PHIL 320: TRACES OF GOD
University of Tennessee, Martin
6/8/2026
BASIC INFORMATION
Course Section: all in-person and online sections of PHIL 320 taught by James Fieser
Course Title: Traces of God
Meeting Time and Place:
In-person: 12:00 MWF, H215
Online: asynchronous
Course Credit Hours: 3
Textbooks and Other Required Materials:
Posted online for free at jfieser.com and on Canvas
Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. James Fieser
Office: Humanities 216A
Office Hours: MWF 1:00-2:00, and by appointment
E-Mail: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
COURSE PURPOSE, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES
Course Content: The course tentatively consists of from key primary text readings from the anthology "Classics in the Philosophy of Religion" from ancient Greece to modern times. Major figures include Cicero, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Leibniz, Hume, Paley, Kant, Darwin, Nietzsche, James, Stanton, Ayer and Hick.
Catalog Description: An examination of key issues in the philosophy of religion, including arguments for God's existence or non-existence, the nature of God, the relationship between faith and reason, religious diversity, belief in the after-life, and non-Western approaches to religion.
Course Resources: all material for this course is available through the course Canvas page.
Philosophy Major Student Learning Outcomes (asterisks indicate which SLOs pertain to PHIL 320): Upon completion of the philosophy program, students will be able to (1) Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of metaphysical, epistemological, and value theories in philosophy; *(2) Apply specialized knowledge of key philosophical issues and philosophers; *(3) Analyze and interpret major texts and arguments in philosophy; (4) Apply the main rules of philosophical argumentation and logic; *(5) Defend/refute philosophical positions in writing.
Course Communications: email will be the primary means of communication outside of class. I try to answer all email messages within a few hours. During the semester I will email some messages to the entire class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS
Course Assignments: The Canvas course page is divided into about ten modules, each of which includes (1) reading material, (2) lecture videos, (3) study question upload links, (4) discussion upload links, (5) term paper upload link, and (6) tests for online students only. Each of these is described below, and more explanations are provided in the course "Assignment Instructions" document on Canvas. Each module will be unlocked only after the successful completion of the previous one. Assignment due dates are posted on Canvas, and will likely change as the semester proceeds.
Readings: All the reading assignments for this course are posted online and on Canvas, free of charge, and most of it comes from book chapters that I have authored or edited.
Videos: Lecture videos are linked within each Canvas module. These are mainly for the benefit of online students, but also help in-person students who miss classroom lectures.
Study Questions: All the reading material in the course has accompanying study questions that appear at the bottom of each chapter, with 21 questions per module. The first 20 are short comprehension questions, and question 21 is a 100-word short essay question about some point in the assigned readings. All 21 questions must be submitted together through the study question link within each module on Canvas.
Discussion Posts: Each course module includes a discussion board in which students must post at least three comments pertaining to the assigned reading in that module. Comments must be a minimum length of 100 words. One comment must be your short essay from question 21 in the study questions. The remaining two comments must be in response to other students' short essays.
Tests in In-Person Sections: all tests in in-person sections will be held in the classroom, three total, consisting of approximately 50 multiple choice questions each. The third test will be during finals week. You must notify me immediately if you miss a test, in which case the make up day will be on finals week after you take your third test.
Tests in Online Sections: all tests in online sections will be on Canvas, approximately 12 total, one for each module, consisting of 20 true-false questions. The time limit for each quiz is 15 minutes. The quizzes will be video monitored and require use of a suitable computer with a functioning webcam. Quizzes will be unlocked only after you submit your 21 study question answers. The quizzes are NOT open-book and open-note, and video monitoring will track your eye and head movement to assure that your eyes are only looking at the screen, and not down at your table or lap. Your full face must be visible to the camera throughout the quiz.
Term Paper: A term paper is required with a length of 1,000 words for non-philosophy majors and 2,500 words for philosophy majors. Instructions are provided on the course web page.
In-Person Class Attendance: For in-person sections, attendance is required, and I will take attendance regularly. You are allowed six discretionary absences, with no penalty. If you go over six, I will only evaluate the legitimacy of excuses on finals day, so you need to save all your written excuses until that time. please do not show them to me until then. Students who miss class are expected to view the relevant lecture videos posted on Canvas.
Internet and Artificial Intelligence Policy: Use of AI tools is not permitted in this course on any assignment. All work in this course will be produced by the student. Use of AI tools will be considered a violation of academic integrity and will be dealt with accordingly. The use of either internet-copied content, or artificial intelligence tools are strictly prohibited for all coursework, including study questions and discussion posts (e.g., Google searches, ChatGPT, Grammarly). Study question answers must be based solely on the course reading material. Any such instances of internet or AI use will be considered academic dishonesty and will result in the following consequences: (1) points subtracted for the submission, (2) nullification of the module quiz score; and (3) potential additional penalties as per the UT Martin's academic integrity policy. Internet-copied and AI-generated content is easily identifiable, so you should submit your own original work, even if it contains content inaccuracies, typographical errors, grammatical mistakes, or stylistic imperfections. The presence of these will not adversely affect your assignment scores. At any time during the semester, I may discuss your knowledge of the course material to verify your authorship of your submitted assignments.
Ten Commandments of Class Conduct: (1) Do not come to class if you are ill; (2) Do not show up late for class; (3) Shut off and put away all electronic devices; (4) Stay focused on the screen in the front of the room or your hand written notes; (5) Do not sneak out of class after attendance; (6) Do not leave the room once class starts unless you tell me beforehand; (7) Do not chat with those around you, or you may be relocated; (8) Do not study material for a different class during this one; (9) Do not be disrespectful to me or other students in the room; (10) Do not pack your things until I tell you that class is over.
Grading Procedures: Course grades will be based on total quiz scores and the term paper (weight to be determined). Study questions and discussion posts are prerequisites for the quizzes and will be graded as "0" without a numerical score. Penalty points will be subtracted from your quiz score for missing, incomplete or inadequate study questions and discussion posts. Violations of the class internet and AI policy will also result in subtracted points. Final grades will initially be based on a scale of 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60%, but I typically lower these thresholds for midterm and final grades. At any point during the semester, I may reevaluate a student's earlier assignment scores if issues such as dishonesty, failure to follow instructions, or miscalculation become apparent.
Required Equipment for Online Sections: Access to a Windows or Apple computer with a webcam and microphone that can run the required test monitoring software (i.e., the YuJa Verity extension for the Chrome web browser).
Extra Credit and Lottery Scholarships: No extra credit will be available for this course; students on scholarships should take notice of this.
Syllabus Subject to Change: The instructor reserves the right to revise, alter or amend this syllabus as necessary. Students will be notified in class or through email of any such changes.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Integrity: The University of Tennessee at Martin has chosen as its primary objective quality undergraduate education. Commitment to this objective must include an obligation by all members of the University community to promote and protect the highest standards of integrity in study, research, instruction and evaluation. Dishonesty or unethical behavior does not belong at an institution dedicated to the promotion of knowledge and learning. Integrity of the academic process requires fair and impartial evaluation by faculty and honest academic conduct by students. Specific integrity attributes can be found: www.utm.edu/departments/conduct/new_academic_integrity.php
Standard of Conduct: When persons enroll in The University of Tennessee at Martin, they retain the rights and duties of a citizen. Additionally, they must assume the duties and observe the regulations imposed by the University community. Specific conduct attributes can be found: www.utm.edu/departments/conduct/conduct.php
Disability Services: The University of Tennessee provides reasonable accommodations (academic adjustments and auxiliary aids) to ensure equal access to educational content and university programs for students with disabilities. Students who are eligible for and who request accommodations through the Disability Services office must provide instructors with a letter of accommodation. The Disability Services office is located in the Student Success Center, 203 Clement Hall, (731) 881-7605.
KEY CAMPUS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog: Listing of academic programs, courses, and policies (www.utm.edu/catalog.php).
Important Dates: add/drop, payments (www.utm.edu/departments/registrar/registration.php).
Student Success Center: Academic support resources (www.utm.edu/departments/success/).
Student Health and Counseling Services: Mental and physical health services (www.utm.edu/departments/shcs/).
Library: Access to library resources, databases, course reserves, and services (www.utm.edu/library.php).
Career Services: Career counseling and resources; Vault job search system (www.utm.edu/departments/careers).
Help Desk: computer and technology assistance (731-881-7900, www.utm.edu/help)