A Catholic view of Western Philosophy

The history of Western philosophy is more than a chronicle of how people thought; it is a continuous conversation about the deepest questions of human existence, what is truth, goodness, beauty, justice, and the destiny of the human person. From the ancient Pre-Socratic search for the fundamental principles of reality, through the systematic reasoning of Plato and Aristotle, to the Christian synthesis of Augustine and Aquinas, philosophy has provided both the vocabulary and the framework by which cultures have sought to understand the world and humanity’s place within it.

In studying this tradition from a Catholic perspective, we will pay special attention to the dialogue between faith and reason. The Catholic intellectual tradition does not dismiss philosophy as merely human speculation, nor does it collapse theology into philosophy. Instead, it sees philosophy as a natural aid to theology: reason illuminated by faith and faith purified by reason. We will see how classical philosophy can be elevated and fulfilled in the light of Revelation, while later thinkers, from the medieval scholastic to modern Catholic philosophers, show how this dialogue continues to shape the Church’s witness in every age. This course will therefore approach Western philosophy not only as an academic discipline, but also as a way to see how philosophy has informed Catholic thought, culture, and spirituality.

Week 3: The Form of the Good
A study of Plato’s dialogues, focusing on the theory of Forms and the philosopher’s understanding of ultimate reality and the Good.