UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Spring 2012 Newsletter Notes from the Director Table of Contents Notes from the Director ...................................1 ear Colleagues and modern philosophy, as well as projects Friends of the Center, exploring some of the most well- Philosophy, Understanding, and Being a Person ......2 Last year, under known contemporary strategies for – Robert C. Roberts the direction of responding to the problem. Research Year In Review ..................................................3 Sam Newlands, fellowships in analytic theology begin we undertook a next year; and we are offering a variety Of Faith and Fido .............................................4 major overhaul of the Center’s website. of additional funding opportunities in – Trent Dougherty D(Check it out at philreligion.nd.edu) In analytic theology as well. We continue the course of that revision, the graphic to sponsor our very successful Food A Sublime Year at the Center ............................5 design staff remarked that our level for Thought series, which provides – Andrew Chignell of activity and content was about each semester a catered dinner and Salvation, Evil, and the Divine Attributes .........6 comparable to that of a small college. philosophy discussion for some 50 – – Gary Gutting Indeed! We are now in our third year 60 undergraduates; and we have also of the “Problem of Evil in Modern begun working with the Philosophy 2011 – 2012 Center Fellows .............................9 and Contemporary Thought” project Club on campus. The Center’s staple Interview with Chen Jiangjin .........................12 (evilandtheodicy.org), and the “Analytic activity, however, continues to be analytictheology. Theology Project” ( the weekly discussion group, which Former Center Director in Headlines ...............13 org ) is also in full swing. Our research features work-in-progress by our – Matt Getz visitors this year are pursuing projects research visitors, local faculty, and related to the problem of evil in early occasional outside speakers. We are Recent Work by Past Fellows and Friends excited about the research that of the CPR ......................................................14 is being done here, and you can Upcoming Events in the Center ......................16 learn more about it in the pages that follow as well as on our website. (Be sure to check out the new “Resources” link on the website as well!) Center Director, Michael Rea 1 Feature Article Philosophy, Understanding, and Being a Person Robert C. Roberts øren Kierkegaard says may also have made a human wreck of reflection that could contribute to my somewhere that every hu- yourself (not to speak of the others you development as a person and to the de- man being’s fundamental may infect with your twisted under- velopment of any people my thought task is to become himself standing). might affect. I suppose that’s what has or herself, an individ- drawn me to ethics, and within ethics ual who knows what it In the above I distinguished under- to the discipline of moral psychology— means to exist as a human being and standing from understanding in a the study of such matters as human who exemplifies that knowledge in his certain way. Whenever we understand, emotions, motivation, virtues, happi- Sor her own existence. Might philoso- we understand in some way, but to ness, self-understanding, and personal phy contribute something to such a understand (full stop) implies avoid- relations with others. project? To think so is to suppose that ing the many distorting ways offered The ethical tradition the achievement of that supplies the frame- a maturely human work for my under- identity involves “It is ... possible, ... by understanding standing of these mat- understanding in some something in a certain way, to backslide ters is the Christian one, intimate way. I as- understood without sume that one of the in your understanding, understanding less much insistence on doc- chief aims of philoso- after you’ve done all that work than you trines that have divided phy is understanding. Christians historical- Understanding comes understood before.” ly—thus “ecumenical” in degrees: whatever Christianity, but not in you understand, you the sense of the ecumenical movement always might understand it better, and in the history of philosophy and the of the 1960s and 70s. It seems to me even if you understand only a little, contemporary philosophical scene. that ethical theories as they appear in at least you understand that much. This is a tall order, and Kierkegaard in modern philosophy systematically dis- It is also possible, unfortunately, by effect raises the stakes in connecting tort ethical concepts and thus lead to understanding something in a certain our reflective understanding with the the kind of false understandings, with way, to backslide in your understand- fundamental task of each individual’s potential distortions of persons, that ing, understanding less after you’ve very existence. I noted above. Modern ethical done all that work than you theories such as deontologies, understood before. This can consequentialisms, social con- be the lamentable effect of tract theories, divine command false philosophical theories. theories, and the more recent If naturalism, or consequen- virtue ethics theories that are tialism, or virtue ethics is modeled on the earlier ones, false, and you succeed in are artificial regimentations of deeply understanding your the ethical concepts in which own existence in its terms so some one privileged concept as to shape your character, is assigned a foundational or your actions, your emotions, quasi-foundational role, and and your way of perceiving the attempt is then made to your fellow human beings in derive all the other important accordance with that under- De Generation en Generation, by Bruce Krebs; concepts from the privileged standing, you may not only Photo by Saad Kadhi one. I think this procedure is have ceased to understand fundamentally flawed, in part what you understood before For quite a long time I have wanted the because the concepts just don’t work the theory got hold of you, but you philosophy I practice to be a kind of 2 in the way supposed. If anyone ever and Values starts with an introduction making a theory of, or out of, them. I concertedly tried to live by the under- titled “Studying Virtues” and then stress the virtues’ structural diversity, standing so generated, his life would discusses various ways that emotions and also how a virtue of one type can be a mess, though rescue comes to can have moral value. Virtues consists differ from one moral tradition to most theorists in the form of existential of sustained explorations of particular the next (e.g. Nietzschean generosity sloth: they never get around to living virtues such as compassion, justice, or courage compared with Christian rigorously by such understanding. courage, generosity and gratitude, generosity or courage). Also in the in- sense of duty, and sense of humor, with terest of personally usable conceptual My project for this year at the Cen- special attention to the involvement understanding, I try to make frequent ter for Philosophy of Religion is two of emotions in or with the virtues. The use of narrative examples from fiction books entitled tentatively Emotions and books are not a “virtue ethics” in the and life. Juxtaposition of diverse moral Values and Virtues. Both books consti- modern sense, because I make no effort frameworks and use of narrative aim tute a sequel to my Emotions: An Essay to establish that virtue is a more funda- to provide the reader with what Witt- in Aid of Moral Psychology (2003), which mental concept than any of the other genstein calls “perspicuous representa- was substantially written during an ethical concepts. The book aims at tions” of the concepts in question. earlier visit to the Center. Emotions understanding the virtues rather than Year In Review t has been another fruitful year experiences in which non-sensory The 2011-12 year is again marked by at the Center for Philosophy information can be received with a a number of lectures, conferences and of Religion. In addition to the kind of directness that gives emotions workshops. On October 6-8 the Center Center’s numerous established a special epistemic status. Thus emo- co-organized the Baylor-Georgetown- activities, both Templeton tions can serve for moral judgments in Notre Dame Philosophy of Religion Projects are now active and the same way that perceptions function Workshop, which was held this year in thriving (more on page 8). One result for sensory judgments, giving us a way Washington D.C. At the end of October, of the Projects is a record number of the Center sponsored a musical lecture Ifellows being hosted this year, which for undergraduates and their parents, has produced lively discussions each who were in town ostensibly for a foot- Friday. The Friday discussion group ball game, by Professor William Edgar has also seen distinguished visitors, of Westminster Theological Seminary such as Eleonore Stump and former called “Beauty for Ashes”: Evil, Suffering, fellows Chris Tucker and Ryan Nich- and the Christian Roots of Jazz. ols. This summer the Center’s website was redesigned to be more useful than Still to come this spring are two exciting ever, with more developments on the events. First, on March 30-31 philoso- way. Visit us at philreligion.nd.edu. phers from all over will join the Skepti- cal Theism research fellows to discuss On September 30, Baylor University’s Skeptical Theism and Explanatory Distinguished Professor of Ethics Robert Audi and Robert C. Roberts discuss Arguments from Evil. Then on April Robert C. Roberts delivered the Tenth the virtue of faith. 13-14 philosophers and scientists will Annual Alvin Plantinga Fellow Lec- gather to discuss the nature, extent, and ture, entitled “Emotions and Moral moral-theological significance of animal Judgments: What role do emotions pain. Both conferences are due to the play in mature moral judgments?” to understand and know moral and planning efforts of the fellows funded Professor Roberts explained how emo- spiritual truths.