What happens when morality is unmoored from its metaphysical foundations? In part two of the Anthropology series, Dr. Nathan Jacobs traces the slow unraveling of moral philosophy—from its classical roots in virtue and teleology to its modern preoccupation with utility and consequence.

All the links:

X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QS

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcast

Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/

Website: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/

Academia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobs

00:00:00 Intro

00:05:22 Pagan philosophy and human polarities

00:35:38 Augustine and the Nature-Grace Divide

00:55:06 Medieval faculty psychology: intellect and will

01:04:52 From Medieval Scholasticism to Modern Philosophy

01:11:56 The rise of empiricism and materialism

01:29:46 The empiricist challenge to Providence

01:41:18 Contemporary culture's nominalist foundation

01:47:53 The hedonistic definition of happiness

01:52:47 Modern anomalies in historical perspective

02:02:05 Passion over reason

The Slow Death of Morality | How Modern Ethics Sold Its Soul | Part 2 of 4