Detailed Information

Philosophy as a Way of Life

This course will examine the following thinkers’ views on a selection of topics: Pierre Hadot on how philosophy can constitute a way of life, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s difficulties with St. Augustine’s problem about time, O.K. Bouwsma’s thoughts on Descartes’ Second Meditation, Hannah Arendt on the differences between forgiving, understanding and utilitarianism, Spinoza on the conditions necessary for interpretation and the nature of freedom and Paul Ricoeur on non-violence and one’s neighbour. No prior knowledge of philosophy is necessary though it can be useful and class discussion is encouraged. Relevant handouts will be made available on course material.

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  • Philosophy as a way of life
  • What is time?
  • Thinking about oneself and others
  • Forgiving, understanding and utilitarianism
  • Freedom
  • interpretation

At the end of this course, a student should be able to

  • Understand something about the nature of philosophical thought and enquiry
  • Evaluate its importance
  • Discuss one or more philosophical approaches
  • Explain how philosophy takes place
  • Think more clearly and critically about life generally

Patrick Quinn is Head of Dept. of Philosophy, All Hallows College, Dublin and a faculty member of the Study of Platonism, Trinity College, Dublin who is widely published on philosophy and education and presented a series of programmes about these topics on RTE radio and television.

Bouwsma, O.K., Towards A New Sensibility, University of Nebraska Press.

Hadot, Pierre, The Present Alone is Our Happiness (2011), Stanford University Press.

Quinn, Patrick, Philosophy of Religion A-Z (2005), Edinburgh University Press.

Wittgenstein on Thinking, Learning and Teaching (2015), Oxford:    Peter Lang Publishers.

Ratner, Joseph, The Philosophy of Spinoza (1954), New York: The Modern Library.

Wittgenstein, Ludwig, The Blue and Brown Books (1960) New York: Harper Torchbooks

Culture and Value (1998), Oxford: Blackwell.

Further reading will be suggested in class.