In this episode of The Mind and the Machine, philosopher Dr. Michael Augros explores what Thomas Aquinas can teach us about artificial intelligence, consciousness, and human thought.

Can AI truly think or understand, or does it merely simulate intelligence? Drawing on Aquinas’s philosophy of mind, Aristotle’s theory of cognition, and careful analysis of cognitive acts vs computational processes, this video examines whether machines can ever possess real understanding, awareness, or consciousness.

We investigate:

Whether thinking is fundamentally different from computation

Why sensation and understanding may require life itself

The difference between cognitive acts and mechanical processes

How medieval philosophy sheds new light on modern AI debates

This lecture is part of a 10-part series on artificial intelligence, philosophy, and the nature of mind, produced in collaboration with Thomas Aquinas College.

If you’re interested in AI ethics, philosophy of mind, consciousness, cognition, neuroscience, and classical philosophy, this series offers a rigorous and thought-provoking exploration of what it truly means to think.

The Gödel Problem: A Mathematical Argument Against AI Thought, The Mind and the Machine, Episode 7 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

Does Ai Understand? - Mind and Machine: Episode 6 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

Does AI Understand? - Mind and Machine Episode 5 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

“The Noble Due: Aquinas and Debitum Morale,” a lecture by Rev. Patrick Carter, O.S.B. (’05), given at Thomas Aquinas College, New England, on November 21, 2025.

Does AI Really Think? - The Mind and the Machine: Episode 4 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

This series examines the nature and limits of artificial intelligence through the lens of classical philosophy, with special attention to the thought of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. Its purpose is to illuminate what AI is, what it is not, and what its development reveals about the structure and meaning of human understanding.

Thomas Aquinas College: thomasaquinascollege.edu

The Mind and the Machine: thomasaquinas.edu/mind

What is Artificial Intelligence? The Mind and the Machine Episode 2 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

Is ChatGPT a Person - The Mind and the Machine Lesson 1 by Thomas Aquinas College Lectures & Talks

“How Scripture Requires All Christians to be Catholic,” a tutor talk presented by Dr. Brett Smith of Thomas Aquinas College, New England, on December 3, 2025.