Monday, November 16, 2009

Class Objective: To discuss questions 3-6 of the Xenophanes exercise

These questions have the common theme of Xenophanes' confidence in human reason to investigate and understand the divine person.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Introductions

Class Objective: To get to know one another better and beginning learning about who Xenophanes was.

* Extended attendance
* Xenophanes Exercise
* Discussion

Xenophanes Exercise

True or false:

1) Xenophanes was active as an intellectual at the age of 92.

2) Xenophanes criticized the traditional view of the gods represented by Homer and Hesiod.

3) Xenophanes believed that if we want to know what the gods are like we can extrapolate from human characteristics.

4) Xenophanes found the idea of a hierarchy of gods and goddesses absurd.

5) Xenophanes believed there was only one true god.

6) Xenophanes thought that many of the things popularly attributed to the gods could be explained as natural processes.

7) Xenophanes believed that sense data is unquestionably reliable.

8) Xenophanes believed that critical examination was a viable source of information about the gods.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Class Syllabus and Requirements

Class Objective: Just to familiarize ourselves with the syllabus and course requirements