Exercises — Week 4: Philosophy and the Sacred — The Great Monotheisms, Augustine, Aquinas
3 hands-on tasks. Do them in order; each one feeds the Canvas item it names.
15 min · reasoning
1. Five Ways in five rows
- Make a table with five rows: Way · Starting observation · Key premise · Conclusion · One objection.
- Fill it from Question 2, Article 3 — one line per cell, your own words.
- Star the Way you find strongest and the one you find weakest, and write one sentence for each choice.
Turn in / bring: The table. It is the spine of Forum 2.
10 min · reading
2. The pear theft, examined
- Reread the pear theft (Confessions, Book II).
- Answer: What did Augustine want? What does he say he actually got? Why does he think it matters decades later?
- Give one modern example of doing something wrong 'just because' — and say whether Augustine's explanation fits it.
Turn in / bring: A half-page of answers for the Week 4 Discussion.
25 min · writing
3. Forum 2 scaffold
- Choose one: (a) Does Augustine's privation view solve the problem of evil? (b) Is one of the Five Ways convincing? Confirm the Canvas prompt.
- Thesis in one sentence.
- Explain the argument fairly, with a quote and section reference.
- Give your strongest reason for or against, then the strongest objection, then your reply.
- Close by saying what would change your mind.
Turn in / bring: The forum post in Canvas.