#174 Martin Luther’s Narcissistic War on Philosophy… - Joe Heschmeyer
whatshot 7 snips
May 20, 2025
Explore Martin Luther's shocking rejection of Aristotle and how it shaped the clash between faith and reason. The discussion dives into Luther's controversial self-perception, portraying himself as a modern-day Noah. Delve into the implications of his criticisms on philosophy and the legacy of his radical theology. The examination raises fascinating questions about motivations behind his break from tradition and the impact it had on Christianity in the 16th century.
00:00
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Aristotle's Impact on Faith and Reason
The battle over Aristotle represents a deeper conflict between faith and reason in Christian theology.
Aristotle's philosophy, especially on ethics, remains crucial to Christian virtue ethics today.
insights INSIGHT
Luther's Hatred for Aristotle
Martin Luther despised Aristotle, calling his works nonsense and harmful to Christian understanding.
Luther urged banning Aristotle's writings, claiming they burdened souls and misled many Christians.
insights INSIGHT
Luther's Arrogant Claim on Aristotle
Luther claimed he understood Aristotle better than St. Thomas Aquinas or Duns Scotus, despite his inability to comprehend Aristotle fully.
St. Thomas Aquinas is recognized as the greatest Aristotelian in Western philosophy, surpassing even Aristotle himself.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle's most renowned work on ethics, focusing on the science of the good for human life. The text is divided into ten books and discusses the concept of eudaimonia, often translated as 'happiness' or 'flourishing,' which is achieved through living a virtuous life. Aristotle argues that eudaimonia is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, emphasizing the importance of reason, moral virtues, and the pursuit of excellence. The work also explores the division of the soul, the role of rationality in human life, and the ultimate goal of human activity, which is to achieve happiness through virtuous actions and a complete life[1][2][4].
Aristotle's Ethics
Comprising His Practical Philosophy
Aristotle
In 'Nicomachean Ethics', Aristotle discusses how individuals should best live, focusing on the concept of eudaimonia, often translated as 'flourishing' or 'happiness'. He argues that eudaimonia is achieved through the practice of virtues, which are habits of character that enable a person to live a virtuous life. Aristotle distinguishes between intellectual virtues and moral virtues, emphasizing the role of habit and conscious choice in developing moral character. He also introduces the concept of the 'golden mean', where virtues are found at a middle ground between deficiency and excess. The work explores various virtues such as courage, justice, and friendship, and how these contribute to a life of eudaimonia.
Today Joe examines why it’s probably not a good idea to look to Martin Luther in matters of faith and reason. We look at Luther’s call to ban Aristotle from the Church, arguably the most important contributor to Western ethics and phenomenology. And Joe examines Luther’s absolutely wild claim that he is the “new Noah,”….yes, like the ark.
Transcript:
Joe:
Welcome back to Sam Popery. I’m Joe Smar and I want to unpack a fascinating writing from the father of Protestantism, Martin Luther, and to show why I think you should probably change how you view Lut...
Shameless Popery 
