Episode 215: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada explore the disconnect between our private expressions of care and the collective anger dominating politics, media and even day-to-day interactions. Drawing on Kyte’s lecture series The Search for Meaning, the conversation centers on how the philosopher St. Augustine shaped Western ideas about moral love — and why those lessons still matter today.

Kyte argues that we can understand a person’s character by what they love most. Yet, he says, modern society often defines people by what they oppose. Political language is filled with words like “fight” and “battle,” turning opponents into enemies rather than neighbors. Rada and Kyte discuss whether it’s still possible to extend goodwill toward those who hold different views, and how to live ethically in a world that often rewards outrage.

They also explore real-life examples that bring philosophy down to earth — from small moments of irritation, like a cyclist breaking the rules of the trail, to deeper reflections on forgiveness and self-control. Rada recounts how a brief flash of frustration turned into a lesson on empathy after one such encounter, while Kyte connects that impulse to the everyday challenge of seeing others as whole people rather than symbols of conflict.

The episode asks listeners to consider what might happen if compassion guided civic life as much as it shapes personal relationships. Would political discussions sound different? Would disagreements become more productive? And what habits — patience, humility, and curiosity — would make that shift possible?