The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute
The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone.
The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events, and much more.
Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
The Thomistic Institute Podcast features the lectures and talks from our conferences, campus chapters events, intellectual retreats, livestream events, and much more.
Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
Episodes
Mentioned books
5 snips
Sep 28, 2023 • 40min
Evil as Privation | Father James Brent, O.P.
Fr. James Brent, O.P. discusses the nature of evil according to St. Thomas Aquinas. Topics include the metaphysics of evil as privation, different interpretations of perfection, the concept of evil as absence of good, and debunking misconceptions about completely evil beings.
4 snips
Sep 27, 2023 • 39min
Veneration of the Eucharist | Father Uwe Michael Lang
Fr. Uwe Michael Lang discusses the history and significance of veneration of the Eucharist, including its roots in early Christian worship, the importance of gestures of reverence, and the organic development of communion on the tongue. He also explores the practice of displaying the Eucharist in Renaissance churches and the profound relationship with God through Eucharistic adoration as exemplified by saints.
Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 1min
Virtue in Human Action | Father John Baptist Ku, O.P.
Fr. John Baptist Ku, O.P., discusses the role of virtue in guiding human action, the nature of human vulnerability, the significance of virtue in the moral life, levels of moral virtue and the interplay between reason, passions, and will. The podcast also explores the relationship between virtue and objectivity, and the role of fear in the spiritual journey.
Sep 25, 2023 • 46min
Approaches to Reality and Paradigms of Certainty | Father Gregory Pine, O.P.
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., discusses the cryteriological difference between philosophy and theology, the preambles of faith and the fourth way, the foreignness and historical impact of the fourth way, the concept of a maximally such thing and modes of observation for certainty, errors in judgment and knowledge, and the basis of certainty in faith and the role of the divine truth.
Sep 22, 2023 • 56min
Truth and Uncertainty in Particle Physics | Doctor Steve Mrenna
Dr. Steve Mrenna, particle theorist, discusses truth in particle physics and the discovery of the Higgs boson. He explores event generators and the Pithia simulator, the collision of protons, and the role of gluons. The efficiency of scintillators and the challenges of analyzing rare events are covered. The concept of causes in particle physics and measuring charged particles in a magnetic field are also explored.
Sep 21, 2023 • 46min
Moral Limbo in the Workplace w/ Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. & Fr. Thomas More Garrett, O.P.
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. and Fr. Thomas More Garrett, O.P. discuss navigating morally compromising situations, leaving a job and relying on God's guidance, cooperation in immoral activities, and balancing courage and wisdom in the workplace. They explore examples such as ride-sharing and the ethical dilemmas it presents, as well as the factors that determine the moral permissibility of cooperation. The speakers emphasize the need to choose battles wisely and engage in virtuous causes.
Sep 20, 2023 • 1h 3min
Uncertainty, Confidence, and Truth in Biology | Professor Daniel Kuebler
Prof. Daniel Kuebler discusses the challenges and complexities of biology experiments, the species problem, and the ethical questions in biotechnology. He explores uncertainty and variability, the limitations of genetic models, and the role of systems biology in reducing uncertainty. He also talks about human hominids, seizure-like behavior in fruit flies, and the profound implications of uncertainty in the evolutionary process.
Sep 19, 2023 • 44min
Is It There? Confidence and Uncertainty in Chemistry | Professor Lori Watson
Prof. Lori Watson, specializing in unsaturated transition metal catalysts, discusses the application of x-ray diffraction in determining chemical structures, Dorothy Hodgkin's work on crystal structures of biological molecules, uncertainty in determining reaction mechanisms, and the complexities of defining bonds in chemistry.
Sep 18, 2023 • 1h 7min
Moral Limbo in the Workplace: How Low Can I Go? | Father Thomas More Garrett, O.P.
Fr. Thomas More Garrett, O.P. discusses moral dilemmas faced by rideshare drivers, navigating ethical challenges in the workplace, Aquinas' principle of double effect, and the concept of moral cooperation. He explores immediate and remote moral cooperation in the workplace and examines the relevance of ignorance and institutional intention in determining moral compromises.
Sep 15, 2023 • 58min
Scientific Realism: Are We Certain Protons Exist? | Father Thomas Davenport, O.P.
Fr. Thomas Davenport, O.P., Dominican friar, physicist, and philosopher discusses scientific realism, causal properties, perceiving individual things, different viewpoints on causal powers, scientific demonstration and certainty in the philosophy of nature, reasoning from effect to cause, and electric charge and experimental observations.
