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“I hate everything that merely instructs me without augmenting or directly invigorating my activi... more “I hate everything that merely instructs me without augmenting or directly invigorating my activity.” – Goethe

“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.” – Thoreau

Philosophy sometimes has a reputation of being an abstruse academic discipline, amounting to little more than the sum of so many unanswerable but nonetheless “interesting” questions—at least interesting to those who happen to be interested in them. Frankly, this characterization is not altogether unfair, particularly as applied to contemporary academic philosophy. But originally philosophy was, and to some still is, a way of living, a life discipline, a personal undertaking, a mode of being-in-the-world that deeply informs one’s spirit, thoughts, will, actions—the totality of one’s being—the goal of which is to achieve the highest state of human existence: wisdom. A philosopher, or “lover of wisdom,” takes on this life-project not merely by seeking knowledge or contemplation but by practicing a certain way of life, by cultivating habits conducive of human excellence, by committing to “spiritual exercises” that regulate one’s desires and transform one’s very character. To put it simply, philosophy is about living a good life. In this course, we will study philosophers who were committed to this ideal, as well as the exercises they used to achieve it. In addition, we will ourselves experiment with specific practices and ways of thinking that since ancient times have been used as methods of spiritual progress.

“For it is owing to their wonder that men both now begin and at first began to philosophize…whenc... more “For it is owing to their wonder that men both now begin and at first began to philosophize…whence, even the lover of myth is in a sense a lover of wisdom, for the myth is composed of wonders…” (Aristotle, Metaphyics A)

Philosophy means “love of wisdom.” Traditionally, the “wisdom” that philosophers have sought is a kind of knowledge—of the world, God, human nature or behavior—which is supposed to affect a certain tranquility or fulfillment of life, and is generally thought to be most effectively attained by means of some form of rational discourse, or logos. Yet, since ancient times, many have sought out an alternative path to wisdom, one that in some ways goes against the current of seeking directly discoverable, well-defined truths. This is the path of mythos—of fables, fictions, stories that entrench their audience in a world of characters, events, and ideas, usually without a clear exposition of what it all means for us. This ambiguity leaves open a space for us to bring something to a text, to inhabit an idea or way of life, and, for good or ill, to take something away from it. A story might be a way to escape from present life, or simply a hollow entertainment, or an aid in processing and understanding one’s circumstances, or, if one digs deep enough, an opportunity to discover a piece of wisdom, which can be deeply meaningful and can contribute to the formation or transformation of one’s very life and self. In this course, we will read several books whose authors seem to have intended the latter effect. These will include works of classical literature, science fiction, biographical fiction, and a traditional work of philosophy (which will try to read as fiction, rather than as philosophy). The goal of the course is to gain a modest understanding of these important texts, and to deepen and broaden our appreciation of the tradition of philosophy, to see if wisdom might be found in mythos as well as logos.

What is the good life and how do we live it? This is one of the fundamental questions not only of... more What is the good life and how do we live it? This is one of the fundamental questions not only of philosophy and religion, but of the everyday human experience. The problem is personal and existential as much as it is academic. In this course, we read and discuss primary texts in classical, religious, and (post-)modern traditions of intellectual history that deal in some way with this issue. The aim of our study, as a class, in assigned groups, and individually, we be to come to a better and more profound understanding of what it means to act ethically in the world toward the end of living a good life.

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the prominent themes and figures in the ... more This course is designed to introduce students to some of the prominent themes and figures in the history of Western philosophy. Through careful reading of primary and secondary texts, thoughtful discussion and lectures, we will both learn about and actively engage in philosophy with the aim of gaining a modest understanding of its influence and fundamental importance in history and life. Specifically, as a link with Survey of Music Business, we will consider various conceptions of success and the good life in classical philosophical and religious traditions, with some emphasis on questions of how the creation and consumption of works of art is related to the good life, and how the value of art is affected by its creator’s definition of success, and the degree to which it achieves it.

Conference Presentations by Bennett P Foster

Presented at the Ancient Philosophy Society Meeting, April 2014

Presented at the USF Graduate Philosophy Conference, March 2013

Papers by Bennett P Foster

S.Ph. Essays and Explorations, 2018

Drafts by Bennett P Foster

Over the past half century, discussions of happiness in Aristotle's ethics have been dominated by... more Over the past half century, discussions of happiness in Aristotle's ethics have been dominated by Hardie's distinction between the inclusive and dominant conceptions of happiness. Indeed, by now these concepts have been not only regularly recognized and employed, but subsumed as a supposedly necessary component of any thorough interpretive analysis of Aristotle's ethics. Before these terms become further embedded in contemporary scholarship, it would be prudent to reassess the value of the inclusive/dominant dichotomy, and reconsider how the question of happiness has been framed. This paper represents a contribution to such a project. Specifically, I approach the question of happiness by means of an interpretation that is altogether removed from the assumptions involved in the inclusive/dominant dichotomy, namely, that of Thomas Aquinas. Elucidating Aristotle's account of happiness as it relates to the concepts of virtue and the human ergon, and drawing from some of Aquinas' interpretive strategies and distinctions, I hope to show that Aristotelian happiness can be understood as both inclusive and dominant in various senses, and that the distinction has therefore been employed far beyond the limits of its actual usefulness. In effect, my conclusions represent a contribution to a dissolution of the inclusive/dominant debate and the removal of what has been a major stumbling block for interpreters of Aristotelian ethics.

“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.” – Thoreau

Presented at the Ancient Philosophy Society Meeting, April 2014

Presented at the USF Graduate Philosophy Conference, March 2013

S.Ph. Essays and Explorations, 2018