Teaching

Join the conversations driving new discoveries in the history of philosophy in this research-oriented course designed for advanced students of philosophy. Unique in Australia, Frontiers integrates coursework with CHOP’s full calendar of seminars, masterclasses, conferences, and reading groups.

Explore global traditions from ancient Greece and China to medieval Islamic and Christian thought, and modern Jewish philosophy. Tailor assessments to your interests and present your work at CHOP’s Student Research Seminar day. Whether you're an undergraduate or postgraduate student, this course invites you to go beyond lectures and join the conversations shaping the future of historical philosophy.

• An undergraduate and postgraduate course offered by the University of Notre Dame Australia through the Centre for the History of Philosophy.
• Where: Sydney and online
• Enrolment options: open to students at Notre Dame, students at other universities and colleges via cross-institutional enrolment

Discover the extraordinary tradition of Jewish philosophy through 3,000 years of intellectual inquiry, from ancient biblical wisdom to 20th century thought. This course explores how Jewish thinkers have grappled with life’s deepest questions, ranging from Philo's Hellenistic synthesis to Maimonides’ revolutionary rationalism, from Kabbalistic mysticism to modern responses to the Holocaust. Led by medieval Jewish philosophy expert Dr Raphael Dascalu, you'll discover how Jewish philosophers have shaped Western thought while maintaining their distinctive traditions. Perfect for students of philosophy, history, theology, or anyone curious about this rich intellectual heritage.

• An undergraduate and postgraduate course offered by the University of Notre Dame Australia through the Centre for the History of Philosophy.
• When: Mondays 1:30pm – 4:30pm
• Where: Online featuring three evening sessions at The Great Synagogue, Sydney (in-person or online) 5:30pm – 8:30pm
• Enrolment options: open to students at Notre Dame, students at other universities and colleges via cross-institutional enrolment, and to the general public for audit (no assessments).

Explore the wisdom of Judaism's greatest philosophical minds in this intimate three-session introduction to Jewish thought. Meet Maimonides, the medieval giant who reconciled faith with reason; encounter Spinoza's bold challenge to tradition; and discover how modern Orthodox thinkers like Rabbi Jonathan Sacks addressed contemporary dilemmas. This introductory course offers fascinating glimpses into towering intellectual figures who shaped both Jewish culture and Western philosophy. Hosted at Sydney's magnificent Great Synagogue and taught by leading scholars Dr Raphael Dascalu and Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton, these evening sessions provide an accessible entry point into profound ideas. No prior knowledge needed—just bring your curiosity about life's big questions.

• A short course for Jewish and non-Jewish learners alike, presented by the Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy and The Great Synagogue Sydney
• When: Monday evenings, 5:30pm – 8:30pm, with refreshments
• Where: The Great Synagogue, Sydney – 166 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000
• Cost: $50 / TGS members $40 / students free

Follow the development of classical philosophy from the Pre Socratics through Socrates, Plato and Aristotle then into the Hellenistic schools and Neo Platonism, culminating in Augustine. The course highlights the enduring influence of Plato and Aristotle on Greek and Roman thought while situating later voices within that legacy.

Key themes:

• Defining philosophy
• Nature, change, teleology
• The good life
• Soul, city, cosmos
• Hellenistic schools

Trace philosophy’s evolution from Augustine to the Renaissance, examining its crucial role in European intellectual traditions through the Middle Ages. Engage with figures like Thomas Aquinas, Avicenna and Maimonides who integrated Greek thought with Abrahamic ideas. Study the interplay of religion and rationality and the reshaping of metaphysics, logic, ethics and politics through translation movements and medieval institutions.

Key themes:

• Faith & reason
• Platonism & Aristotelianism
• Creation, being, causality
• Jewish & Islamic thinkers
• Scholasticism

Analyse the revolutionary transition from medieval worldviews to modernity. Through thinkers such as Bacon, Descartes, Hume and Kant, investigate the rise of natural science, the clash between rationalism and empiricism, and revolutionary ideas that transformed Western views of metaphysics, knowledge, morality and religion—ideas that still shape our society today.

Key themes:

• The Scientific Revolution
• Rationalism & empiricism
• Modern epistemology & scepticism
• Evolution of moral theory

Examine the major movements that have shaped philosophy since 1900. Through figures like Frege, Wittgenstein, Heidegger and Derrida, this course introduces analytic and continental approaches to language, mind, existence and culture, and recent revivals that reconnect contemporary debates with classical sources.

Key themes:

• Analytic & continental philosophy
• Phenomenology
• Language and analysis
• Existentialism
• Revival of metaphysics