When trying to convince someone else, we usually do not start from the ground up. We come to inquiry already believing many different things. What we ask for instead, is justification: which of our beliefs passes a test of reflective scrutiny. We wonder why we believe what we believe and what basis we might have for believing things “for the right reasons." These questions are made especially vivid when we confront someone who shares very few of our commitments, but who is nonetheless sufficiently like us to shake our confidence in them. Does an appeal to logic and reason help here, however we understand these? What about religious faith? We will consider these and related questions by examining two of G.K. Chesterton's essays, “The Diabolist” and “The Revival of Philosophy- Why?”

This seminar is the third meeting of our Fall 2024 series on G.K. Chesterton. This session will be led by Amogha Sahu (Columbia).

Please RSVP as lunch will be served.