What We Can't Not Talk About

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.

In this episode, Dr. Orlandi and Dr. Alexander Cambre get together to discuss the differences between that “indoctrinations” that too many schools have been accused of forcing upon students, and liberal education. What’s the essence of the latter, if any? And what did Solzhenitsyn, Tocqueville, and Aristotle have to say on this matter to help us, as usual, understand our current times? Join us for some interesting insights! Links: Dr. Alexander’s essay: Liberal Education’s Antidote to Indoctrination, https://www.heritage.org/education/report/liberal-educations-antidote-indoctrination Previous episode with Dr. Alexander, on Memory and Mortality: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TRXHcEUo3ea1cEajBtHAK?si=ccccb9e3c3f64297 More on education on our podcast, with Dr. Mellissa Moschella: https://open.spotify.com/episode/55CW5TtbCdvRfToz7veFZq?si=92402cd9f1c24cbc

In this episode, Dr. Orlandi sat down with Dr. Scott Roniger, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, to discuss beauty, love, and faith. This time, the excuse was philosophical and literary ... all at once. Dr. Roniger, a philosophy of literature scholar, was recently the author of a paper bringing together the platonic symposium and Waugh's most famous novel. Tune in to hear about charm and beauty, about educating eros, and about metaphoric and embodied ascents to truth redemption. Hopefully, Dr. Roniger will visit us in person soon too. Links: Platonic eros and catholic faith in waugh’s brideshead revisited https://scholars.lmu.edu/en/publications/platonic-eros-and-catholic-faith-in-waughs-brideshead-revisited #Bridesheadrevisited #Plato #Symposium #Evelynwaugh

What is the proper education for young people who aspire to achieve political greatness? Can the autobiographies of the past teach us anything about our current trials, and how to overcome them? During this lecture, Dr. Shilo Brooks offers a few insights not only into these questions. He above all explores with us the reasons why, for the first time, his elective course for Princeton undergraduates, "The Art of Statesmanship and the Political Life," went from thirty kids enrolled to over 250. A Texas native, Dr. Brooks enchanted his audience at UT Austin just as he does in Princeton--and he will enchant you too. This lecture was co-sponsored with the Salem Center for Policy at UT Austin. #AustinInstitute #SalemCenter

Join Professor J. Budziszewski, a renowned expert in ethics and political philosophy from UT Austin, as he unpacks the concept of Natural Law and its relevance for all. He navigates the complexities of how Natural Law influences legal theory and moral authority, emphasizing its universal truths. The conversation touches on the emotional consequences of our choices and the challenges of self-introspection. Budziszewski highlights the importance of understanding our actions for human flourishing, connecting ancient philosophical roots to modern well-being.

In this episode of "What We Can't Talk About," Dr. Orlandi is joined by Dr. RJ Snell, Director of Academic Programs at the Witherspoon Institute, a sister organization of the Austin Institute. They delve into Snell's new book, "Lost in the Chaos: Immanence, Despair, Hope," which tackles the challenges of contemporary life in Western democracies, addressing decadence, disorder, and despair. The conversation navigates the complexities of finding transcendence and hope in a society that doesn't prioritize these values. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophical insights, Snell offers a roadmap to moral reformation and spiritual renewal, embodying philosophy in its purest form—a relentless pursuit of wisdom.