Amateur Philosophers' Club

As we conclude the chapter on the metaphysical question of God we look at the two major objections to God's existence as well as St Anselm's Ontological Argument and other arguments for God's existence. 

Continuing our consideration of being as such, we move from being to Being as we explore the source and plenitude of all being, and how we can philosophically respond to the question of God, a question which, like its answer, is ever-ancient, ever-new.

Being as existence and essence, substance and accident, act and potency. 

What can we say ... of everything that is?

Beyond the quality and quantity of things lies their very being. And their having being is what they have in common with all things that are. But what can we know and say about being? This is the quest of the science of metaphysics.

This week we take a closer a look at nature, that is, the natural world around us and the natures of things that make it up. We also explore the four causes that account for those things. 

In this episode we read and chat about Crito, a Socratic dialogue by Plato. 

In the dialogue, Crito offers his friend Socrates a means of escaping his impending execution. Socrates invites Crito into a conversation about whether this would be a just action or not.  

What is society? Where does it come from? What's it for? And is there a limit as to what it's laws should be about?

Today we look at the virtue of justice, which it turns out is not so much about getting what is mine as it is about giving to others what is rightfully theirs. 

In this episode we look at some of the habits we can develop that help us towards happiness, such as: right judgement in making right choices, harmonious self-control over our lower appetites and the strength of character to stand up for what is right and good in the face of physical and social dangers. 

This week we take a look at what virtue actually means and why a virtues-based ethic is the most encompassing and satisfying approach to morality.

This week we take a closer look at moral relativism, the natural moral law and conscience. 

What is the purpose of human life and what does a fulfilled and complete human life look like?

This week we look at the metaphysical and practical problems of a merely materialist worldview and the metaphysical and practical arguments for the immortality of the soul.

Here is a link to the book mentioned in the episode: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Christian-Apologetics-Peter-Kreeft/dp/0830817743 

What is a soul? What has a soul? And what can we know about the soul by the use of reason?

This week we look at what the next level of love and friendship looks like.

Beyond "freedom from" and more even than "freedom to" the real question is: what is "freedom for"?

In this episode we work our way from fear to freedom, looking a little deeper into our basic desires and appetites. 

So we've looked at what knowing is and how we know, now we look at how we know if what we know is what is?