Duns Scotus

Explore the great minds who tackled the universe’s big questions with Fr. Harry J. Gensler, S.J. (Ph.D., University of Michigan), a leading authority on Catholic philosophy and an award-winning professor of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.

From antiquity to the Information Age, humankind has grappled with the reality of God, the existence of the soul, and the nature of creation. To ponder these questions is what makes us human. With the guidance of one of Catholicism’s most renowned modern philosophers, you can explore how the greatest thinkers of the Catholic tradition approached these questions..

Great Catholic Philosophers is a fascinating and fundamental course that takes you on a journey through two millennia of a rich philosophical tradition. You’ll encounter giants like Augustine and Aquinas as well as lesser-known minds whose wisdom will enlighten you in equal measure.

You’ll begin with the profound philosophical questions raised by the Bible and by Greek philosophers whose ideas influenced Christian thinkers. After this introduction, you’ll move chronologically, seeing how schools of Catholic thought built upon each other throughout the centuries. As you journey through the Patristic Era, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and the modern day, you’ll explore questions about prayer, the nature of suffering, and the ultimate destiny of humankind.

Although Catholic philosophers differed in their approaches, they shared common beliefs in God, free will, and morality. Above all, they believed that faith and reason are not competing but compatible. As you meet these great philosophers, you will deepen your understanding of human nature and life’s ultimate questions.