally preferable to conventional war. Do you agree? Why or why not

The answer should be at least one-half of a page, double-spaced

Thetotal for this assignment should be one page double-spaced

________________________________________________________________________________________

5th Assignment: You need to read the scenario below then answer the question on Bold:

Our sensitivity to other peoples, minorities, etc. continues to expand. We’re less tolerant of rank cruelty than perhaps in the past. For many people this is based on the idea that we have a moral obligation, or if not an obligation, a moral responsibility to respect the rights of others to pursue their interests without interference, judgment or mistreatment. In short, we believe that humans have moral rights.

Do animals have (moral) rights?

If you say yes, why do you believe this and to what extent do (should) these rights extend? Explain.

If you say no, explain why. And since you believe they do not have (moral) rights, do you believe that we have any moral responsibilities to them in terms of how we treat them? Explain.

The answer must be at least 5-6 sentences.

________________________________________________________________________________________