Is it possible to have a "just war" in an era of nuclear and biological weapons? How does a U.S. Ambassador navigate the "media-induced war" between the Pope and the President? In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we sit down with Brian Burch, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and founder of Catholic Vote, following his commencement address at Thomas Aquinas College. We dive deep into the concept of "soft power," the "tranquility of order," and the spiritual validation of public service. From the geopolitical threats of a nuclear-armed Iran to the philosophical challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence, Ambassador Burch provides a rare look at the intersection of faith, reason, and statecraft. Key Topics Covered: The Calling: Brian's story of receiving the presidential appointment on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Geopolitics: The "soft power" of the Vatican in Cuba, Lebanon, and Nigeria. Just War Theory: A substantive look at the morality of force and the "legitimate sovereign's" responsibility. The AI Revolution: Why Silicon Valley is looking to the Vatican to define the limits of machine reasoning. Family Life: The adventure (and logistics) of moving a large family from Chicago to Rome. Support the Podcast: If you value these deep dives into the ideas that shape our world, please like, subscribe, and share! Learn more at thomasaquinas.edu/podcast #TheTACPodcast #Vatican #Geopolitics #JustWar #AI #FaithAndReason #ThomasAquinasCollege

Timecode Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction: The complementarity of Sovereigns

01:10 – The Appointment: A call from the President

03:15 – Moving to Rome: Raising 9 kids in the Eternal City

07:40 – What does an Ambassador to the Vatican actually do?

09:50 – Global Hotspots: Cuba, Lebanon, and Nigeria

11:30 – The True Meaning of Peace: Augustine's Tranquility of Order

16:10 – Utopia vs. Reality: Peace in a Fallen World

20:15 – Just War Doctrine in the Age of Modern Weaponry

25:10 – The Legitimate Sovereign's Decision: Prudence and Intelligence

28:10 – Rubio's Visit: Correcting the Media's "War" Narratives

37:00 – Catholic Identity in the U.S. Administration

43:00 – The Value of a Liberal Arts Education in Diplomacy

47:00 – The AI Revolution: Can Machines Reason?

50:30 – The "Imago Dei" vs. Silicon Valley

54:00 – Digital Slavery and the Importance of Leisure

1:02:00 – Fatherhood: Time, Adventure, and Reading Narnia

1:09:40 – Hope for America: Relying on Divine Providence

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we dive into the dark and radical world of Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan. We explore Hobbes's view of the human being as a machine, the terrifying reality of the "State of Nature," and why he believes the Sovereign is the only thing standing between us and total chaos. Is Hobbes a realist or a cynic? Join us as we unpack his views on materialism, speech, and the eternal tension between political power and religious authority. Subscribe for more deep dives into the Great Books and the ideas that shaped the West.

00:00 - Introduction: The Artificial Animal

01:24 - Man as a Machine: Hobbes's Radical Materialism

05:15 - Sense and Imagination: How We Perceive the World

08:34 - The Root of Desire: Appetites and Aversions

12:50 - The Power of Speech and Reason

16:13 - Perpetual Restlessness: The Human Drive for Power

21:25 - The State of Nature: A War of All Against All

25:50 - The Birth of the Sovereign: Why We Create the Leviathan

28:30 - The Challenge of Religion: Secular vs. Divine Authority

35:45 - Hobbes's Legacy: Realism in the Modern World

42:36 - Closing Thoughts

Are the writings of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass merely American, or do they belong among the great texts of the Western tradition? Dr. Adam Seagrave joins us to explore how the American founding contributes to the perennial questions of justice, freedom, and human dignity. At the center of the conversation is slavery—not only as a historical reality, but as a contradiction within the American project itself. Rather than being resolved by force alone, we examine how it was ultimately confronted at the level of principle, rooted in the claims of the Declaration of Independence. We also consider the role of divine providence in the thought of Lincoln, Douglass, and John Brown, and how their ideas about God and history helped shape the course of the nation. About the Show: The TAC Podcast offers a window into the intellectual life of Thomas Aquinas College, where students and faculty engage the great books and first principles in pursuit of truth.

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we begin our journey through one of the most influential works in Western philosophy: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. We start at the very beginning—Book One—where Aristotle sets an extraordinary aim: to define the "human good" and discover what it is that all human beings are truly aiming at. Is happiness just a feeling, or is it something more? We discuss Aristotle's famous definition of happiness as "rational activity in accordance with virtue" and explore why he believes that living well is a practice, not just a product. We also tackle the "political" nature of man and the sobering reality of how much of our happiness is within our control—and how much is left to chance. In this episode, we cover:

00:00 – The most controversial question: What is human happiness?

04:30 – Aristotle vs. Plato: Practical goods vs. the "Good itself."

07:30 – Why the "human" part of the "human good" matters.

09:50 – Candidates for happiness: Pleasure, Wealth, Honor, and Virtue.

15:00 – Why a good upbringing is a prerequisite for ethics.

20:30 – The Function Argument: What is the "work" of a human being?

31:10 – Happiness as self-sufficient and the social nature of man.

45:10 – The role of luck and "happenstance" in a good life.

Key Takeaway: "Happiness is not a state of mind, but a way of living. It is the fulfillment of our nature as rational beings, perfected through activity and virtue."

If you enjoyed this deep dive into the roots of moral philosophy, make sure to Subscribe to The TAC Podcast and hit the notification bell for our upcoming episodes!

How can God tolerate such evil in the world, especially the horrors inflicted upon the innocent? In Episode 10 of The TAC Podcast, we dive deep into Dostoevsky's final masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov. We explore the "unassailable" arguments of Ivan Karamazov, the psychological "coiling" of the brothers, and why the novel puts its readers through an emotional and spiritual ringer. From the "Grand Inquisitor" to the heart-wrenching sub-story of the child Ilusha, we discuss whether Dostoevsky provides a philosophical answer to the problem of evil, or a narrative one found only in the active practice of love and compassion. In this episode, John and Chris enter Dostoevsky's most unsettling terrain. Through Ivan's rebellion, the novel gathers its most forceful indictment of faith, confronting the horrors of injustice not in the abstract, but in the concrete suffering of children. Every attempt to explain it seems to collapse under its own weight. If even forgiveness cannot undo what has been done, what kind of world are we living in? Yet Dostoevsky does not answer Ivan with a counterargument. Instead, he offers a response that is lived rather than proven. Through Alyosha, through acts of compassion, and ultimately through the silent figure of Christ in the Grand Inquisitor, the novel proposes that suffering is not solved, but entered into. Not erased, but transformed. What emerges is not a neat resolution, but something more demanding: a vision of human life in which love bears what reason alone cannot. Whether you're a long-time fan of Russian literature or new to the Karamazov family, join us for a conversation on the "stain of the earth" and the hope that remains despite our fallen condition. In this episode: The psychological depth and "exhausting" nature of Dostoevsky's characters. Ivan Karamazov's "irrefutable" rebellion against God. The Grand Inquisitor: Why the world often chooses bread over freedom. The parallel between Ivan's abstract suffering and Alyosha's active compassion. The mystery of the father-son relationship and the "Karamazov" legacy. Chapters: 0:00 The Irrefutable Argument: Suffering and Forgiveness 0:26 Why The Brothers Karamazov is an "Exhausting" Masterpiece 1:10 The Coiled Souls: Morality, Theology, and Soap Opera Tensions 4:21 Why Dostoevsky Brings the "Storminess" to the Surface 7:35 Analyzing the Brothers: Temperament and Life Paths 8:10 Ivan's Notebook: The Problem of Innocent Suffering 11:30 Transfiguring Suffering Through Active Love 14:42 The Contrast Between Abstract Rebellion and Real Relationships 18:18 The Story of Ilusha: Sin, Guilt, and Compassion 21:50 The Absent Father: A Common Denominator Manifested in Three Ways 26:30 The Grand Inquisitor: Bread, Power, and the Three Temptations 33:10 Alyosha as a Christ Figure: Fumbling Toward the Good 37:10 The Murder of Fyodor: Guilt in the Heart vs. External Evidence 43:00 The Odor of Corruption: Alyosha's Crisis of Faith and Grushenka's Mercy 46:00 Love as a Harsh and Terrible Thing Visit our website: ThomasAquinas.edu Connect with The TAC Podcast: instagram.com/TheTACPodcast #TheBrothersKaramazov #Dostoevsky #TheTACPodcast #Philosophy #Literature #ProblemOfEvil #GrandInquisitor #ClassicBooks

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, John Finley sits down with longtime friend and former Apple enterprise leader Nathan Haggard to explore the intersection of classical philosophy and the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence. Nathan shares his unique journey from studying the Great Books at Thomas Aquinas College to spending 16 years at the forefront of the tech industry. Together, they tackle the existential "forcing function" of AI: If technology can eventually do everything humans do, what is left for us? In this episode, we discuss: The AI Paradox: Why the rise of automation is forcing us back to fundamental questions of human value. The Theology of Work: Drawing on Pope John Paul II's Laborem Exercens, we explore why work is a fundamental human vocation, not just a means to an end. Aristotle & the Problem of Leisure: Why the "ruin of society" often stems from an inability to handle free time, and how we can avoid the trap of modern distraction. Pascal's Challenge: Examining the famous claim that all of humanity's problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone. The Integration of Life: Moving beyond "work-life balance" toward a holistic vision of human flourishing. Whether you're interested in the future of the tech industry or the timeless wisdom of the Great Books, this conversation offers a roadmap for maintaining our humanity in an age of machines. Support The TAC Podcast: Subscribe for more deep dives into the Great Books and philosophical inquiry. Visit our website: thomasaquinas.edu Follow us on Social Media: instagram @thetacpodcast

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: Pascal's Quote on Solitude

01:05 - Nathan Haggard's Journey: From Great Books to Apple

07:30 - Why "Learning How to Think" is the Only Future-Proof Skill

11:30 - The Nature of Work: What is it Actually For?

14:30 - AI as a Forcing Function for Existential Questions

18:40 - Work as an Imitation of the Creator (Genesis & JP II)

21:30 - The 40-Hour Work Week vs. Human Flourishing

25:00 - What Happens to Society When We Don't Have to Work?

30:30 - Lessons from Mozart & Bach: The Value of Constraints

34:50 - Aristotle on Leisure: The Internal Ruin of Societies

43:40 - Confronting the "World of Distraction"

46:30 - Closing Thoughts: Choosing Priorities with Head, Heart, and Gut

#Philosophy #AI #FutureOfWork #GreatBooks #TheTACPodcast #Aristotle #ArtificialIntelligence #Leisure

In this episode, our hosts discuss Shakespeare's Macbeth, one of the most haunting and powerful tragedies in the Western tradition. Set against a world of prophecy, ambition, guilt, and bloodshed, the conversation explores the mysterious interplay between supernatural evil and human freedom, asking how Macbeth becomes both agent and victim in his own destruction. Through close attention to the weird sisters, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth's own moral unraveling, the episode considers some of the play's deepest questions: How does temptation work? What is the relation between evil and self-deception? How can ambition corrupt courage, loyalty, and even reason itself? As the discussion unfolds, Shakespeare's tragedy emerges not only as a political drama, but as a profound meditation on conscience, manhood, despair, and the mystery of evil. This conversation invites listeners into a serious and searching engagement with one of Shakespeare's greatest works and the enduring human questions it raises. Subscribe for new episodes each week.

In this episode, John and Chris continue their exploration of the heavens, turning to Copernicus, Kepler, and the profound transformation of our understanding of the cosmos. What begins as a seemingly simple question—why doesn't it feel like the Earth is moving?—opens into a deeper inquiry about observation, explanation, and the nature of scientific truth. Without new instruments or discoveries, Copernicus proposes a radical shift: not new data, but a new perspective. By placing the Earth in motion, he transforms what once appeared as irregularities into intelligible patterns. Subscribe for new episodes each week.

In this episode, John Goyette sits down with Matt Peterson, a TAC alumnus and media executive to explore the rapidly shifting landscape of artificial intelligence, digital technology, and the future of education. As AI reshapes the job market and disrupts entire industries, the conversation turns to a surprising claim: that a liberal education is not becoming obsolete, but increasingly necessary. What does it mean to think, write, and speak well in an age where machines can imitate these abilities? And why are employers beginning to value precisely those human capacities that technology cannot replace? The discussion also ventures into deeper territory—examining the nature of digital media, the power of algorithms, and the growing tension between human agency and technological influence. From the collapse of traditional education models to the question of how to live well in a world saturated by screens, our hosts consider whether technology will serve the human person—or quietly begin to master him. Rooted in the Great Books tradition and the lived experience of liberal education, this episode offers a timely and searching reflection on AI, media, and the enduring importance of forming the mind and character in pursuit of the good life. Subscribe for new episodes each week.

In this episode, John and Chris discuss Jane Austen's Emma, a novel at once comic, subtle, and morally penetrating. Through the story of one remarkable young woman, the conversation explores friendship, marriage, self-knowledge, social life, and the quiet but demanding work of virtue in ordinary human relationships. Set in the small world of village life, Emma may seem far removed from our own, yet its questions remain deeply familiar: How well do we really know ourselves? What does genuine care for others require? How should intelligence, affection, imagination, and pride be ordered in a good life? As the discussion unfolds, the episode considers Austen's insight into character, her portrayal of moral growth, and the ways everyday interactions can become the setting for both vice and virtue. This conversation offers a thoughtful look at one of Austen's greatest novels and the enduring truths it reveals about human nature, love, and the formation of the soul. Subscribe for new episodes each week.