N. Joseph Torchia, O.P., Ph.D.

Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher of Philosophy who is also a Dominican priest, I derive special inspiration from a dictum that has guided the Order of Friars Preachers from its earliest days: to contemplate and to bring the fruits of contemplation to others. This reflects everything I strive to be as a teacher–someone dedicated to the life of the mind and a zeal to share its riches with my students. In my estimation, this level of commitment is vital if the learning experience is to contribute to the educational development of persons with a lifelong hunger for wisdom and an uncompromising passion for truth. In practical terms, I view the classroom experience as a unique opportunity for students to share in the ongoing conversation of Philosophy, as active participants who bring to bear a critical acumen and originality of thought in defending their positions.

Research & Interests

Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy; Augustinian studies; Philosophical Anthropology; Bioethics; Philosophy of Science; Patristics; Theology of Creation

I view my research as an extension of my life as a teacher. My scholarly growth has moved along two complementary lines: on the one hand, an interest in the development of philosophical anthropology; on the other hand, a delineation of the philosophical background of early Christian thought in its seminal stages of development. More specifically, this investigation addresses the Neoplatonic heritage of the Latin and Greek Fathers of the Church, with a special focus on St. Augustine of Hippo. My scholarship took a new turn during the course of my studies for the priesthood. A summer social justice ministry in Washington and work with the Hawthorne Dominican Sisters at a hospice in lower Manhattan sparked an interest in bioethics. These experiences served as stimuli for a monograph concerning the personhood of cognitively impaired patients. If I perceive a thread that runs throughout my writing, it is an attempt to harmonize the contents of my faith with the data of reason. I am deeply motivated by the challenge of what the theologian Paul Tillich characterized as “standing on the boundary” between faith and reason, and taking the risk of subjecting both dimensions to critical scrutiny. For me, then, the medieval dictum “I believe so that I may understand” is more than a slogan or cliche; it is a rule by which I live. The dominant figures in my own intellectual development (Augustine and Aquinas) are my perennial models in this heuristic endeavor.

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