200
This course surveys the two major fields of Christian ethics: fundamental and social. Fundamental ethics is concerned with the development and orientation of human life towards eudaimonia, a Greek concept loosely understood as "happiness." Social ethics is concerned with the structures of human life and society that constrict or facilitate a community's development and orientation towards eudaimonia. The course then examines one aspect in which these fields of ethics converge: marriage and family life. Students consider the extent to which marriage and families are key components of social life while also serving as the training ground in virtue for each individual.
This course explores philosophical questions that have emerged at various points in history from the Christian tradition: what is God, what is truth, and what is human life about? The course is expressly concerned with epistemology. Students will be introduced to key philosophers and key philosophical texts from late antiquity, the medieval period and from modern Europe.