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Lectures & Symposia

The Human Person and Biotechnology: Artificial Intelligence and its Limitations

Knapp Center for Biological Discovery Room 1103 900 E 57th street, Chicago, IL
Rick Stevens, The University of Chicago | Matthew Elmore, Duke AI Health | Jeffrey P. Bishop, Saint Louis University | Stephen C. Meredith, University of Chicago

REGISTER HERE for IN PERSON REGISTER HERE for ONLINE Artificial intelligence is increasingly interfacing with all aspects of human life, raising particular ethical challenges in medicine and biotechnology. The ethical challenges of AI must be grounded in the limits of the discipline it is applied to. Medicine has seen amazing advances in the last few decades, but these advances also raise questions about limits, especially in living patients. We must ask: What are the limits of medicine and biotech – and how does this translate into limits on the use of AI in these fields? This public panel will serve...

Free
Reading Groups

Dante’s Divine Comedy Graduate Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

This winter quarter, become our traveling companion as we continue a pilgrimage of unforgettable cosmic and spiritual grandeur through Dante Alighieri’s Commedia. Having passed through the horrors of hell, our poet-protagonist turns to pondering questions of love, virtue, grace, and divine providence as he journeys along Mount Purgatory’s breathtaking vistas, through the otherworldly astral spheres, into the bosom of the eternal Church Triumphant with his trusted guides: Virgil, Beatrice, and the “last of the fathers,” Bernard of Clairvaux – who, in the mystical climax of this crowning achievement of European literature, brings Dante before the throne of the living God. 

Reading Groups

On the Consolation of Philosophy Graduate Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

The Consolation of Philosophy, written by Boethius while awaiting his execution at the hands of the Roman Emperor Theodoric for treason in AD 523, concerns a man confronted with his own unjust death. Mixing poetry and prose, Greek philosophy and Christian doctrine, Boethius discusses happiness, fortune, Divine Providence, and the ascent of the soul to God. This work, one of the most influential of the Middle Ages, remains a seminal treatise on the purpose of philosophy and how we ought to live in a world which we have but very limited control over.

Reading Groups
Event Series Latin Vulgate Reading Group

Latin Vulgate Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

St. Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible was used exclusively by the Western Church for centuries; its significance for the Roman Catholic tradition cannot be overstated. In this group, we will work through sections of the Vulgate in order to appreciate its beauty and practice our Latin. For the first session, no preparation is necessary; we will decide together which texts we will read. Please come with a desire to grow in Latin Bible knowledge with St. Jerome and friends!

Master Classes

Technology, Culture, and Virtue

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL
Jeffrey P. Bishop, Saint Louis University

REGISTER HERE Open to current students and faculty. This event is in-person only. All registrants will receive copies of the selected readings via Dropbox and PDFs which should be read in advance of the class. An optional wine and cheese reception will follow. Technology is part of our everyday lives. Despite its everydayness, there remains something mysterious about it. In this master class, we will demystify technology, engaging it as a product of culture that both challenges and enhances culture. Readings: Martin Heidegger – "The Question Concerning Technology" Levis, Duganzic, and Scheirer – "Organoids are Multi-Cellular Engineered Living Systems: What...

Nicklin Fellowship
Event Series The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s final masterpiece,  explores the human questions of morality, freedom, reason, and belief, in the context of a captivating family drama. Rather than merely writing a philosophical treatise, Dostoevsky produced a work of literature, thereby warranting a complete reading of the text. This weekly dinnertime reading group for undergraduates is spread out over two quarters seeks to accomplish that task, primarily focusing on the philosophical and theological themes above, in an enriching communal setting. Sponsored by the LCI Nicklin Fellows Program.

Reading Groups

The Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch Reading Group

5554 S. Woodlawn Ave. Chicago, IL 60637, Hyde Park, IL

Saint Ignatius, the second-century Bishop of Antioch, is known as a martyr, an "Apostolic Father," and the first writer to call the church "catholic." However, much like Saint Paul, who served as his literary model, Ignatius did not compose theological treatises, summas, or tractates but seven epistles sent to the churches in Rome and Asia Minor. They represent some of the earliest Christian writings apart from the New Testament itself and are an invaluable resource for theologians and historians alike. This reading group will journey with Ignatius to his eventual martyrdom in Rome, encountering along the way his sophisticated musings and instructions on topics like the nature of Christ, the role of the bishop, the canon of scripture, and the meaning of martyrdom. We will find in him an author who, in addition to being a portal into the early church, is remarkably personal and prescient and an expert guide to thinking about Christianity today.

Non-Credit Courses

Non-Credit Course | The Bible and the Big Bang

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL
Fr. Adam Hincks, SJ, University of Toronto

What is the relation between the Bible and the Big Bang? To many, it seems natural to connect the physical beginning of the cosmos with the Abrahamic doctrine of creation, but this association of science with philosophy and theology bears critical investigation. In this course, we will take a deep dive into both the science of the early Universe and the Biblically-rooted doctrine of creation from nothing, and explore what, if any, is the relation between them. Along the way we will engage with thinkers spanning from Philo of Alexandria in the first century to Stephen Hawking in the twenty-first century, and will explore topics such as the beginning of time, something coming from ‘nothing’, fine-tuning and design.

Reading Groups
Event Series Greek New Testament Reading Group

Greek New Testament Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

We will work through the Greek text of chapters eight and nine of the Gospel of Luke. Particular attention will be paid to the narrative structure of these chapters. Participants with all levels of Greek are welcome to attend. Lunch will be provided by the Lumen Christi Institute.

Fundamental Questions Seminar

How to Find Yourself on a Deserted Island: Ibn Tufayl’s Philosophical Tale

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

We will discuss Hayy Ibn Yaqzan by Ibn Tufayl (d. 1185). This philosophical tale from medieval Spain tells the story of a child who comes of age on an island, without the influence of any human society. The text explores what a thoughtful human being — with no religious or cultural tradition — might think about God, the world, and the place of humanity in it. This event is part of our Fundamental Questions program, a quarterly seminar designed for undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. Students from all religious and philosophical backgrounds welcome to this group.

Reading Groups

On the Nature of Angels: Thomas Aquinas Reading Course

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL
Stephen Brock, University of Chicago

One of St. Thomas Aquinas's very last projects was a treatise on angels. With a more historical approach than that of either Summa on the subject, it addresses such topics the immateriality of angels, their origin, their knowledge, and the distinctions among them, including the distinction between the good ones and the bad ones. Along the way, it offers some of Thomas’s most sophisticated discussions of the metaphysics of creation, hylomorphism, and participation.

Reading Groups

On the Consolation of Philosophy Graduate Reading Group

Gavin House 1220 E 58th St., Chicago, IL

The Consolation of Philosophy, written by Boethius while awaiting his execution at the hands of the Roman Emperor Theodoric for treason in AD 523, concerns a man confronted with his own unjust death. Mixing poetry and prose, Greek philosophy and Christian doctrine, Boethius discusses happiness, fortune, Divine Providence, and the ascent of the soul to God. This work, one of the most influential of the Middle Ages, remains a seminal treatise on the purpose of philosophy and how we ought to live in a world which we have but very limited control over.