Lecture Series on “Natural Law” – Natural Law: Both Greek and Christian
Lecture Series on "Natural Law" – Natural Law: Both Greek and Christian
11
Mar
The Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy will hold a Public Lecture titled “Natural Law: Both Greek and Christian” on the 11th March 2021.
Covid-19 impacts our life and world dramatically. Scientists claim, that this situation might have been caused – among other factors – by a wrong treatment of nature by humans. Did nature put its brakes on to correct human behavior? Can we humans discover in nature how to act correctly? Does nature help us to get to know what to do? Philosophically speaking, should actions follow our being (agere sequitur esse), and is ethics fundamentally hooked up with reality and ontology? (bonum et verum convertuntur). Does the “ought” follow from the “is”, and should human life and societies comply with how things are?
After overcoming the mechanistic reductionism of the “natural fallacy”, which denies “value judgments” originating from “is” or facts, this Lecture Series attempts to trace back question of “natural goodness” (Philippa Foot), morals and good actions “in accord with reason” (S. Thomas Aquinas, S.Th. I-II.21.1.; ST I-II, 90.1). The philosophical and catholic tradition calls this the morality of the “natural law”. The lectures shed light on development and relevance of Natural Law from different philosophical and theological angles.
About the Talk & Speaker:
The natural law theory received significant theological development in the medieval period. However, the idea of natural law goes back to the ancient Greek civilization and is blended into the Chrisitan doctrine since the beginning of the Church. This lecture will sketch the development of natural law theory in ancient Greek philosophy and the adoption of this Hellenistic idea in the early Church.
Dr. Hui (Sonja) XIA Ph.D in Theology (Patristic Studies) / Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Details:
Date: 11th March 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Don Bosco Auditorium, USJ Ilha Verde Campus
Organised by: Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy, University of Saint Joseph
*This Public Lecture will be conducted in English
