Task: What does it mean to know something? How do we know the following things?
2+2=4
Paris is the capital of France
Canada has the longest coastline in the world
Task: Write three examples of analytic and three examples of synthetic statements.
This topic is exploring what it means to know God. Is it the case that God’s existence is logically true or is God’s existence a held fact?
Natural theology – considers that God can be known through reason and observation of the natural world.
Revealed theology – considers that God can only be known when he lets himself be known. Revelation might occur through a prophet, scripture, prayer etc.
Task: Is true knowledge scientific, philosophical or religious?
True: Give a scientific statement, philosophical statement and religious statement.
What constitutes ‘true knowledge’? It could mean hard, incorrigible facts about the world, such as with scientific knowledge. Does scientific knowledge provide understanding of life and what makes it worthwhile?
In the Ancient world, it was believed that true knowledge was the sort of knowledge which makes life worthwhile and provides a deeper understanding of what life is like. It was believed that ‘knowing oneself’ meant understanding your place in society and that was what true knowledge was.
However, the third option is knowledge of God is actual true knowledge. If you believe that God is the source of life, then understanding God leads to profound knowledge of life itself.
Task: Write down facts things we know about God (assuming that God exists). For each, explain how you know it to be true.
Mrs Hicks' Lessons 