Liberal Learning for Life - University of Dallas

Welcome to the Liberal Learning for Life newsletter!
Our theme this month is Philosophy and the Modern World.

Next month, we will explore The Languages of Prayer.

THE HUMAN DESIRE FOR TRUTH

When someone tells you that something is “true for you but not true for me,” their language stems in part from the philosophical movements known as Positivism and Historicism. As Associate Professor of Politics Jonathan Culp, Ph.D., explains, the legacies of these movements are most problematic because they “undercut the central human desire for truth.”

Dr. Culp’s presentation is taken from the free video-based course "The Person: History and Tradition," part of the Studies in Catholic Faith and Culture Program.

PHENOMENOLOGY, HAMMERS AND THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR HEADS

Is your experience simply reducible to the activity of neurons in your brain? While many philosophers and cognitive scientists might answer “yes,” philosophers in the tradition known as phenomenology would answer “no.” This conversation about phenomenology with Professor of Philosophy Chad Engelland, Ph.D., touches on these subjects as well as, among others, Cezanne’s still life paintings, what it means to study “the experience of experience,” and how thinking about a hammer can help us understand the wondrous web of relationships that enmesh the objects we encounter every day.

This episode is taken from the Liberal Learning for Life @ UD Podcast, which features compelling, pithy and rich conversations with UD faculty and friends.

THE COMEBACK OF
CLASSICAL EDUCATION

Classical educators retain the so-called “impractical disciplines such as philosophy” because they recognize the importance of both the “practical arts” and the “liberal arts” in forming students who can think critically and communicate clearly. This article by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Humanities Alyssan Barnes, Ph.D., explains how and why we are seeing a “Comeback of Classical Education” today.

This article is taken from the journal of the Arts of Liberty Project, which educates students, teachers and lifelong learners in the purpose and power of the liberal arts and liberal education.

Upcoming Events

DIETRICH VON HILDEBRAND’S ETHICS WITH DR. JONATHAN SANFORD

Pope John Paul II called Dietrich von Hildebrand “one of the great ethicists of the 20th century.” Find out why in this conversation on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. CST, about Hildebrand's Ethics, featuring Provost and Professor of Philosophy Jonathan Sanford, Ph.D., along with two other speakers. This event is co-sponsored with the Hildebrand Project.

C.S. LEWIS ONLINE PANEL

C.S. Lewis' birthday is Nov. 29. Celebrate his works with us on Nov. 30 at noon CST, with a panel of UD professors! Panelists include Associate Professor of English Bernadette Waterman Ward, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology Christopher Malloy, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Computer Science Robert Hochberg, Ph.D.

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