The Thomistic Institute

The Thomistic Institute
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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.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Going for Glory: Seeking Honor Rightly | Fr. Dominic Verner, O.P.

    Fr. Dominic Verner explores Aquinas' definition of honor as reverence exhibited in testimony to someone's excellence, explaining its importance for personal virtue, self-knowledge, friendship, and fostering a community that values true goodness. This lecture was given on March 9th, 2024, at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Fr. Dominic Verner, O.P. (Providence College) after earning a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an M.A. in philosophical studies from Mount St. Mary's University, Fr. Dominic Verner, O.P. entered the Order of Preachers and was ordained to the priesthood in 2016. He has an S.T.L. from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception and a Ph.D. in moral theology/Christian ethics from the University of Notre Dame, where he wrote his dissertation "Saving Honor: A Thomistic Ethics of Honor." He joined the Theology Faculty at Providence College as an Assistant Professor in the Fall of 2022. His research and teaching interests especially concern Thomistic moral theory and the role that honor, friendship, and glory play in practical reason and the quest for beatitude. Keywords: Excellence, Fear of the Lord, Friendship, Honor, Imitation, Reverence, Self-Love, Testimony, Virtue

    36 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Wrong Questions of Modern Action Theory | Fr. Bonaventure Chapman, O.P.

    Fr. Bonaventure Chapman analyzes the flaws in modern action theory, using Wittgenstein and Anscombe to argue against seeking intention in either physical or psychological states, and advocating instead for examining the description of intentional actions. This lecture was given on October 5th, 2024, at Dominican House of Studies. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events About the Speaker: Father Bonaventure Chapman, O.P. (Catholic University of America) was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Father Bonaventure entered the Order of Preachers (Province of St. Joseph), in 2011 and was ordained a priest in 2017, having completed theology degrees at the Dominican House of Studies, as well as a Ph.L from The Catholic University of America. After teaching philosophy at Providence College, RI, he completed a Ph.D in philosophy at Catholic University in 2023 and joined the faculty of the School of Philosophy in Fall 2023. Father Bonaventure’s dissertation, “The Crusian Core of Kant’s Critical Project,” investigates the influence of philosophical Pietism, especially that of Christian August Crusius, on Immanuel Kant’s critical metaphysics and ethics. His primary research interest is eighteenth-century German philosophical Pietism as developed by Crusius and his beloved teacher Adolph Friedrich Hoffmann, and more broadly on early modern German metaphysics and ethics. For relaxation, Father Bonaventure serves as Assistant Student Master at the Dominican House of Studies, enjoys viewing great American art, sailing, and finding American toads whenever the opportunity presents itself. Keywords: Action Theory, Anscombe, Ethics, Intention, Modern Moral Philosophy, Robert Chisholm, Wittgenstein, Wrong Questions

    33 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    Go and Do Likewise:The Saints as Models for Growth in Virtue | Prof. Michael Wahl

    Professor Michael Wahl discusses the Catholic Church's position on abortion, emphasizing the importance of both scientific and philosophical arguments in defending the pro-life stance. This lecture was given on May 5th, 2024, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: Michael Wahl is Assistant Professor of Theology at Providence College. His research focuses on Catholic moral theology, Thomistic ethics, virtue theory, and moral development. His articles have been published in The Thomist, Nova et Vetera, and Philosophy, Theology, & the Sciences. He lives in Providence, RI with his wife and four young children. Keywords: Abortion Ethics, Catholic Church, Embryology, Fetal Development, Human Dignity, Natural Law, Personhood, Philosophy of Life, Pro-Life Arguments, Scientific Evidence

    45 min

  4. 6 DAYS AGO

    Do Trees Have Souls? | Prof. Joshua Hochschild

    Professor Hochschild explores the question of whether trees have souls through the lens of Aristotelian biology, emphasizing the importance of empirical observation and questioning modern biology's approach. This lecture was given on September 13th, 2024, at University of North Florida. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: Joshua Hochschild is Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he also served six years as the inaugural Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. His primary research is in medieval logic, metaphysics, and ethics, with broad interest in liberal education and the continuing relevance of the Catholic intellectual tradition. He is the author of The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia (2010), translator of Claude Panaccio’s Mental Language: From Plato to William of Ockham (2017), and co-author of A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction (2017). His writing has appeared in First Things, Commonweal, Modern Age and the Wall Street Journal. For 2020-21 he served as President of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. Keywords: Aristotelian Biology, Aristotle, Empirical Observation, Natural Philosophy, Nature, Plant Souls, Soul, Thomas Aquinas, Trees

    46 min

  5. FEB 20

    Do You Have a Soul? Are You Just a Cloud of Atoms? | Prof. Alexander Pruss

    Professor Pruss presents arguments against physicalist theories of mind, explores the challenges to biologism and functionalism, and discusses the possibility of consciousness in non-biological systems. This lecture was given on October 24th, 2024, at Texas A&M University. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: Alexander Pruss is professor of philosophy at Baylor University. He has two PhDs, one in mathematics and one in philosophy, and does research in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, ethics, epistemology, philosophy of science and philosophy of mathematics. Much of his work is centered on showing how pretty much everything in reality points to the existence of God. His books include The Principle of Sufficient Reason, Infinity, Paradox, and Causation, and One Body: An Essay in Christian Sexual Ethics. In his spare time, Pruss engages in a variety of hobbies including electronics, software development, and indoor rock climbing where he recently got two Guinness World Records. Keywords: Aristotelianism, Biologism, Consciousness, Functionalism, Mary Argument, Meaning Argument, Multiple Realizability, Neuroscience, Octopi Consciousness, Physicalism

    46 min

  6. FEB 19

    Neurobiology, Human Embodiment, and the Concept of Soul | Prof. William Hurlbut

    Professor William Hurlbut explores the relationship between neurobiology and the concept of the soul, examining the reductive scientific approach to life, the challenges posed by technology like large language models, cerebral organoids, and synthetic embryos, and the need to integrate scientific understanding with the ancient insights of the soul. This lecture was given on November 17th, 2024, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: William B. Hurlbut is a physician and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University Medical Center.  After receiving his undergraduate and medical training at Stanford, he completed postdoctoral studies in theology and medical ethics, studying with Robert Hamerton-Kelly, the Dean of the Chapel at Stanford, and subsequently with the Rev. Louis Bouyer of the Institut Catholique de Paris.   His primary areas of interest involve the ethical issues associated with advancing biomedical technology, the biological basis of moral awareness, and studies in the integration of theology and philosophy of biology.  He was instrumental in establishing the first course in biomedical ethics at Stanford Medical Center and subsequently taught bioethics to over six thousand Stanford undergraduate students in the Program in Human Biology. Dr. Hurlbut is the author of numerous publications on science and ethics including the co-edited volume Altruism and Altruistic Love: Science, Philosophy, and Religion in Dialogue (2002, Oxford University Press), and “Science, Religion and the Human Spirit” in the Oxford Handbook of Science and Religion.  He has organized and co-chaired three multi-year interdisciplinary faculty projects at Stanford University, “Becoming Human: The Evolutionary Origins of Spiritual, Religious and Moral Awareness,” “Brain Mind and Emergence,” and the ongoing “The Boundaries of Humanity: Human, Animals, and Machines in the Age of Biotechnology.”  In addition, he was Co-leader, together with U.C. Berkeley professor Jennifer Doudna of  “The challenge and opportunity of gene editing: a project for reflection, deliberation and education.” Keywords: Aristotle, Blaise Pascal, Cerebral Organoids, Hylomorphism, Large Language Models, Neurobiology, Reductionism, Soul, Synthetic Embryos, Vitalism

    55 min

  7. FEB 18

    Why Would a Biologist Believe in the Soul? | Prof. Jonathan Buttaci

    Professor Jonathan Buttaci explores the concept of the soul as a biological principle, arguing for its relevance in scientific inquiry concerning living things, drawing from Aristotelian thought, and challenging the assumption that the soul is solely a spiritual or religious concept. This lecture was given on December 3rd, 2024, at University of Texas at Austin. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: Jonathan Buttaci is an assistant professor of philosophy at the Catholic University of America. His research concerns theories of knowledge, learning, and the soul in ancient Greek philosophy. He is particularly interested in Aristotle’s account of scientific knowledge, inquiry, and discovery as shown in his (often neglected) scientific works. He is also interested in more recent philosophical debates on similar topics in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of knowledge, and philosophy of science. Keywords: Aristotle, Biology, Empirical Science, James Watson, Philosophy, Principle of Life, Soul, Thomas Aquinas, Vitalism, William Ogle

    53 min

  8. FEB 17

    Evolution and the Soul | Prof. Christopher Baglow

    Professor Christopher Baglow explores the compatibility of evolutionary science with Catholic faith, focusing on the role of chance and divine providence, and defending the unique creation of the human soul. This lecture was given on October 28th, 2024, at University of Texas at Austin. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speaker: Dr. Baglow is Professor of the Practice of Theology and the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. His work is the culmination of 19 years of faith and science scholarship and educational program creation, as well as a lengthy career in Catholic theological education spanning high-school, undergraduate, graduate and seminary teaching. For this work, he was co-recipient of an Expanded Reason Award in Teaching from the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Madrid) and the Vatican Joseph Ratzinger Foundation (Rome). Baglow is the author of Faith, Science and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge (2nd edition, Midwest Theological Forum, 2019) and Creation: A Catholic’s Guide to God and the Universe (Ave Maria Press, 2021). He serves as theological advisor to the Board of Directors of the Society of Catholic Scientists and as a contributor to the JTF-funded science and religion programming of the Word on Fire Institute. Most recently, he authored the transcripts for Wonder: The Harmony of Faith and Science, a Word on Fire film series directed by Manny Marquez and narrated by Jonathan Roumie. His work has appeared in That Man is You, Crux, Church Life Journal, Culture and Evangelization, and Joie de Vivre Quarterly Journal. Keywords: Chance, Darwinism, Divine Providence, Evolution, Faith and Science, Humani Generis, John Henry Newman, Pope Pius XII, Primary and Secondary Causality, Soul

    43 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    The Thomistic Institute
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    1.6K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved 183125
  • Show Website
    The Thomistic Institute

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