Philosophy of Religion Research

Virtue Rationality and Religious Beliefs: with an Emphasis on Theory of Sosa

Document Type : Original Research

Author

PhD of Philosophy of Religion and New Theology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Virtue epistemology is a new recent approach to epistemology that gives to epistemic or intellectual virtues an important role. Having many similaritywith Externalist Reformed Epistemology, Virtue based view can be used as a new model in religious epistemology. We can define religious virtue and religious perspective that produce true apt beliefs. These presuppositions lead to a new concept of rationality that can defend the rationality of religious beliefs.Therefore we can hold the possibility of religious knowledge against skepticism and its rationality against atheism.

Keywords

Audi, Robert (1998), Epistemology: A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge, London & New York: Routledge.
Geivett, R. Douglas & Sweetman, Brendan (1992), Contemporary Perspective on Religious Epistemology, New York: Oxford university press.
Geoffrey, T. Brwon (1984),“A Defence of Pascal's Wager”, Religious Studies, vol. 20.
Kvanvig, Jonathan (2008),“Closure and Alternative Possibilities”, Handbook of Skepticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
Plantinga, Alvin (2000), Warranted Christian Belief, New York: Oxford University Press.
Pritchard, Duncan (2003), “Reformed Epistemology”, International  Philosophical Quarterly , 43/1.
Sosa, E. & Bonjour, L (2003), Epistemic justificstion: Internalism vs Externalism  Foundation vs virtue, Oxford: Blackwell publishing.
Sosa, Ernest (1991), Knowledge in Perspective: Selected Essays in Epistemology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Id (2004), “Reply to Keith De Rose”, Ernest  Sosa  and  his Critics, Ed. John Greco, New york: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Id (2007), A Virtue Epistemology: Apt Belief and Reflective Knowledge, Oxford: Clarendon Press, Vol. 1.
Id (2009),Reflective Knowledge: Apt Belief and Reflective Knowledge, Oxford: Clarendon Press, Vol. 2.
Id (2011), Knowing Full Well, Prinston: Prinston University Press.
Wainwright, William (1999), philosophy of Religion, Canada: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Philosophy of Religion Research
Volume 11, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
May 2013
Pages 117-134