The Dallas Willard Podcast 53. The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge: How It Happens and What It Means (2010)
17 snips
Oct 13, 2025 
Dallas Willard, a renowned philosopher and Christian thinker, explores the troubling decline of moral knowledge. He defines this disappearance as institutions failing to provide testable moral truths. Willard discusses cultural shifts and their impact on ethics, the dangers of relativism, and how this loss leads to societal issues like family breakdown and crime. He emphasizes the necessity of moral knowledge for character development and encourages faith communities to play a role in teaching virtues publicly. His insights challenge listeners to reconsider how they approach morality.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Moral Knowledge Removed From Knowledge Institutions
- Universities and churches no longer present moral distinctions as testable knowledge with public method.
- That removal strips institutions of the right and responsibility to teach or grade moral truth.
Knowledge Needs Method And Truth
- Knowledge requires truth and public method, which make it 'scary' because it pins people down.
- Without methodical moral knowledge we lose reliable guidance for life and professional responsibility.
Authority To Act Depends On Knowledge
- Losing moral knowledge removes the authority to act, direct action, make policy, supervise, and teach.
- That loss profoundly weakens both individual responsibility and institutional governance.
