What We Can't Not Talk About

Philosophy Professor Christopher Kaczor recently published a new and extremely important book on abortion, euthanasia, and other controversies, "Disputes in Bioethics." In this episode, Dr. Orlandi asks the author to talk about speciesism, children's right to be loved, and the way adults may flourish by being parents. We hope you enjoy this conversation, and we look forward to having Professor Kaczor as a guest speaker at the Austin Institute later this spring! You can purchase Professor Kaczor's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Disputes-Bioethics-Abortion-Euthanasia-Controversies/dp/0268108099 https://www.amazon.com/Abortion-Rights-Against-Kate-Greasley-dp-1316621855/dp/1316621855/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= Recommended reading by Professor Kaczor: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/

Senator Josh Hawley was dropped by his publisher and as an ensuing movement to blacklist him gained momentum, Regnery agreed to publish his next book. Dr. Kevin Stuart talks with Tom Spence, Regnery's president and publisher, about that decision, cancel culture, conservatism, and the changes sweeping American politics. Visit Regnery to purchase Senator Hawley's book, "The Tyranny of Big Tech": https://www.regnery.com/9781684512393/the-tyranny-of-big-tech/

In this episode, Professor Ligia Castaldi, a legal expert on the international protection of prenatal life, discusses the abortion bill that the Argentinian senate approved in late December 2020 and focuses on some of its most troubling provisions. Is this new law consistent with international law? Is it consistent with the Argentinian Constitution? Does it really protect and empower women, as its advocates suggested and successfully maintained? Finally, does this kind of legislation represent the future for prenatal life protection in Latin America? Tune in! You can purchase her book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/abortion-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-ligia-de-jesus-castaldi/1133615479

What can be said about the morality of COVID vaccines, parental rights, power of the state, and our own duties toward “the common good?” In this episode, Austin Institute Fellow Melissa Moschella, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, weighs in on these questions as COVID vaccines are being administered across the country. She begins by addressing the use of cell lines like HEK 293, presumably derived from aborted fetal tissue and used to create some of the COVID vaccines, in no way perpetuates the grave injustice of abortion. Tune in to hear the rest! You can read more on this topic here: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/01/73511/ You can purchase Dr. Moschella's book "To Whom Do Children Belong?: Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy" here: https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Children-Belong-Education-Childrens/dp/1316605000

At the frontier of the philosophy of science, Aristotle is making a comeback. Dr. Kevin Stuart interviews AI Senior Fellow Dr. Robert C. Koons on what this scientific development is and what it means for those of us who aren't physicists or philosophers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, What it Means to Be Human is one of the best 10 books of 2020. During this episode, Dr. Orlandi discusses some of its main themes with the author, Carter Snead, Professor of Law at Notre Dame and Director of the De Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. "Expressive individualism," "moral imagination," "abortion", "assisted suicide,” these are just hints of the content of an extraordinary podcast that deserves going a little longer than usual! Get your coffee and enjoy! The Wall Street Journal has listed Professor Snead's book as one of the 10 best books of 2020: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-10-best-books-of-2020-11607556369?fbclid=IwAR1Ip7qqc80yAASf3qxCVNb3oZvGamVStJSWi-OyZhLMaBoKncpmH7vBspE You can purchase his book from Harvard University Press: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987722

In this coffee break, UT Professor and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute J. Budziszewski explains the Thomistic understanding of prudence, explores the imprudence of a world that has lost God, and illuminates us on the relational dimension of justice! If you would like to read more on this subject, we recommend Professor Budziszewski's "Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Virtue Ethics" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XTSFFVV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i10

The Aristotelian understanding of prudence was at the core of a seminar Dr. Erik Dempsey recently offered for the Austin Institute. In this episode, he will summarize for us some of that content. During this interview, he will also reveal how undergraduate students are far more virtuous than we may think! If the young generation is our hope, there is definitely some!

Well, okay, maybe not everything. But lots of things, from marital equality to happiness at home in a pandemic. Professor Jason Carroll of BYU and the Wheatley Institution joins us to discuss his headline-grabbing research. Research on Religion in the Home: https://wheatley.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Religion-in-the-Home10.13.20.pdf

We have a bonus episode for y’all! In addition to our podcast conversation with Dr. Stuart Wolf, M.D., we are releasing Dr. Wolf’s lecture. Public health is undoubtedly the most prominent and most discussed theme of 2020. Dr. Staurt Wolf Jr., M.D. tells us something more about it, about the role of prudence, and of charity, in making good healthcare decisions ("to wear, or not to wear a mask"), pointing out the centrality of doctor-patient relations. This episode runs twice as long as a normal episode. So grab your coffee or holiday drink of choice and enjoy. Recorded on October 12, 2020.