What We Can't Not Talk About

In this deeply profound panel hosted by the Thomistic Institute at UT Austin, two renowned philosophers — Dr. J. Budziszewski and Dr. Scott Roniger — dive into one of the most ancient and enduring questions in moral philosophy: Does vice carry its own punishment? With references ranging from Aristotle and Augustine to Dostoevsky and Shakespeare, the speakers explore conscience, natural law, self-knowledge, and the metaphysical consequences of wrongdoing. This lecture goes far beyond the legal and social implications of morality, offering a rich philosophical and theological account of how wrongdoing disorders the soul — and why this may be the clearest evidence of divine justice.

Marriage and family are often debated through emotional or religious lenses, but can we defend these institutions using reason alone? Dr. Owen Anderson, Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, joins Dr. Marianna Orlandi on "What We Can't Not Talk About" to delve into the rational basis of marriage, friendship, and lasting love. Starting from the concept of friendship as defined by Aristotle and Aquinas, Dr. Anderson highlights how true friendship involves mutual care for each other's good, setting the stage for understanding deeper relationships. He argues that the conjugal view of marriage, rooted in lasting commitment and openness to life, is not merely a religious ideal but grounded in our shared human nature. Dr. Anderson further addresses contemporary skepticism, emphasizing that widespread doubts about reality, truth, and goodness contribute significantly to confusion around marriage and family structures. He explains how the current age of anxiety is closely linked to philosophical skepticism and suggests that reconnecting with foundational truths about human nature and purpose is crucial for overcoming both skepticism and anxiety.

In this insightful episode of What We Can't Not Talk About, Dr. Matthew Breuninger joins us to unpack the complexities behind why many individuals struggle to find lasting love, despite their deep desire and determination. Hosted by the Austin Institute, this conversation delves beyond societal critiques to explore personal obstacles rooted in family dynamics and individual psychology. Resources: Follow Dr. Breuninger on Instagram and Youtube @askacatholictherapist Share Your Reflections – Have thoughts or questions inspired by this episode? Email your insights to the Austin Institute. Stay in the Loop – Visit austin-institute.org for upcoming events and more conversations that matter.

In this thought-provoking lecture, Dr. Scott Roninger explores the profound connections between literature, philosophy, and our understanding of human nature, focusing especially on Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov and Plato’s philosophical dialogues. Through Mark Twain’s reflections on mastering the Mississippi River, Roninger introduces the distinction between viewing life practically versus contemplatively, emphasizing the importance of awe and beauty. He then delves into Dostoevsky's characters, aligning them with Plato’s three parts of the human soul—appetite, spirit (thumos), and intellect (nous)—highlighting the Christian dimension of these philosophical concepts. Roninger argues that true human flourishing and societal health stem from properly orienting our deepest desires toward truth, virtue, and ultimately God.

In this episode of What We Can't Not Talk About, Marianna Orlandi continues exploring education, joined by Professor Justin Dyer, Dean of the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. Together, they discuss the profound ideas of C.S. Lewis in his influential book, The Abolition of Man, and explore how modern educational institutions can reconnect with the classical ideal of forming virtuous and flourishing citizens. Justin shares insights from his personal academic journey, emphasizing the transformative role education played in his own life and the crucial need for schools dedicated to civics and leadership. They also tackle why education inevitably involves moral formation, and how understanding natural law helps us address contemporary educational challenges.

This episode is a recording of the lecture delivered on February 21st by Dr. R.J. Snell at Robert Rowling Hall at UT Austin. The natural law is generally presented as highly certain and universal in its first principles, as essentially known by all rational personals, even though the specifications of those principles to concrete actions is far less certain. This view is especially prevalent in classical accounts of natural law rooted in metaphysics or philosophical anthropology. None of these should surprise a Thomas or Aristotelian, however, committed to hylomorphism, but it does require us to think of the natural law as hermeneutical rather than analytical and as conversational rather than methodical.

In this powerful episode of What We Can't Not Talk About, host Marianna Orlandi welcomes Dr. Anna Bonta Moreland, theologian and professor at Villanova University, to explore the radical, uncomfortable, and ultimately redemptive virtue of forgiveness. Drawing on the character of Dolly from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, Dr. Moreland shows how literature and theology—especially the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas—can illuminate what it really means to love sacrificially and forgive heroically. In a world torn between cancel culture and moral relativism, Dr. Moreland argues that forgiveness is not weakness but a virtue rooted in charity. Through Dolly’s example and Aquinas’ thought, listeners are invited to reflect on whether perfection in love is required, and what it means to love and forgive like Christ—even when it hurts.

As parent-centric and state-centric visions of education do battle in American politics and academia, it is easy to lose sight of the fundamentals that underlie this conflict. In this episode, our host is joined by Dr. Moschella, fellow of the Austin Institute and champion of parental rights. Aiming at the center of this divisive topic, they discuss how parents’ responsibility for childrens’ development necessitates that parents, and not the state, retain ultimate authority over their education and formation. As Dr. Moschella makes clear in her research, the case for parental rights has both moral and empirical grounding. Melissa Moschella is Professor of the Practice in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. Her work spans the fields of ethics, political philosophy, and law, and her areas of special expertise include natural law theory, biomedical ethics, and the family. For those interested in learning more, the paper discussed is "Natural Law, Parental Rights, and the Defense of "Liberal" Limits on Government: An Analysis of the Mortara Case and its Contemporary Parallels," published in the Notre Dame Law Review: https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndlr/vol98/iss4/5/ She is also the author of several books, including: To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education and Children’s Autonomy https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Children-Belong-Education-Childrens/dp/1316605000#:~:text=Rigorously%20argued%20yet%20broadly%20accessible,in%20line%20with%20their%20values Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law: Principles for Human Flourishing https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268209261/ethics-politics-and-natural-law/

This episode is a recording of the lecture delivered on February 20th by Dr. R.J. Snell at the University Catholic Center of UT Austin. While the term acedia may be unfamiliar, the vice, usually translated as sloth, is all too common. Sloth is not mere laziness, however, but a disgust with reality, a loathing of our call to be friends with God, and a spiteful, bored hatred of place and life itself. As described by Josef Pieper, the slothful person does not “want to be as God wants him to be, and that ultimately means he does not wish to be what he really, fundamentally is.” Sloth is a hellish despair. Our own culture is deeply infected, choosing a destructive freedom rather than the good work for which God created us. But we can resist despair and can reconfigure our imaginations and practices in deep love of the life and work given by God. By feasting, keeping sabbath, and working well, we learn to see the world as enchanting, beautiful, and good—just as God sees it. R.J. Snell is Director of Academic Programs. Prior to his appointment at the Witherspoon Institute, he was for many years Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Philosophy Program at Eastern University and the Templeton Honors College, where he founded and directed the Agora Institute for Civic Virtue and the Common Good.

In this episode, Dr. Alberto Martínez, a distinguished professor of history at The University of Texas at Austin, joins Dr. Orlandi to discuss myths in the history of science and the distortion of truth in modern media. In particular, they focus on the myth of Einstein's genius and the media’s distortion of President Trump’s words. Throughout, they touch on topics such as: the existence of objective truth, our culture’s obsession with words rather than reality, the history of mistakes as a pedagogical tool, and the proper place of primary sources. Alberto Martinez has been a professor of history at UT Austin since 2005. He is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He investigates the history of science, especially Einstein and relativity theory, history of math, historical myths, and Giordano Bruno and Galileo. He also researches myths in political news media and episodes in the history of money and corruption. Presently, he's finishing writing a historical novel about Albert Einstein. Martinez is the author of seven books, including: Science Secrets: The Truth about Darwin’s Finches, Einstein’s Wife, and Other Myths (2011), https://www.amazon.com/Science-Secrets-Darwins-Finches-Einsteins/dp/0822962306/ Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo and the Inquisition (2018), https://www.amazon.com/Burned-Alive-Bruno-Galileo-Inquisition/dp/1780238967 The Media Versus the Apprentice (2019), https://www.amazon.com/Media-versus-Apprentice-Devil-Trump/dp/1731489242/ He has been a research fellow at M.I.T., Caltech, Harvard, Boston University, and The Smithsonian. He also writes articles for newspapers and online magazines such as The Hill, Scientific American, Austin American-Statesman, SALON, the USA Today newspapers, and The Daily Texan. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.