Philosophy at St. Thomas

The philosophy program at St. Thomas introduces distinguished philosophical work over the centuries and into our own time.  While attending carefully to writings foundational to the Catholic intellectual tradition, particularly Aristotle and Aquinas, the program is committed to broad integration of our understanding of reality.  As students work to construct a philosophical worldview, they engage a variety of traditions, including non-Western, and confront questions prompted by the study of such subjects as the natural and social sciences, mathematics, medicine, business, law, theology, the fine arts, and literature.

Summer 2008 Young Scholars Research

Michael Blissenbach
Philosophy and Catholic Studies Major/Biology Minor

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine Deavel

This summer I am examining Saint Thomas Aquinas’ explanation for the coexistence of God and of evil, as well as Scottish philosopher David Hume’s argument that God cannot be both omnipotent and perfectly good due to the existence of evil in the world. This topic is of interest to me because I am greatly interested in Roman Catholic philosophy and apologetics, especially the writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Fathers of the Church. 

I was interested in spending a summer doing philosophical research because I hope someday to be a professor teaching classes in Catholic philosophy or Catholic Studies at a Catholic college. Researching Catholic philosophy and apologetics this summer will hopefully give me a bit of a taste of the life of a Catholic philosophy professor/apologist. 

Steven Winkelman
Philosophy and Political Science Major/Legal Studies Minor

Faculty Mentor: Dr. John van Ingen

This summer I am researching Friedrich Nietzsche's critique of Immanuel Kant's moral philosophy. Specifically, my research concerns Nietzsche on human perfection and his claims that Kant's philosophy inhibits the development of excellence. I became interested in this problem after taking a course led by Dr. van Ingen on Nietzsche and Kant, where I had the opportunity to read and discuss both philosophers in depth. I believe that Kant's modern and contemporary predecessors often dismiss Nietzsche's objections with little serious consideration and almost no sufficient response. My hope is that my research will adequately address Nietzsche's critique and serve as a significant contribution to both Kantian and Nietzschean scholarship.

Summer Reading Suggestions

Looking for a way to chase away the summer blahs? Our philosophy majors and minors have a list of reading suggestions to help fill your late-summer days.