Catholic rock star philosopher John Haldane, currently one of the most in-demand Catholic intellectuals, is coming to Sydney to teach a 13-week unit at the University of Notre Dame.
John Haldane will teach the unit The Good Society, its nature and foundations, exploring the broad understanding of moral and political principles that had, until relatively recently, been shared by societies across, and even beyond, the West.
That understanding was rooted in a synthesis of philosophical and religious ideas deriving from Greek philosophy and Roman law and from Jewish and Christian scripture.
It was an understanding that had been eroded in the wake of the industrialisation, urbanisation and commercial and technological changes, as well as radical developments in philosophy, dating back to the pre-Reformation era.
Prof Haldane will explore the ideas of ancient, modern and contemporary thinkers, examining the current situation and the most popular responses to the collapse of certainty, as well as considering what hope there is of a reasonable way forward.
The associate dean of Notre Dame’s School of Philosophy and Theology, Dr Angus Brook, said it would be a great privilege to have Prof Haldane teaching in residence.
“Prof Haldane coined the term ‘analytical Thomism’ in the early 1990s and is considered one of the leading thinkers in this contemporary trend of philosophical thought,” Dr Brook said.
The 13-week unit runs in the evenings from Tuesday, 23 February to Tuesday, 24 May, 2016.
Prof Haldane will also present two public lectures – on 17 March and 12 May – on topics to be announced.
