Peter J Colosi
Salve Regina University, Philosophy, Faculty Member
- Peter J. Colosi is associate professor of philosophy at Salve Regina University in Newport RI. From 2009 – 2015 he wa... morePeter J. Colosi is associate professor of philosophy at Salve Regina University in Newport RI. From 2009 – 2015 he was assistant/associate professor of moral theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA. From 1999 – 2007 he was instructor/assistant professor of philosophy for Franciscan University of Steubenville at their program in Gaming, Austria. He earned his BS in mathematics from Franciscan University, an MA in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University, and his MPhil and PhD from the International Academy of Philosophy in the Principality of Liechtenstein. His website is www.peterjcolosi.com. Since 2007 he has been organizing, with friends in Europe, a series of International Symposia on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. All of the Symposia talks can be viewed at www.tobinternationalsymposia.com.edit
In Embryo: A Defense of Life, Robert P. George and Christopher Tollefsen have provided a defense of the life of early embryos against those who claim that such beings are not human beings. They masterfully summarize the findings of the... more
In Embryo: A Defense of Life, Robert P. George and Christopher Tollefsen have provided a defense of the life of early embryos against those who claim that such beings are not human beings. They masterfully
summarize the findings of the most recent embryological research, referring to the studies and textbooks utilized by the highest-level universities. These sciences have made it no longer possible to claim that an embryo is not a new distinct living human being. George and Tollefsen offer a concise and easily comprehensible presentation of these established scientific facts. But their view of human personhood is difficult to distinguish from epiphenomenalism and leaves the impression that the immaterial dimension of human persons has as its exclusive source the material body. They assert that the concept of “soul” will not make an appearance in their book, because that would be unnecessary and unhelpful. For this reason, they tend to identify the “soul” with consciousness, reflection, choice, and the capacities that make those abilities possible. But these things need a foundational level of being in which to inhere. For George and Tollefsen this foundation is the body, which they refer to as the animal organism: this is the stance of epiphenomenalism. After giving a thorough expression of their position, I will offer a different explanation for explaining the unity of body and soul in persons, while avoiding the tendency towards epiphenomenalism. I call this view Realist Phenomenology/Christian Personalism and will contrast it with the New Natural Law approach represented in Embryo: A Defense of Life.
summarize the findings of the most recent embryological research, referring to the studies and textbooks utilized by the highest-level universities. These sciences have made it no longer possible to claim that an embryo is not a new distinct living human being. George and Tollefsen offer a concise and easily comprehensible presentation of these established scientific facts. But their view of human personhood is difficult to distinguish from epiphenomenalism and leaves the impression that the immaterial dimension of human persons has as its exclusive source the material body. They assert that the concept of “soul” will not make an appearance in their book, because that would be unnecessary and unhelpful. For this reason, they tend to identify the “soul” with consciousness, reflection, choice, and the capacities that make those abilities possible. But these things need a foundational level of being in which to inhere. For George and Tollefsen this foundation is the body, which they refer to as the animal organism: this is the stance of epiphenomenalism. After giving a thorough expression of their position, I will offer a different explanation for explaining the unity of body and soul in persons, while avoiding the tendency towards epiphenomenalism. I call this view Realist Phenomenology/Christian Personalism and will contrast it with the New Natural Law approach represented in Embryo: A Defense of Life.
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This essay examines various sources of worth intrinsic to persons, and offers an overview of Peter Singer's ethical thought. Critics of Singer's ethical philosophy admit that there is a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to a definitive... more
This essay examines various sources of worth intrinsic to persons, and offers an overview of Peter Singer's ethical thought. Critics of Singer's ethical philosophy admit that there is a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to a definitive critique of his views. The "Singer Problem" is the notion that there are no facts intrinsic to persons capable of grounding their dignity and equality. Yet these are not so much critics as thinkers who do not like the conclusions that follow from unquestioned premises which they share with Singer: an overly rationalistic approach to reality, and the view that goodness is not an objective property of things. By exploring the uniqueness of persons, John Crosby shows a deep source of worth intrinsic to persons, which grounds dignity and equality. Based exclusively on traits common to all persons, Singer's notion of personhood excludes love from ethics; but love has a place in ethics.
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Artykuł poświęcony jest refleksji Józefa Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI, Marcello Pery oraz Jürgena Habermasa dotyczącej uwzględniania teistycznego paradygmatu w nauce. Chociaż powyżsi myśliciele wywodzą się z różnych szkół filozoficznych, to... more
Artykuł poświęcony jest refleksji Józefa Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI, Marcello Pery oraz Jürgena Habermasa dotyczącej uwzględniania teistycznego paradygmatu w nauce. Chociaż powyżsi myśliciele wywodzą się z różnych szkół filozoficznych, to łączy ich wspólne przekonanie, co do faktu, że ateistyczny paradygmat w naukach, szczególnie etyce, prowadzi do redukcjonizmu i w konsekwencji utrudnia autentyczne poznanie. Proponowanym rozwiązaniem tej sytuacji jest postępować zgodnie z zasadą veluti si Deus daretur, a więc tak, jak gdyby Bóg rzeczywiście istniał.
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This paper has grown out of concerns that I have about the way in which some pro-life arguments have been developing recently, and it is written in a spirit of frank dialogue with those whom I consider allies. I present three basic... more
This paper has grown out of concerns that I have about the way in which some pro-life arguments have been developing recently, and it is written in a spirit of frank dialogue with those whom I consider allies. I present three basic problems within some prominent contemporary pro-life argumentation, all three of which are rooted in a general tendency towards relying on empirical science in an increasingly exclusive way as the foundation of those arguments. The three problems that I touch on are: a neglect of the role of God in human procreation, a neglect of the dignity of women, and a neglect of understanding personal being.
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Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarianism both employ terms such as "love" and "compassion", they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving... more
Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarianism both employ terms such as "love" and "compassion", they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical opposition between them lies in clarifying their respective concepts of suffering. In the Christian view, suffering is always understood as the suffering of individual persons, while in utilitarianism suffering is primarily understood as a quantifiable entity detached from the individuals who experience it. The paper attempts a primarily philosophical elucidation of this difference, including some theological points, by taking as its point of departure John Paul II's presentation of the three-fold sense in which suffering has the potential to "unleash of love." Following a presentation of the utilitarian view, it then proceeds to explore the relation between suffering and love by probing the public statements on the experi...
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Throughout the writings of Karol Wojtyła, both before and after he became Pope John Paul II, one finds expressions of gratitude and indebtedness to the philosopher Max Scheler. It is also well known that in his Habilitationsschrift,2... more
Throughout the writings of Karol Wojtyła, both before and after he became Pope John Paul II, one finds expressions of gratitude and indebtedness to the philosopher Max Scheler. It is also well known that in his Habilitationsschrift,2 Wojtyła concluded that Max Scheler’s ethical system cannot cohere with Christian ethics. This state of affairs gives rise to the question: which of the ideas of Scheler did Wojtyła embrace and which did he reject? And also, what was Wojtyła’s overall attitude towards and assessment of Scheler? A look through all the works of Wojtyła reveals numerous expressions of gratitude to Scheler for philosophical insights which Wojtyła embraced and built upon, among them this explanation of his sources for The Acting Person,
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Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarian ethics both employ terms such as “love” and “compassion” in their efforts to deal with human suffering, they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to... more
Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarian ethics both employ terms such as “love” and “compassion” in their efforts to deal with human suffering, they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical opposition between them lies in clarifying their respective concepts of love and suffering and the relation between the two. In Christian personalism, suffering is always understood as the suffering of individual persons, while in utilitarianism, suffering is primarily understood as a quantifiable entity detached from the individuals who experience it. This detachment of suffering from individuals leads to the depersonalizing and commodifying recommendations of utilitarianism. The dignity of persons as understood in Christian anthropology serves as the foundation of Christian ethics and is the only basis on which ethics can avoid commodifying people. The article begins with an explanation of the utilitarian...
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Research Interests:
Abstract. There is a pedagogical method of bringing undergraduate students to conceive the body–soul question. Similarly, there is a simple philosophical argument in defense of the existence of the soul via contemporary... more
Abstract. There is a pedagogical method of bringing undergraduate students
to conceive the body–soul question. Similarly, there is a simple philosophical
argument in defense of the existence of the soul via contemporary autobiographical
stories, recent neuroscientific literature, and Socrates’s distinction
between condition and cause in Plato’s Phaedo. This method has proved
helpful in enabling students to gain access to the mystery and grandeur of the
body–soul question and its foundational importance with respect to ethics and,
indeed, to the meaning of life. There must be a revival of collaboration between
neuroscientists and philosophers to coauthor papers that explicitly challenge the
materialist assumptions in the fields of neuroscience and psychology. National
Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 18.3 (Autumn 2018): 417–426.
to conceive the body–soul question. Similarly, there is a simple philosophical
argument in defense of the existence of the soul via contemporary autobiographical
stories, recent neuroscientific literature, and Socrates’s distinction
between condition and cause in Plato’s Phaedo. This method has proved
helpful in enabling students to gain access to the mystery and grandeur of the
body–soul question and its foundational importance with respect to ethics and,
indeed, to the meaning of life. There must be a revival of collaboration between
neuroscientists and philosophers to coauthor papers that explicitly challenge the
materialist assumptions in the fields of neuroscience and psychology. National
Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 18.3 (Autumn 2018): 417–426.
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Research Interests:
Before becoming pope, Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI collaborated on book projects with Jürgen Habermas, an atheist, and Marcello Pera, an agnostic, on questions pertaining to the foundations of morality and the common good. This... more
Before becoming pope, Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI collaborated on book projects with Jürgen Habermas, an atheist, and Marcello Pera, an agnostic, on questions pertaining to the foundations of morality and the common good. This article explores those highly interesting discussions in some depth. One main goal is to distill out and explain the areas of agreement or common ground and the areas of disagreement between all three authors. Published in: Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, 19:3 Summer 2016, (148-69)
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Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarianism both employ terms such as " love " and " compassion " , they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical... more
Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarianism both employ terms such as " love " and " compassion " , they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical opposition between them lies in clarifying their respective concepts of suffering. In the Christian view, suffering is always understood as the suffering of individual persons, while in utilitarianism suffering is primarily understood as a quantifiable entity detached from the individuals who experience it. The paper attempts a primarily philosophical elucidation of this difference, including some theological points, by taking as its point of departure John Paul II's presentation of the threefold sense in which suffering has the potential to " unleash of love. " Following a presentation of the utilitarian view, it then proceeds to explore the relation between suffering and love by probing the public statements on the experience of Peter Singer in the struggle with his mother's debilitating illness. The paper concludes with the presentation of a premise built into the structure of contemporary utilitarian ethics rendering it inherently self-defeating with respect to its own stated goal.
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This three-part article will discuss: (1) The approach of the U.S. bishops in order to thank them and praise their efforts against the HHS Mandate, while at the same time respectfully pointing out a certain oversight in their approach;... more
This three-part article will discuss: (1) The approach of the U.S. bishops in order to thank them and praise their efforts against the HHS Mandate, while at the same time respectfully pointing out a certain oversight in their approach; (2) some reasons not often mentioned for which the Obama Administration is enacting the HHS mandate; and (3) some ideas on how most wisely to approach the question of contraception in the midst of the fight for religious freedom. The article, written in 2012, is preceded by a preface outlining key developments in the intervening years between 2012 and 2015 and explaining the importance of looking now at a clear snapshot of where we were three years ago.
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's position and my own are the same in some areas. I am grateful that another thinker has come to the same conclusion, particularly with respect to the personhood of the earliest human embryo. I have added references to his paper here,... more
's position and my own are the same in some areas. I am grateful that another thinker has come to the same conclusion, particularly with respect to the personhood of the earliest human embryo. I have added references to his paper here, including one place of disagreement. ABSTRACT This paper has grown out of concerns that I have about the way in which some pro-life arguments have been developing recently, and it is written in a spirit of frank dialogue with those whom I consider allies. I present three basic problems within some prominent contemporary pro-life argumenta-tion, all three of which are rooted in a general tendency towards relying on empirical science in an increasingly exclusive way as the foundation of those arguments. The three problems that I touch on are: a neglect of the role of God in human procreation, a neglect of the dignity of women, and a neglect of understanding personal being.
Catholic health care is about ethics and “ethos”—the do’s and don’ts of specific medical acts and an overall vision of practicing medicine in charity and truth. Contemporary medical ethical dilemmas concern more than academic... more
Catholic health care is about ethics and “ethos”—the do’s and don’ts of specific medical acts and an overall vision of practicing medicine in charity and truth. Contemporary medical ethical dilemmas concern more than academic bioethicists—they concern every faithful Catholic doctor, nurse, practitioner, and even patient. Modern medical practitioners on the ground, day-in, day-out, wrestling with medical moral matters, witnessing what is happening in American medicine today, while also striving to witness to their Catholic faith in living out their medical vocation—these are the primary authors of this unique book, and these are the readers it hopes to serve.
Catholic Witness in Health Care integrates the theoretical presentation of Catholic medical ethics with real life practice. It begins with fundamental elements of Catholic care, treating Scripture, moral philosophy, theology, Christian anthropology, and pastoral care. The second part features Catholic clinicians illuminating authentic Catholic medical care in their various medical disciplines: gynecology and reproductive medicine, fertility, pediatrics, geriatrics, critical care, surgery, rehabilitation, psychology, and pharmacy. Part three offers unique perspectives concerning medical education, research, and practice, with an eye toward creating a cultural shift to an authentically Catholic medical ethos. Readers of this book will learn essential elements upon which the ethics of Catholic medical practice is founded and gain insights into practicing medicine and caring for others in an authentically Catholic way.
J. Brian Benestad, PhD, Assumption College
Rev. Philip G. Bochanski, CO, MA, Executive Director, Courage International
Peter J. Colosi, PhD., Salve Regina University
Domenico Francesco Crupi, Vice President and General Manager, Casa Solivevo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Sr. Mary Diana Dreger, OP, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
E. Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Richard J. Fehring, RN, PhD, FAAN, Marquette University College of Nursing
Patrick Flanagan, PhD, Saint John’s University
Francesco Giuliani, MD, Head of Innovation and Technological Development, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Stephen E. Hannan, MD, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Specialists of SW Florida
Robert A. Mangione, EdD, RPh, Saint John’s University
Dennis M. Manning, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Gianluigi Mazzoccoli, MD, Internal Medicine Unit, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Louise A. Mitchell, MA, MTS, Associate Editor, The Linacre Quarterly; University of Mary
Christopher O’Hara, MD, Penn State University College of Medicine
Jere D. Palazzolo, Founder and Director, Catholic Healthcare International
Christopher Perro, MD, Practicing Surgeon, Otolaryngology
James S. Powers, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Kathleen M. Raviele, MD, FACOG, Practicing Physician, Gynecology; and Past President, Catholic Medical Association
Peter A. Rosario, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
Leonard P. Rybak, MD, PhD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
José A. Santos, MD, Practicing Physician, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Wanda Skowronska, PhD, MA, MA, John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family,
Australia
John M. Travaline, MD, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
William V. Williams, MD, Editor in Chief, The Linacre Quarterly; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine; President and CEO, BriaCell Therapeutics Corporation
Catholic Witness in Health Care integrates the theoretical presentation of Catholic medical ethics with real life practice. It begins with fundamental elements of Catholic care, treating Scripture, moral philosophy, theology, Christian anthropology, and pastoral care. The second part features Catholic clinicians illuminating authentic Catholic medical care in their various medical disciplines: gynecology and reproductive medicine, fertility, pediatrics, geriatrics, critical care, surgery, rehabilitation, psychology, and pharmacy. Part three offers unique perspectives concerning medical education, research, and practice, with an eye toward creating a cultural shift to an authentically Catholic medical ethos. Readers of this book will learn essential elements upon which the ethics of Catholic medical practice is founded and gain insights into practicing medicine and caring for others in an authentically Catholic way.
J. Brian Benestad, PhD, Assumption College
Rev. Philip G. Bochanski, CO, MA, Executive Director, Courage International
Peter J. Colosi, PhD., Salve Regina University
Domenico Francesco Crupi, Vice President and General Manager, Casa Solivevo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Sr. Mary Diana Dreger, OP, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
E. Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Richard J. Fehring, RN, PhD, FAAN, Marquette University College of Nursing
Patrick Flanagan, PhD, Saint John’s University
Francesco Giuliani, MD, Head of Innovation and Technological Development, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Stephen E. Hannan, MD, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Specialists of SW Florida
Robert A. Mangione, EdD, RPh, Saint John’s University
Dennis M. Manning, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Gianluigi Mazzoccoli, MD, Internal Medicine Unit, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Viale Cappuccini
Louise A. Mitchell, MA, MTS, Associate Editor, The Linacre Quarterly; University of Mary
Christopher O’Hara, MD, Penn State University College of Medicine
Jere D. Palazzolo, Founder and Director, Catholic Healthcare International
Christopher Perro, MD, Practicing Surgeon, Otolaryngology
James S. Powers, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Kathleen M. Raviele, MD, FACOG, Practicing Physician, Gynecology; and Past President, Catholic Medical Association
Peter A. Rosario, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine
Leonard P. Rybak, MD, PhD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
José A. Santos, MD, Practicing Physician, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Wanda Skowronska, PhD, MA, MA, John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family,
Australia
John M. Travaline, MD, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
William V. Williams, MD, Editor in Chief, The Linacre Quarterly; University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine; President and CEO, BriaCell Therapeutics Corporation