In this episode of "The TAC Podcast," we explore the "loneliness pandemic," and the fundamental human need for connection, through the lens of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics." Join us as we discuss the different levels of friendship — from utility and pleasure to "complete friendship" based on virtue — and how our modern, technologized world affects our ability to form deep, lasting bonds.

Chapters:

00:00 The "Loneliness Pandemic" and Current Statistics

01:21 Why We Are Social Animals

02:57 The Deep Need to Love and Be Loved

05:12 Aristotle's Three Kinds of Friendship

06:15 Friendships of Utility vs. Pleasure

07:12 What is a "Complete Friendship"?

09:12 Growing in Virtue Together

10:58 Mutual Understanding and Awareness

12:50 The Barriers of Modern Anxiety and Vulnerability

14:14 The Challenge of Consumer Culture and Isolation

15:13 The Importance of "Living Together" and Shared Life

17:42 "A Friend is Another Self"

19:05 Looking Together at the Good

21:32 The Universal Desire for Community

23:35 Becoming "Lovable" and Deserving of Friendship

25:52 The Cyclical Relationship Between Morality and Friendship

27:56 Self-Help vs. Helping Others

29:08 Justice: The Foundation of Reliable Bonds

31:35 Trust and the Risks of Social Media Status

33:55 The Surface Level of Digital Communication

37:00 Moving Actively Toward Connection

38:53 Institutions of Connection: Marriage, Church, and Community

40:15 The Supernatural Dimension of Friendship

42:38 Why True Friends are Few

44:48 Depth over Breadth: The Human Limit

45:26 Marriage as the Paradigm for Devoted Friendship

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we explore the groundbreaking social encyclical from Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence. Drawing parallels to the Industrial Revolution and the legacy of Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, the discussion centers on how AI impacts human dignity, the necessity of limits, and the importance of maintaining genuine human relationships in a digital age.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Magnifica Humanitas

02:07 - Biblical Imagery: Tower of Babel vs. Nehemiah

03:10 - A History of Catholic Social Teaching

04:19 - Systematic Overview of Social Principles

05:10 - The Gentle and Proposals-Based Tone of the Encyclical

07:25 - Analyzing the Tower of Babel as a Warning for AI

11:34 - Homogeneity and the Danger of Treating People as Cogs

16:47 - AI as an "Out of Control" System vs. Human Reason

19:11 - Defining AI: Imitation vs. Human Experience

21:54 - The Risk of Losing Human Personal Relationships

25:28 - Five Core Principles of Social Doctrine

27:14 - Subsidiarity, Solidarity, and Social Justice

35:01 - Defining the Common Good in the AI Context

42:52 - The Role of Families, Schools, and Corporations

45:30 - The Technocratic Paradigm and the Lure of Efficiency

48:42 - Embracing Finitude and the Value of Human Suffering

In this episode of "The TAC Podcast," we explore Pope Leo XIII's landmark 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labor). This foundational document of modern Catholic social teaching addressed the dire condition of the working classes during the Industrial Revolution, offering a third way between unbridled capitalism and the rising tide of socialism.

We discuss how Leo XIII defends the natural right to private property, while emphasizing its social purpose, the essential harmony between capital and labor, and the critical role of the family as the primary unit of society. We also look ahead to how later Popes, such as St. John Paul II, built upon these principles to address the challenges of the 20th century. Join us as we break down the "lasting paradigm" created by Leo XIII for the Church's engagement with social and economic concerns.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Rerum Novarum and the "genre" of Encyclicals

01:32 - Why Pope Leo XIII addressed the condition of the Working class

03:55 - The Rise of socialism and the Church's response

05:40 - Three reasons Leo XIII Argued against the socialist remedy

06:28 - Defending private property through Natural Law

08:39 - The threat to the social and political order

09:30 - The Church as a father figure to a global family

10:48 - Harmony vs. Conflict: The Relationship Between Employer and Employee

11:23 - The inseparability of private property and the family

13:43 - The dignity of human labor and personal ownership

16:36 - Reason, human nature, and the need for lasting goods

19:51 - The right to possess vs. the responsibility of use

22:21 - How private ownership serves the common good

24:18 - Man as sub-creator: the art of cultivation

25:52 - Pragmatic failures of abolishing private property

27:18 - 20th-Century Reflections: From Leo XIII to John Paul II

28:22 - True alienation: being cut off from god and neighbor

31:40 - Rejecting class warfare for the "body politic"

35:48 - The Church's higher call to friendliness and community

37:47 - Covetousness, envy, and the Tenth Commandment

40:26 - A Warning to the rich: the responsibility of wealth

42:43 - Work as a communal act: working with and for others

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, host John Goyette sits down with Mike Ortner, tech entrepreneur, founder of Capterra, and author of The Catholic School Playbook. Together, they explore the essential foundations of an authentic Catholic education and why subjects like Latin and Mathematics are more relevant today than ever.

Mike shares his journey from the tech world to philanthropic work in education, discussing the "product problem" in modern schools and the growing movement to revive wonder and rigor in the classroom. Whether you are a parent, educator, or student, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective on the true purpose of college and the lifelong value of the Great Books.In this episode, you'll discover:

Why Latin and Math are the ultimate tools for learning logic and coding.

The "renewal movement" happening in Catholic schools across the country.

How to move beyond "teaching to the test" to cultivate a genuine sense of wonder.

Why an 18-year-old shouldn't feel pressured to choose a specialized career path immediately.

The unique power of the seminar-style learning used at Thomas Aquinas College.

Chapters:

What does it really mean to have faith?

In this episode of The TAC Podcast: Great Books and First Principles, John Finley and Chris Decaen explore Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and one of the most unsettling passages in all of Scripture: God's command that Abraham sacrifice Isaac.

Drawing from Kierkegaard's famous "four vignettes," they examine why Abraham is called the father of faith, why faith cannot simply be reduced to reason, and why this story continues to challenge believers and skeptics alike.

Together they discuss:

Why Kierkegaard believed you cannot "go beyond faith"
The challenge Hegel posed to Christianity
Abraham, Isaac, and the test on Mount Moriah
The relationship between faith and reason
Why Kierkegaard's imagined versions of the story ultimately fail to explain Abraham
The meaning of paradox in the Christian life
What Abraham teaches us about trust, suffering, and obedience to God
Whether you're interested in philosophy, theology, the Great Books, or the Bible, this conversation offers a thoughtful introduction to one of the most influential works of Christian existentialism and one of the greatest meditations ever written on faith.
Subscribe for weekly conversations on the Great Books, philosophy, theology, history, science, and the enduring questions of human life.

Learn more about Thomas Aquinas College:
https://www.thomasaquinas.edu

#Kierkegaard #FearAndTrembling #Abraham #Isaac #Faith #ChristianPhilosophy #GreatBooks #ThomasAquinasCollege #BibleStudy #Theology #Philosophy #Existentialism #MountMoriah #SorenKierkegaard #Catholic #Christianity

Does the new film adaptation of The Odyssey live up to Homer's epic, or does it lose the heart of the story?

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we compare the original ancient text with the latest cinematic version. We explore what the film gets right, what it completely changes, and whether it's even possible to capture Odysseus's complex ten-year journey on the silver screen.

In this video, we discuss:

Key differences between the film's portrayal of Odysseus and Homer's original "man of many ways."

How the movie handles the intervention of the gods compared to the book.

Whether the film captures the true themes of home, identity, and suffering found in the epic poem.

_______________________________

0:00 - Introduction: The Cultural Impact of The Odyssey

00:44 - First Impressions: Christopher Nolan's Adaptation

01:32 - Casting Decisions: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Agamemnon

02:41 - The Cinematics: Visualizing the Storms of Poseidon

03:15 - The Presence of the Gods: Personification vs. Hallucination

05:18 - Spoilers Begin: Analyzing the Final Scene and The Trojan Horse

06:21 - War Guilt: Why Odysseus Struggles to Return Home

08:42 - The Role of Agamemnon: Economic Motives vs. Insecurity

11:34 - The Destruction of Civilization: A 21st-Century Interpretation

13:06 - The Island of the Dead: Encounters with Achilles and the Price of Glory

16:11 - Major Structural Changes: The Omission of the Phaeacians

17:18 - Hospitality (Xenia): The Cyclops as the Worst Host and Guest

18:32 - Testing Fidelity: Odysseus in Ithaca (The Second Half of the Book)

20:41 - Character Arcs: The Crafty Odysseus vs. The Reflective Hero

21:26 - The Noble Swineherd: A Focus on Virtue and Fidelity

23:00 - Visual Spectacle vs. Existential Interiority

25:56 - Telemachus and Penelope: Vulnerability and Coming of Age

27:30 - Defining Zeus's Law: The Virtue of Treatment of Strangers

30:39 - The Sea as an Enemy: Blinding Polyphemus and the Curse of Poseidon

32:44 - The Fate of the Men: Negligence, Blame, and Dante's Inferno

36:47 - Calypso and Fidelity: Making Odysseus a "Respectable" Man

41:16 - Analyzing Anne Hathaway's Penelope: Feminism and Anachronisms

43:46 - The Homecoming Symbolism: The Olive Tree Bed vs. The Film's Ending

46:42 - The Power of Language vs. Moving Pictures

50:11 - The Staying Power of Homer: Why This Story Still Resonates

54:25 - Anti-Superhero Fatigue: The Vulnerability of the Human Spirit

56:32 - The Final Journey: Piety, Sacrifice, and the Oar in the Sand

1:01:03 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

What separates a masterpiece from mere entertainment? In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we move beyond film criticism to explore the "first principles" of cinema.

Drawing on the insights of Aristotle, Aquinas, and contemporary thinkers, we discuss whether film truly "imitates nature" and what it means to make the invisible visible on screen. We dive into the ethics of storytelling, the difference between art and propaganda, and the paradoxical necessity of stories being both "surprising and inevitable."

Whether you're a filmmaker, a cinephile, or someone interested in the intersection of faith and art, join us for a deep dive into the soul of cinema.

In this episode, we discuss:

The nature of contemplation in a digital age.

Why "bad movies" often feel like commercials.

The role of human action and "the promise" in storytelling.

A philosophical defense of bleak masterpieces like No Country for Old Men.

Whether "Christian Film" is a coherent artistic category.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: Why talk about film?

02:15 - Art vs. Work: The nature of contemplation

05:03 - What makes a movie "bad"?

06:43 - Art, prayer, and the perversion of manipulation

09:13 - The first principles of cinema

10:05 - Does art imitate reality?

12:21 - The artist's role: Making the invisible visible

16:46 - Revealing the meaning in humble realities

21:00 - Respecting the medium of film

26:10 - The Pixar framework: "Surprising and Inevitable"

31:00 - The juxtaposition of images

36:08 - Can a "bad person" make great art?

41:00 - The philosophy of No Country for Old Men

48:40 - Defending the hero of the story

50:50 - Is there such a thing as "Catholic Film"?

54:00 - Can you evangelize through art?

01:02:04 - Why movies are miracles

01:04:30 – Conclusion

What does it mean to teach?

Can knowledge truly be transferred from one person to another, or must every student ultimately learn for himself? In this episode of The TAC Podcast, John Finley and Chris Decaen explore St. Thomas Aquinas's On the Teacher (De Magistro), one of the most profound reflections ever written on education, learning, and the life of the mind. Drawing from Aquinas's Disputed Questions on Truth, they examine whether human beings can genuinely be called teachers, how knowledge is acquired, why learning requires the active participation of the student, and what separates education from the mere transmission of information.

Along the way, they discuss:

• Can anyone actually teach you anything?

• Why learning cannot be forced

• The relationship between teachers, students, and truth

• Whether we can teach ourselves

• Why great teaching resembles guidance more than information transfer

• The connection between education, virtue, and human flourishing

• Aquinas's surprising account of angelic teaching

• Whether teaching belongs to the contemplative or active life

At a time when information is everywhere and artificial intelligence can answer nearly any question, Aquinas offers a timeless reminder: education is about more than information. It is about the formation of the human person and the pursuit of truth.

Learn more about Thomas Aquinas College at https://www.thomasaquinas.edu #Aquinas #Education #Teaching #Learning #Philosophy #GreatBooks #CatholicEducation #ThomasAquinas #ClassicalEducation #TheTACPodcast ___________________________________________________________________

00:00 - Introduction to Aquinas's On the Teacher

01:35 - The Disputed Questions vs. the Summa Theologiae

03:05 - Overview of the Four Articles on Teaching

03:40 - Article 1: Can a Human Truly Be a Teacher?

05:00 - Is God the Only Real Teacher?

08:55 - The Teacher-Student Dynamic: Pushing vs. Being Pushed

11:40 - Three Issues of Opinion: Existence, Virtue, and Knowledge

17:30 - Two Extremes of Moral Virtue Acquisition

22:20 - How Knowledge Comes to Be: Building on First Principles

27:00 - The Unity of Soul and Body in Learning

30:50 - The Teacher as a Guide and Instruction Giver

35:35 - The Medical Analogy: Doctors, Patients, and Nature

42:25 - Learning as a Recipient of a Gift

46:40 - Article 4: Is Teaching a Contemplative or Active Work?

51:50 - Article 3: Can Angels Teach Humans?

56:10 - How Angels Interact with Human Imagination and Light

1:00:30 - Closing Thoughts