Faith, reason, justice, and philosophical examination
As in earlier times, an Ignatian liberal arts education today continues to look to philosophy for the promotion of these skills and values — recognizing its crucial responsibility to distinguish an Ignatian education by pursuing what matters. In this connection, philosophy ideally is both cultural and counter-cultural just in its principal capacity to raise difficult questions about a society’s mainstream values and cherished beliefs.
The philosophical habit of measuring systems of belief against standards of justification, consistency, and principle can put one at odds with his/her own community, but it can equally inform the evaluative power of vision essential for responsible citizenship. This classical tradition of philosophy is inspired by the view that the truth will not lead away from God, but will help further illuminate our understanding of God and the world. This tradition, therefore, welcomes many voices and approaches to the table of rational discourse and embodies the principle that all truth is one — that every genuine discovery and contribution, no matter its origin, furthers our understanding of the world and our place in it.
While those working in this tradition recognize that human understanding often has weaknesses and limitations, they are nevertheless inspired by the principles that reason has sufficient power to know reality, that the universe is intelligible, and that there is an overall meaning and purpose in human life.
The Catholic tradition also holds that faith and reason, while sometimes at serious odds, nevertheless complement each other — reason challenges faith to understand itself philosophically, while faith is an important feature of the human condition that pushes reason outwards toward the transcendent. This tradition values scholarly debate and intellectual exchange and promotes working together to find solutions to the serious problems facing humanity in the modern world fraught with ambiguities and challenging complexities.
Philosophy is especially important now that attention is directed toward the Ignatian ideals of the service of faith and the promotion of justice.