Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics in the Thomistic and Analytic Traditions

From Matt O’Brien, a graduate student of philosophy at UTexas, comes a note about a conference on "Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics in the Thomistic and Analytic Traditions," to be held this summer, at Princeton University (August 7–11, 2006). Here’s an explanation from the web site for the conference, which is intended for graduate students:

Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics in the Thomistic and Analytic Traditions is a summer graduate seminar devoted to promoting intellectual exchange between the philosophical tradition inspired by Thomas Aquinas, broadly understood, and contemporary analytic philosophy. The modern revival of Thomism in Catholic circles began with the 1879 encyclical letter Aeterni Patris, and was exemplified in the work of Jacques Maritain and Etienne Gilson during the first half of the twentieth century. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century, that revival was broadened as philosophers such as Peter Geach, Elizabeth Anscombe, Anthony Kenny, and Philippa Foot began to draw upon the insights of Aquinas (and Aristotle) within the context of contemporary analytic philosophy. The work of these philosophers and others has shown how the Thomistic tradition can inspire original, valuable contributions to contemporary debates, and often calls into question how the very issues of contemporary philosophy are themselves conceived.

The faculty for the seminar include:

• Nicholas Rescher
• Alexander Pruss
• Gabriele De Anna
• Mark C. Murphy
• Michael Gorman

An exciting opportunity.