Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More
Welcome to Unlimited Opinions! Have you ever wanted to listen to a lawyer and his son discuss philosophy, mythology, theology, politics and more? No? Well, Mark and Adam Bishop are here to discuss it all the same! From philosophy to mythology to politics, they discuss it all with rants and tangents galore! Now in Season 15, they're discussing Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.'s essays in Philosophizing in Faith, discussing the principles of logic and Thomist realism; moral philosophy; theology, and more! There will also be more than the average amount of references to linguistics, 80s movies, and J.R.R. Tolkien. If any of that sounds vaguely interesting, then this is the podcast for you! Episodes are uploaded every Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. CST. Follow us on X! @UlmtdOpinions
Episodes
As always, Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange poses a timeless and timely question: when can the pope intervene in political affairs? Join us as we discuss the ability (and occasional duty) of the Church to exercise her authority in directing man to his final end, and how this relates to political issues, particularly the death penalty.
How can society be understood? Are we all just individuals joined in a contract to not harm one another? Or are all of our rights subsumed into the common good of an overarching, communist state? Are these our only options? Join us as we discuss the much better, richer, more free, more just, and more true Thomistic approach to the state and the individual!
What remains of virtue when you turn yourself away from God? In the long term, nothing good! Join us as we discuss Garrigou-Lagrange's thoughts on the distinctions between dispositions, acquired virtues, infused virtues, and how committing grave sin impacts the existence of those virtues.
Why should we care about prudence? Isn't prudence really just a lack of acting? Surely, it can't be too important! Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, of course, disagrees! Join us as we discuss the necessity of prudence in every single action, how imprudence leads to very grave sins, and why none of the virtues would work without prudence. We also provide some brief thoughts on Lagrange's support of Vichy France!
Sense-data is real, and we have a real relation to the sensed thing; so holds Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange. Join us as we discuss what distinguishes real sensation from visions and hallucinations, and why it really matters that we relate to the things we sense.
How does the mind know that it exists, and what does this have to do with God? Find out as we discuss Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's thoughts on the Thomistic notion that the mind knows itself through some species while the soul is united with the body, and how this relates to God's knowledge of Himself and the begetting of the Son!
How can we know anything? Are we just stuck in our own heads, never actually interacting with the physical world? Or are we just material, and what we think is knowledge is actually just the results of chemical reactions? Find out as we discuss Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's Thomistic view of knowledge, in which the knower, in a way, becomes something other than himself!
What does it mean to be a philosophical realist? Find out as we discuss Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's explanation of the classical definition of truth, and how that relates to the law of non-contradiction, efficient causality, and final causality! We also discuss the importance of being itself, and why the subjectivists continue to get things wrong.
Doesn't everyone view definitions as just common sense? Doesn't everybody agree on what things are? Doesn't everyone agree that things are themselves definable? Surprisingly, the answer to these questions is "no!" Join us as we discuss Aristotle's view of definitions in the Posterior Analytics and St. Thomas' commentary on this view, as told by Garrigou-Lagrange. We discuss why definitions matter so much, how nominalism has li...
After a long break, we are back for Season 15! Join us as we begin discussing Philosophizing in Faith, a collection of essays by Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., a 20th-century neo-Thomist philosopher and theologian.
In this episode, we provide some historical background of who Garrigou-Lagrange was, and what neo-Thomism is, as well as discussing translator Matthew Minerd's introduction to the book. We then turn to the first ...
Did Russell Kirk accurately predict the revival of conservatism in late 20th-century America and England? Not really, but his discussion of the goals of conservatism remain lovely. Join us as we discuss the need for conservative leaders to encourage spiritual revival, encourage leadership, reshape education, provide a purpose to the common man, and stabilize the economy.
Santayana: Latin rock guitarist or materialist conservative thinker? Find out as we discuss Irving Babbitt, Paul Elmer More, and George Santayana, exploring what their critiques of early 20th-century American utilitarianism, materialism, and pragmatism mean for political conservatism today.
Do conservatives achieve any victories past the 19th century? Find out on this (somewhat depressing) episode of Unlimited Opinions, as we look at how conservatives struggle to make any lasting change in early 20th-century England. We discuss George Gissing's critique of "the science," Arthur Balfour's inability to make any lasting impact, and the truly great insights of W.H. Mallock on religion, culture, and ability.
What happens to conservatism in a world full of technological and societal change? In this episode, we discuss four pessimistic American thinkers: James Russel Lowell, E.L. Godkin, Henry Adams, and Brooks Adams. While hurt by their pessimism for the American future, they still have deeply relevant thoughts on progress, the media, and economic conditions. We also discuss our run-ins with Stoicism and a self-professed Epicurean.
Can a coalition of people opposed to the excesses of liberalism, socialism, and utilitarianism really be classified as conservative? At the very least, Russell Kirk sees them as relevant to the history of conservatism! Join us as we discuss the thoughts of James Fitzjames Stephen, Henry Maine, and W.E.H. Lecky, and how they relate to the idea of conservatism.
What is the best counter to Marxism? To Disraeli and Newman, imagination. To the former, a richer view of the necessity of the nation; to the latter, a view of education as being oriented toward virtue and God. Join us as we discuss the various approaches to countering 19th-century liberalism in this episode of Unlimited Opinions!
From Unitarianism to socialism to Roman Catholicism, Orestes Brownson shows the potential of American conservatism founded on a deeper truth. Join us in this episode as we discuss the various philosophical movements in the transitional period of early- to mid-19th century America. Alongside Brownson, we discuss John Quincy Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, analyzing their relation to conservativism.
How do we conserve liberty in a society? Is it by curtailing the dangers of democratization? By using religious and social institutions as a bulwark? By increasing technological capabilities? Find out this and more as we discuss Thomas Babington Macaulay, James Fenimore Cooper, Alexis de Tocqueville, Elon Musk, J.D. Vance, Josh Hawley, and more!
Do Randolph and Calhoun make convincing arguments for a coherent southern conservatism? How can you advocate for a political philosophy while still supporting slavery? More importantly, is love really love? All this and more as we continue discussing Russell Kirk's The Conservative Mind!
Has conservatism really defeated utilitarianism? Or are modern conservatives just utilitarians at their core? Find out as we discuss Jeremy Bentham, James Mill, John Stuart Mill, Walter Scott, George Canning, and Samuel Coleridge in their war for English politics!
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