Does Modern Science Render the Human Soul Obsolete?

About the speaker:

Dr. Barker was born and raised in New York City. He completed a doctorate in philosophy at the Center for Thomistic Studies (Houston). He holds an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Paris (the Sorbonne) and a B.A. in Classical and Romance Languages from Harvard University, which included studies at the University of Seville, Spain. He studied two years of graduatelevel theology while in France. Dr. Barker has a broad range of competencies, notably in the history of philosophy, metaphyics, philosophy of nature, and logic. However, his research focuses on philosophical psychology, especially in Aquinas, Aristotle, Avicenna, and Averroes. His research in contemporary philosophy focuses on Heidegger. He also translates Spanish, French, and Latin scholarly texts. Dr. Barker currently teaches at the undergraduate and Masters level at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He believes that some knowledge of philosophy is indispensable for Catholics in the twentyfirst century, since it disposes us to live more virtuous lives and enables one to better defend truths accessible to reason such as the existence of God or the importance of virtue. His publications include: “Experience and Experimentation: The Meaning of Experimentum in Aquinas,” The Thomist 76.3 (2012); “Aquinas on Internal Sensory Intentions: Nature and Classification,” International Philosophical Quarterly 52.2 (2012); Review of Martin Rhonheimer, Vital Conflicts in Medical Ethics, in International Philosophical Quarterly 51.1 (2011); “Material Cooperation with Abortion: A Testcase,” Homiletic and Pastoral Review 109 (2009).