Francis Coolidge

I have taught in the philosophy department at Loyola since August of 1987. In service of my research I have written a number of articles on Plato and one on Descartes (published in a variety of journals including Ancient Philosophy and International Philosophical Quarterly). I have also presented papers at meetings of the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy, the Metaphysical Society of America, and the Southwestern Philosophical Society. My recent research interests include metaphysics and what (following Plato) we could call “divine madness” in Western and Eastern thought. In the Phaedrus, Socrates proposes that the highest form of divine madness is eros. I have argued that there are seven stages of eros in the history of Western philosophy and culture. For my discussion, see the article, “On Divine Madness, its Relations to the Good, and the Erotic Aspect of the Agapeic Good,” Tidjschrift voor Filosofie 65 (2003), p. 93-119.

I am currently writing a book that develops the erotic relations between Western philosophy (indebted to Plato) and the Eastern philosophies of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. A sketch of this project is contained in the article, “The Erotic Origins and Resolutions of the Question: ‘Why is there Something rather than Nothing’,” Journal of the Southwestern Philosophical Society 22. 1 (2006), p. 121-28.

Classes Taught

• Philosophy (PHIL T122)
• Making Moral Decisions (PHIL V252)
• Environmental Philosophy (PHIL V243)
• Divine Madness (PHIL U239)
• Within the Philosophy Major I teach Ancient Philosophy (PHIL A400), Metaphysics (PHIL A210), and (periodically) Seminar: Major Author (PHIL A493)

Areas of Expertise

• Ancient Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of Religion