Philosophy for the People
Philosophy for the People’s mission is an educational program aimed at overcoming the paucity of serious, fair-minded, and accessible philosophical discourse available to a popular audience. Though we are ourselves dedicated to the Catholic intellectual tradition, we are likewise committed to exploring ideas from all rigorous traditions of philosophizing (scholastic, classical, analytic, and phenomenological). We pursue this mission by providing long-form guided readings of great texts, discussions with expert guests, our own open-ended philosophical discussions of issues and thinkers, live question and answer opportunities, in depth lecture courses, and our own articles and book-length writings. Philosophy for the People’s pedagogical materials will be provided either without charge or for minimal cost to assure provision of broad access to first-rate philosophical education.
Latest episodes
Feb 1, 2023 • 44min
Plato's Timaeus pt. 2 w/ Dr. Jim Madden
Pat and Jim continue their series on Plato's Timaeos, with a focus on Plato's natural theology.
Jan 24, 2023 • 1h 57min
Thomism vs. Scotism w/ Dr. Gaven Kerr and Dr. Tom Ward
Joining the conversation are Dr. Gaven Kerr, a Thomism expert and author of 'Aquinas's Way to God', and Dr. Tom Ward, a Scotism aficionado known for 'Ordered by Love'. They engage in a fascinating debate over causality and divine influence, with Kerr and Ward sparring over essential and grounding dependence. They animate the philosophical discourse on individuality using quirky examples like a Furby. The duo also explores various arguments for God’s existence and the implications of their contrasting perspectives on contemporary philosophical thought.
Jan 19, 2023 • 1h 28min
The Papacy w/ Erick Ybarra
Erick Ybarra joins Philosophy for the People to discuss his new book on the papacy, and answer whatever questions you have. Subscribe to Pat's philosophy Substack at: https://chroniclesofstrength.substack.com/
Jan 16, 2023 • 1h 44min
Classical Theism, The Argument from Contingency, and Avoiding Necessitarianism w/ Dr. Kenny Pearce
Dr. Kenneth Pearce returns to Philosophy for the People to (primarily) discuss his development of the argument from contingency for God's existence as framed within the context of metaphysical grounding, and, more specifically, how one can avoid necessitarianism when taking this approach. Along the way, however, many other matters are discussed, including the theoretic virtue of simplicity, the principle of analogy, and the privation theory of evil. If you enjoy this podcast, please like, comment your thoughts, share, and subscribe. Also, check out Pat's philosophy Substack at: https://chroniclesofstrength.substack.com/
Jan 13, 2023 • 1h 11min
Can Naturalism Explain Moral Knowledge w/ Dr. Stephen Napier
Dr. Stephen Napier returns to philosophy for the people to discuss work he's been doing on naturalism and moral knowledge (particularly how naturalistic accounts fail to explain our apprehension of the deontic quality of moral judgments). Please like, share, comment, and subscribe! Also subscribe to Pat's substack: https://chroniclesofstrength.substack.com
Jan 7, 2023 • 1h 59min
Thomistic Existentialism, Sense Realism, and Cosmological Reasoning w/ Dr. John Knasas
Dr. John Knasas joins Pat to discuss the work he's done on Thomistic existentialism, particularly sense realism and cosmological reasoning. For Dr. Knasas, these issues are related, as will become apparent later in the conversation. Dr. Knasas is the author of the book Thomistic Existentialism and Cosmological Reasoning. Also, be sure to subscribe to Pat's Substack: https://chroniclesofstrength.substack.com
Jan 6, 2023 • 1h 4min
A Conversation on Artificial Intelligence w/ Dr. Robert J. Marks
AI expert Dr. Robert J. Marks II joins Pat for a wide-ranging conversation on everything artificial intelligence. Are we just computers? Will a computer ever be conscious? What should be excited about with the impressive increases in AI? What should we be worried about? All that and more! Check out Dr. Mark's book Non-Computable You.
Jan 3, 2023 • 1h 28min
Scotus's Way to God w/ Dr. Thomas Ward
Dr. Tom Ward joins Philosophy for the People to discuss the natural theology & philosophy of God of John Duns Scotus. What is Duns Scotus's argument for God? How does Duns Scotus's philosophy of God compare to Thomas Aquinas's? How do we account for the unique individuality of each McDonald's McNugget Buddy? All this and more! Be sure to subscribe to Pat's philosophy Substack: https://chroniclesofstrength.substack.com/
Dec 24, 2022 • 1h 16min
Re(Collapsing) the Modal Collapse Argument
Christopher Tomaszewski returns to discuss some of the more recent work he's done on classical theism and modal collapse. It is highly recommend you listen to Pat's previous conversations with Christ T before this one!
Dec 23, 2022 • 47min
Evaluating the Computational Theory of Mind w/ Dr. Jim Madden
Pat and Jim talk AI, the computational theory of mind, and questions from listeners.
