The Center offered a three-year program in philosophical studies that provided a wide-ranging introduction to classical philosophy. This program consisted of six courses over three years (during the fall and spring semesters), each course consisting of about 7 two-hour sessions, including lectures and time for discussion.

This program was intended for generally educated citizens who wished to develop a deeper grounding in philosophy. (Most of them were recent graduates who were now working in various government, staff, and think-tank positions in DC.) No previous formal study in philosophy was required. Our goal was to provide people with sound philosophical “tools” that will help them to evaluate and form judgments about problems and issues facing them and their fellow citizens, drawing especially on the ethics and metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas.

The faculty included:

Fulvio Di Blasi (Centro Ricerche Tommaso d'Aquino)

Joseph Capizzi (Catholic University of America)

Patrick Fagan (Family Research Council)

Joshua Hochschild (Mt. St. Mary’s University)

Christopher Kaczor (Catholic University of America)

Ralph McInerny (University of Notre Dame)

John Mueller (Ethics and Public Policy Center)

Michael Pakaluk (Institute for Psychological Sciences)

Christopher Wolfe (Marquette University)

First Course: Philosophy, the Beginning (Fall, 2006)

1. 9/27: Birth of Philosophy. Naturalists and Eleatics. Purpose and Goal of Philosophical Studies. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

2. 10/11: Sophists and Socrates. The Beginning of Moral Philosophy. (Joshua Hochschild)

3. 10/25: Plato: Theory of Ideas, Second Navigation, and Knowledge as Remembering. Myth, Faith and Reason. (Joshua Hochschild)

4. 11/8 : Plato: Philosophy as “Training for Dying.” The Human Soul. The Meaning of Life. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

5. 11/15: Aristotle: Logic, Physics, and Theory of Knowledge. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

6. 11/29: Aristotle: Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics. (Joshua Hochschild)

7. 12/13: Hellenistic Philosophy (Epicureans, Stoics, Skeptics), and Neoplatonism. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

Second Course: Philosophy through the Ages (Spring 2007)

1. 1/31: Medieval Philosophy. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

2. 2/14: Augustine. (Paige Hochschild)

3. 2/28: Scholasticism. (Joshua Hochschild)

4. 3/21: Aquinas. (Joshua Hochschild)

5. 4/11: Early Modern Philosophy. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

6. 4/25: Modern Philosophy. (Joshua Hochschild)

7. 5/9: Contemporary Philosophy. (Joshua Hochschild)

Third course: Basic Principles in Natural Philosophy and Logic (Fall 2007)

1. 9/19: The structure of logic (three parts, its relation to the rest of philosophy). (Joshua Hochschild)

2. 9/26: On the Categories - substance, accident, "the problem of universals". (Fulvio Di Blasi)

3. 10/10: Scientific and Dialectical Reasoning (Posterior Analytics, Topics). (Joshua Hochschild)

4. 10/24: Physics - motion, the four causes. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

5. 11/7: Physics - the four causes (cont.), the first cause. (Joshua Hochschild)

6. 11/28: On the soul - its definition. (Joshua Hochschild)

7. 12/5: On the soul - its powers. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

Fourth Course: Basic Principles in Metaphisics (Spring 2008)

1. 2/27: What is Metaphysics? -preliminaries from logic and physics; controversy over interpreting Aristotle. (Joshua Hochschild)

2. 3/12: A science of first principles -the characteristics of a wise man; method of seeking first principles; abstraction. (Fulvio Di Blasi)

3. 3/26: The questions of metaphysics -the aporiae, especially concerning the problem of universals and the question of immaterial being. (Joshua Hochschild)

4. 4/9: A science of being qua being -Analogy of being; real vs. rational being; the real distinction between essence and existence. (Joshua Hochschild)

5. 4/23: A science of substance -Actuality; Aristotle vs. Plato on form. (Joshua Hochschild)

Fifth Course: Basic Principles in Ethics and Political Philosophy (Fall 2008)

1. 9/17: Moral Philosophy: The Human Good; Man's Ultimate End; The Structure of the Human Act. (Joshua Hochschild)

2. 9/24: Moral Philosophy: Freedom and Conscience; Habits; Virtues; Pleasure. (Michael Pakaluk)

3. 10/8: Moral Philosophy: Natural Law; the New Natural Law debate; Utilitarianism and Kantianism.(Christopher Wolfe)

4. 10/22: Political Philosophy: The Common Good; Authority, Law, Rights; Various Forms of Govt. (Christopher Wolfe)

5. 10/29: Political Philosophy: Solidarity and Subsidiarity; Human Dignity and Life, Religious Liberty, Education. (Joshua Hochschild)

6. 11/12: Political Philosophy: Foreign Affairs and War. (Joseph Capizzi)

7. 11/19: Political Philosophy: Political Philosophy: Economics, Property, and Work (John Mueller)

8. 12/3: Ethics and Politics: Law and Mores: How Regimes Shape People. (Christopher Wolfe)

Sixth Course: Philosophy in the Public Square: Debating Current Issues (Spring 2009)

1. 1/28: Law and Morality: What is the Legitimate Scope of Political Power Regarding Issues of “Personal Morality”? (Christopher Wolfe)

2. 2/11: The Moral and Political Status of Human Life in its Earliest (Embryonic and Pre-Embryonic) Stages. (Joshua Hochschild)

3. 2/25: Environmental Stewardship and Agriculture: Ethical Principles for Relating to Non-Human Life. (Joshua Hochschild)

4. 3/11: The Death Penalty: Human Dignity and Capital Punishment. (Michael Pakaluk)

5. 3/25: The Family in Public Policy: Families Ideal and Actual, and What Should Government Do? (Patrick Fagan)

6. 4/15: Immigration. (Christopher Wolfe)

7. 4/29: Homosexuality and Public Policy. (Christopher Wolfe)