Philosophy Episodes

April 14, 2025

Divine Providence as Fulfilled in Christ | Fr. Timothy Bellamah, O.P.

Fr. Timothy Bellamah explores divine providence as God's vision and causation of all things fulfilled in Christ, explaining that Christ's incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection serve as God's ultimate response to the problem of evil, particularly the suffering of the innocent.

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April 10, 2025

Human Nature and the Challenges of Our Advancing Technologies | Dr. W…

Dr. William Hurlbut examines the profound ethical and philosophical challenges posed by advancing biotechnologies, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of human nature, dignity, and purpose in light of developments like genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and transhumanist aspi…

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April 7, 2025

A Neurologist's Reflections on Human Dignity and Suffering | Dr. Paul…

Dr. Paul LaPenna reflects on the integration of ancient virtues, Christian ethics, and self-sacrificial love in medical practice, emphasizing human dignity and compassionate care.

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April 4, 2025

Famine, Affluence, and Aquinas | Prof. Marshall Bierson

Prof. Marshall Bierson explores Aquinas's and Anscombe's moral absolutes, particularly concerning theft, arguing that in cases of extreme need, taking another's property may not constitute theft, suggesting a nuanced approach to absolutist moral frameworks.

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April 2, 2025

Ectogenesis: Transhumanism, The Brave New World, and the Attack on Tr…

Prof. Stephen Meredith explores the essence of being human through the lens of Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy, contrasting it with biological and scientific perspectives that often overlook the importance of form and final cause.

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April 1, 2025

Can Machines be People, Too? | Fr. Anselm Ramelow, O.P.

Fr. Anselm Ramelow critically examines whether artificial intelligence can achieve personhood, arguing that machines lack the essential qualities of being, consciousness, and unity inherent to human nature.

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March 31, 2025

Reconciling the Image of God with the Scientific Image of Human Perso…

Dr. Daniel De Haan examines the interplay between philosophical, theological, and scientific images of human persons, emphasizing their complementarity and addressing challenges posed by reductionist scientific perspectives.

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March 27, 2025

What Exactly Is the Hypostatic Union? | Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.

Fr. Dominic Legge explores the intricacies of the hypostatic union, focusing on Aquinas's understanding of how the divine and human natures are united in the person of Christ, while navigating various Christological heresies.

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March 21, 2025

Peripatetic Therapy: Taking Seriously Aristotle's World and the Role …

Sr. Anna Wray explores Aristotle's philosophy of contemplation, emphasizing its therapeutic value in understanding human fulfillment while contrasting it with Christian perspectives on divine contemplation.

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March 19, 2025

Study and the Spiritual Life: Crucifixion of the Desk? | Sr. Anna Wra…

Sr. Anna Wray draws upon Dominican sources, such as St. Thomas Aquinas and A.G. Sertillanges, to explore the activity of studying and its connection to the spiritual life, emphasizing study's intellectual nature and its role in preparing us for contemplation and union with God.

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March 18, 2025

The Nature and Significance of Contemplation According to Thomas Aqui…

Professor Rik Van Nieuwenhove explores Thomas Aquinas's concept of contemplation, emphasizing its intellective nature, self-transcendent character, and relationship to charity, while discussing its significance in modern life.

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March 14, 2025

Who Am I to Judge? Politics and the Problem of Moral Relativism | Pro…

Prof. Francis Beckwith explores the arguments for moral relativism, particularly the argument from disagreement and the argument from tolerance, and offers critiques, emphasizing that disagreement does not necessarily entail relativism and highligh...

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March 12, 2025

What's Wrong with Moral Relativism? | Prof. Francis Beckwith

Prof. Francis Beckwith discusses moral relativism, presenting arguments for and against it, while emphasizing the importance of objective morality in the context of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

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March 11, 2025

On the Justice of Creation | Prof. John O'Callaghan

Prof. John O'Callaghan discusses Aquinas's perspective on divine justice in the act of creation, emphasizing that it is primarily an act of justice of God towards Himself, reflecting His will, wisdom, and goodness.

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March 10, 2025

Forgiveness: An Examination of Justice and Mercy from the Perspective…

Fr. Gregory Pine discusses justice as a virtue that enables us to render to others what is due to them, exploring its characteristics of otherness, equality, and precision, while also acknowledging its limits and the need to go beyond justice in ou...

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