New Installment of Autobiography

I've posted a second autobiographical reflection, this time reflecting on the intersection of my faith commitments and philosophy. Since we'll be exploring this issue in my sections of PHIL 102, it might be of special interest to those students.

Autobiographical Snapshot

Students in Senior Seminar, and perhaps especially in my PHIL 202 History of Philosophy II course, might be intrigued by the first installment of my philosophical autobiography, available here. They are my reflections on 'why I love modern philosophy,' or more precisely, what I love about modern philosophy.

Over the next couple of weeks we hope to post more such autobiographical reflections (or links to them) from other faculty members. If you would like to post one yourself, contact me and I can arrange to post it here, on Trollosophy.

PHIL 401 & 402 Senior Seminar: Philosophical Autobiography

Last year we began offering a senior seminar (PHIL 401 & 402), a year-long experience integrated into the department's normal colloquium. Senior students are invited (now, but by 2009, required) to join the full-time members of the department as we explore a topic together. Each year the topic changes, but it should always be something of a 'capstone experience' to the major, helping students reflect back on their Trinity experience with a comprehensive vision and challenge for the future. The faculty participate, too, as we hope it have the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar (though probably less formal).

I, Professor Lake, am coordinating the seminar this year and our topic will be Philosophical Autobiography. The vision is to explore the writings of philosophers about their own lives as philosophers. Most of our readings will come from contemporary philosophers in three helpful volumes of personal reflections by leading voices in the field:

There will be a couple of other reserve readings as well.

The literary history of philosophical autobiography is rich. I would argue (though some might dissent) that both Augustine (in his Confessions) and Boethius (in his Consolation of Philosophy) are doing the kind of work that philosophical autobiography does, or ought to do. I think they are more than that, but they are not less than autobiography as well. For them, I think it is important to note, the autobiographical aspect of their writing was not the aim of the text but it was more of a mode in which they confessed a philosophical and theological outlook.

Today, we do not have as rich a literature, perhaps, as these luminaries. And to be sure, the authors we read usually will have less of a philosophical task in mind than either Augustine or Boethius did. We will take our cue, I suspect, more from the contemporary writers than from the historical ones. Students and faculty alike will be asked to reflect on their own lives in philosophy, seeking to understand the work of God in their lives through philosophy.

To begin the conversation, we faculty are going to post some of our own reflections. I've already written one and will post it next, here on Trollosophy.