The following is an excerpt from a conversation with Dean Lewis. For the full written version of the conversation, click here. To hear the entire interview, in audio format, click here
Since its formal inauguration in 1895, the School of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America has been at the forefront of shaping generations of philosophers, scholars, and intellectuals. As the only ecclesiastical faculty in the United States, it remains dedicated to engaging with every major philosophical discipline while advancing a distinctly Catholic vision of philosophy in the modern era.
To explore the school’s profound legacy and evolving mission, Dennis Strach, director of Diocesan Engagement at The Catholic University of America, sat down with V. Bradley Lewis, Ph.D., the newly appointed dean of the School of Philosophy.
A faculty member since 1997, Dean Lewis specializes in political and legal philosophy, with a focus on classical Greek political thought and the theory of natural law. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland and the University of Notre Dame and has established himself as a prominent voice in both philosophical and legal scholarship.
He has published scholarly articles in Polity, History of Political Thought, The Southern Journal of Philosophy, Philosophy and Rhetoric, Communio, The Josephinum Journal of Theology, The Pepperdine Law Review, The Oxford Journal of Law and Religion, and the Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, as well as chapters in several books. He was the associate editor of the American Journal of Jurisprudence from 2005-2024 and is currently working on a book project provisionally titled The Common Good and the Modern State. In addition to his teaching and research, Lewis is a fellow of the Institute for Human Ecology.
Now, as dean, he envisions elevating the School of Philosophy to the preeminent Catholic philosophical faculty in the world. “The international reputation of the School of Philosophy is the fruit of our faculty’s dedication,” he says. “We have the foundation—and the potential—to build on this legacy.”
In the conversation that follows, Dean Lewis shares his insights on the school’s impact, its academic mission, and the path ahead.
Source: CUA Communications