Philosophical Perspectives on the Thought of Pope John Paul II

Boston College, February 24-25, 2006

The end of John Paul II's papacy marks the culmination of an epic intellectual adventure, and a critical task for our generation will be to reap the fruits of this achievement. Both before and after he was elevated to the papacy, Karol Wojtyla worked to formulate for a new era the Christian view of humans' deepest needs, vocation and destiny. His thought draws from many currents, appropriating the legacy of St. Thomas and the natural law tradition along with recent Continental philosophy and elements of Marxist social theory. The Philosophy Department of Boston College, in conjunction with the Church in the Twenty-First Century Program, brings together scholars from varying approaches to consider the impact of Wojtyla’s unique contribution to the philosophical conversation.

Keynote Speaker: George Weigel
Papal biographer, author of A Witness to Hope

Topics Include: Personalist Anthropology, Philosophy & Religious Faith, Wojtyla Among the Philosophers, Personalism in Applied Ethics, Natural Law & Moral Virtues, Personalist Feminism, and Social Theory.

More information will soon be available at http://bc.edu/church21/; for immediate questions contact Laura Garcia.

Here's a thought experiment Robert Johnson and I discussed yesterday, but which I've been thinking about ever since. It is relevant, though only indirectly, to the doctrines of heaven and hell.

Here's how it goes. Assume there are infinitely many sentient/cognitive beings, and assume that there is a sphere into which some finite number fit. The sphere expands over time, and we assume that time is unending, so that more and more people fit into the sphere the farther history progresses. Once in the sphere, individuals are there forevermore.

There are two such worlds, we assume. In the first world, the sphere is a sphere of pure joy and satisfaction with one's life, and outside the sphere is despair. As history progresses, more and more people are brought into the realm of pure joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

The second world is the opposite. The sphere is one of despair and a the world begins with a small percentage of individuals in it. Over time, however, the sphere grows, so that people move from the region outside the sphere, which is here the region of joy, into the region of despair.

Notice that in the second world, at any point in time, there will be infinitely many experiencers of joy, and on the second world, an infinite number of experiencers of despair (and in both cases finitely many of the opposite). Notice also that in the second world, one's destiny is despair, and in the first world, delight.

Question: which is the better world?

In association with the Annual Philosophy of Religion Conference that I'm organizing, I'm working with Peter Momtchiloff on an inaugural volume for a new Oxford series in the Philosophy of Religion. I'll announce later some of the people who have already agreed to write for the first volume, but I need to doublecheck with them first. In the meantime, I'd appreciate any help in spreading the word about this new venture and in soliciting contact with me about work in progress that might fit into the volume.

Of late Hilary Putnam has been doing a traveling talk Is Analytic Philosophy a Good Thing?. Putnam's answer is something along the lines of indifference and let a thousand flowers bloom. Some might be surprised by such a response from a person who, for some forty years, was a central player in many key areas of analytic philosophy. A few people I've spoken to have attributed Putnam's remarks as those of an elder statesman who is looking back to pronounce on or chide those of his own discipline. I might have thought the same thing except for the fact that I first heard Putnam make similar remarks on WBUR's The Connection some five years ago. The occasion was a summer series on philosophy, with a particular segment on the "God Problem." The guests included both Putnam and Alvin Plantinga. Putnam's remarks about analytic philosophy's response to God talk are close to the beginning of the segment, and mirror some of his remarks in the more recent talk. Both programs are worth listening to, though philosophers will find the former of more interest. I should also point out that John Burgess has written an open letter in response to Is Analytic Philosophy a Good Thing?.

Society of Christian Philosophers (I)
Sunday, Nov. 20, 1:00- 3:30pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center 106A

Topic: In Search of the Soul, ed. Joel B. Green

Chair: C. Stephen Evans, Baylor University

Speakers: John Cooper, Calvin Theological Seminary
         R. Douglas Geivett, Biola University

Respondent: Joel B. Green, Asbury Theological Seminary

Society of Christian Philosophers (II)
Monday, Nov. 21, 7:00- 8:30pm
Pennsylvania Convention Center 106A

Topic: Discussion of C. Stephen Evans, Kierkegaard's Ethic of Love (Oxford University Press, 2004).

Chair: Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College

Speakers: M. Jamie Ferreira, University of Virginia
         John Hare, Yale Divinity School

Respondent:. C. Stephen Evans, Baylor University

Wheaton Philosophy Conference Schedule
Philosophers Think About Heaven & Hell
October 20-22, 2005

Thursday: 6:00 - 7:45 PM CONFERENCE SPEAKER DINNER, North Party Room, Beamer Center

8:00 - 9:15 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS I*
To Heaven, Hell and Back: Hot Topics and High Stakes
Jerry Walls, Asbury Theological Seminary

Friday 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Why Everlasting Punishment?
Mark Talbot, Wheaton College
Respondent: Kenneth Himma, Seattle Pacific University

10:35 - 11:15 AM Chapel Break

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Universalism, the Value of Autonomy, and the Finality of Hell
Jonathan Kvanvig, University of Missouri, Columbia
Respondent: Keith DeRose, Yale University

2:15 - 3:30 PM
Why Universalism is Still Unsatisfying
Michael Murray, Franklin and Marshall College
Respondent: Scott Ragland, St. Louis University

4:00 - 5:15 PM
Libertarian Freedom and the Problem of Hell
Thomas Talbott, Willamette University, Oregon
Respondent: William Davis, Covenant College

7:30 - 9:00 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS II
Eternal Joy: An Indispensable Moral Source
Jerry Walls, Asbury Theological Seminary

Saturday 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Self-Annihilation as the Means of Avoiding Damnation? A Disputable Topic in Christian Eschatology
Paul Griffiths, University of Illinois, Chicago
Respondent: Claire Brown, University of Notre Dame

11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Hell and Divine Justice
James Cain, Oklahoma State University
Respondent: William Wainwright, University of Wisconsin, Madison