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Emphasis on fundamental questions and critical thinking
An important feature of philosophy at a Catholic institution is the understanding that philosophy, as the pursuit of wisdom, is not undertaken solely out of curiosity or the desire to solve conceptual and theoretical puzzles, but involves self-transformation. While all philosophical questions are ultimately interconnected, those that are most important in a Catholic context deal with the nature of truth, the self, the good life and its moral and spiritual dimensions, and beauty and justice.
Moreover, even though as scholars and researchers we may well delve into technical areas of philosophy where discussion and debate can seem somewhat esoteric and removed from practical human concerns, as teachers we focus on philosophical matters of importance and significance for how we live and relate to others.
We all take as our starting point the Socratic dictum "know thyself" which implies that the most significant knowledge is to be found within—not literally in the sense Socrates perhaps suggested in the doctrine that learning is recollection, but in the sense that valuable knowledge involves self discovery and insight about what is important and about who we are what we should aspire to be.
Our Philosophy of Human Nature course, which is an introduction to philosophy that also serves as a fundamental general education requirement of all students, exemplifies in addition to its historical perspective the values orientation, with prominence given to such perennial questions as:
- Do we have a soul?
- Are we free?
- Why be moral?
- What is a happy life?
- What roles do reason, intuition and sensation play in discovering truth?
- Is there a purpose to life?
A number of other courses (Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, The Soul, Philosophy of Religion, Existentialism and courses in Ethics) deal with the same or similar questions. In assigning argumentative essays, we challenge students to address these questions with rigor, to analyze primary texts and to apply the principles of correct reasoning, rather than casual undisciplined reflection.
We focus on dialogical and interactive pedagogy, the doing of philosophy rather than merely "studying" it. We make efforts to monitor how well we do in these areas by keeping our relevant self-assessment tools updated. Moreover, we make sure students have special opportunities to hone their logical and analytical skills in courses such as Logic, Twentieth-Century Philosophy and The Analytic Tradition.
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Fulfilling the mission
Teaching the philosophical tradition
Emphasis on values and critical thinking
Personal and spiritual development
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