This course is an introduction to philosophy for theology students who have had little or no philosophy. In this course, we will focus on both understanding key philosophical concepts relevant to theology and on developing philosophical skills. Each class will consist of a lecture on a thorny philosophical question and a tutorial in which students actively work on acquiring and practising philosophical skills. Throughout, philosophy is seen as an act of interpersonal communication (asking good questions and formulating intelligent answers) rather than as a series of dogmatic pronouncements.
Authors to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Machiavelli, Descartes, Pascal, Hume, Darwin, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Levinas and Lonergan.
