In May 2021 Anima Education relaunched with this first in their “Introduction” series, Philosophy.
Below is the Course outline. If you would like to know when this course will run again please join up to our mailing list here. If you would like to talk to one of the team about bringing a version of this course to your parish or group please contact Natasha here.
An Introduction to Philosophy – Course Outline
Aim:
This series seeks to introduce you to Philosophy as a practical subject that you can apply to your own life, covering key figures and ideas, but most importantly giving you the skills to explain and defend your thoughts – an invaluable asset in a world that is rapidly losing the ability to think.
Taught by:
Natasha Marsh MA Th, BLibA, AMusA Musicianship.
Rationale:
Have you ever found yourself thinking: ‘Where has the common sense gone?’ Or had an intuition that something is not quite right with the world, but can’t put your finger on why? Or been challenged to explain your faith but are at a loss to explain what you think and why you think it? You are not alone. For decades, there has been a lack in an area of education which used to answer this need –the area called Philosophy.
Not just for cigar smoking students, Philosophy (from the Greek meaning ‘the love of wisdom’) is a highly practical ancient skill which is not so much about learning new information, but a way of knowing what to do with the information given to us. Philosophy is a habit and training of mind which helps to link complex subjects together and make overall sense of the world. In a time when our faith, our beliefs and our structures are being daily challenged, Philosophy helps keep a sense of sanity, understanding, and also gives us the skills to articulate our beliefs to an unbelieving world.
This 10-hour seminar offers a practical, hands-on approach to Philosophy. It will introduce some of Philosophy’s major thinkers (Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Lock, Nietzsche, Sartre and others) as well as cover key philosophical ideas. It will focus especially the idea of ‘truth’, and whether it can be known, we will see how different philosophies have tried to answer this fraught question.
This seminar is not just about asking ‘what’s wrong with the world’ – but will give you the skills to articulate your thoughts in a world that has lost the art of thinking.
Learning Objectives:
- You will be able to locate the timeline or ‘history of ideas’ in the West, from Ancient Greece to
modern day. - You will be able to identify key ‘ideas’ and movements of Philosophy – including post-modernism, modernism, realism and relativism.
- You will be able to distinguish some of the key figures of Philosophy – Plato, Aristotle, St Thomas Aquinas, Locke, Hume, Nietzsche and Sartre.
- You will be able to relate these ideas in your own life and evaluate them in the context of our
current climate. - It will help you to clarify your own thoughts and communicate them with others.
