In this course of study we focused on the concept of "Reason." The various subjects that we examined were; Philosophy and Theology, Three Kinds of Knowledge, 5 common thinking errors, 5 steps to critical thinking and The Process of Knowing. Though each of these topics present information in different forms, they focus on the central theme, that I think, is the relationship between philosophy and theology and how it applies to individuals. Before getting into depth it is important to recognize the definitions given by our authors. Philosophy which means "love of wisdom" (FRR pg.48), illustrates the way in which individuals or philosophers emphasize "reasoned knowledge," to help them look for truth in our world. Theology is "the exploration and examination of one's faith using reason. These two aspects each aim for "experiential and intellectual knowledge" (FRR pg.46) but the fashion in which they do it is different. The philosophical use of personal experiences and "speculation" (FRR pg.48) assist in the effort of trying to find truth.In essence they derive their explanations "solely inside their heads" (FRR pg.48). Theology on the other hand, even though it may be similar when referring to the main purpose, adopts a different route to searching for the truths in life. In this aspect one is led by their "doctrines of faith," which allows them to view things in the world, as well as its outcome, differently. This acts as a collaberation with the definition of theology that St. Augustine came up with. In his explanation he described theology as "faith seeking understanding" (FRR pg.46) which clearly corresponds to the way in which Catholic theologians depict things according to their faith rather than personal reasoning and logic as philosophers do. In essence this is what seperates thelogians from philosophers even though they both yearn to achieve truth through experiential and intellectual knowledge.

2. List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.

a) The Three kinds of Knowledge- The three types are: Experience, Authority and Reason. In receiving knowledge through experience we are more in tact with the information that we get because it is lived or experienced through us. It is essentially a direct action. From this "experiential knowledge"(FRR p.52) we become aware of our surroundings due to our five senses, further emphasizing the closeness that this type of knowledge has in us. Authoritative knowledge is information that we receive through someone else, who previously possessed it through their own experiential knowledge. Reason is "the power to think in such a way that we proceed from the things that we know to what we do not yet know." (FRR p.58). We do this through the use of premisses or statements believed to be true and conclusion, what is derived from the premisses.

b)"Ad Hominems"(Latin for "against the person") and "Red Herrings"- These are two of the five types of Common Thinking Errors. An Ad Hominem is an act in which an individual attacks a person's qualities that aren't associated with the main conflict, instead of attacking one's argument. A Red Herring is when an individual says something improper or out of context distracting those from the "real issue" (FRR p.67) or main subject.

c)What does it mean to be human? According to our course of study "being human" is not simply having the ability to reason but also possessing two "endowments" or natural abilities (FRR p.50) which are self-conciousness and abstract thought. Self-Conciousness is when we are aware of our enviorment as well as ourselves as "individually existing beings" (FRR p.50). Abstract thought is "the ability to think about something as if it exists alone, when in reality it doesn't" (FRR p.50). These are of major importance because it is what we believe set us apart from other creatures in the world.

3. One or two good images that remind you of key ideas.

"A picture of Immanuel Kant"

Critique of Pure Reason