Henry Lawson
Philosophy and Theology BA
1989
I arrived at Heythrop having gone though clearing in the Summer of 1989. I was sad that I had been diverted from my main love of history, but I compensated for this by discovering the exciting world of Applied Ethics, which was taught by Alan Carter. I also made a good friend from Dorset who was a refreshing change from the rather staid Conservative background I had come from. I later studied political philosophy under the same teacher which was enjoyable.
I am also interested in politics and this was a turbulent time in Europe, with the fall of Communism and the events in Eastern Europe. I had friends at the School of Slavonic studies who were studying Contemporary East European Studies. This was criticised by some as a “mickey mouse course.” These cynics were soon proved wrong as the academics found that events were changing at brake- neck speed and the course was more relevant than ever.
In my second year I got on to Greek Philosophy–Plato and Aristotle. Plato was manageable but some parts of Aristotle were not at all easy. Thanks to Gerry Hughes SJ, however, I was able to make sense of the course.