Unlimited Opinions - Philosophy, Theology, Linguistics, & More

As punishment for believing that infants shouldn't be baptized, you should be immediately drowned! At least according to Ulrich Zwingli, that is. In this episode, we look at the Reformation, and how the ideas of Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, and various radicals played into the discussion of church and state in Europe. We discuss the economic roots of the Reformation, how the various wars and uprisings were furthered by theological issues but perhaps not caused by them, and some of the more unfortunate aspects of this period in time, including the very bloody wars. We also get into a rant about whether the Counter-Reformation should really by called a Catholic Reformation!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Our plans for the immediate future are to write 901 theses on every topic imaginable, with many of them focusing on how much utopias suck and how bad tattoos will look in the future! Along with this, we discuss humanism in the fifteenth century, looking at how various thinkers valued education and classical literature in order to argue for peace and the importance of the common person. We discuss one of the first feminist authors, Christine de Pizan, the somewhat crazy Pico della Mirandola, the great thinkers Erasmus and Sir Thomas More, and conclude with Montaigne. Humanism brings up many great questions, such as the importance of pacifism, how we can bring together all forms of knowledge to find the truth, and monarchy being the best form of government.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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"The Catholic Church hierarchy is corrupt." - Dante, Marsilius of Padua, and Mark & Adam Bishop. In this episode, we look at the thoughts of three major figures in the fourteenth century: Dante Alighieri, Marsilius of Padua, and Bartolus of Sassoferrato. The biggest political issue in the fourteenth century was the administrative functioning of the Western Catholic Church. This time saw a period of no pope at all, a pope who resigned, and three popes at the same time! Needless to say, Rome was a chaotic mess, and so each of these thinkers devised solutions, whether that be a universal monarchy, a "temperate" government, or conciliarism. Join us as we break down the issues with the Church both then and today, and look at the various political theories described by these fourteenth century thinkers.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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A half-hour long rant on the role of morals in the government! What else could you ask for from an episode of Unlimited Opinions? Join us as we continue in the Middle Ages, looking at how Aquinas ingeniously combined the pagan philosophy of Aristotle with the increasingly complex faith of Christianity. We talk about the rise of universities in Europe, the question of how divine law interacts with human law, the virtues of the state, and above all else, how morality fits into the government, and how we believe the government should work to encourage moral behavior.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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We are now the People's Podcast, producing the REAL People's Paper! In this episode, aside from our lengthy rants about communism on college campuses, we focus on the wide time period between the writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. We look primarily at the political role of the church in medieval Western Europe, looking at the relations between church and state, the origin of private property, the issues of lay investiture, and much more! If for nothing else, at least join us to listen to our phenomenal ideas on how best to make fun of college communists!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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St. Paul's letters: a good addition to the Bible or more of an optional editorial? In St. Augustine's eyes, absolutely essential! Join us as we discuss everything there is to know about St. Augustine's political theory. We start with the problem of evil and St. Augustine's temporary solution in Manichaenism, his conversion to Christianity, and the writing of The City of God, which explains why Rome's fall was not the fault of the Christians, theories on punishment, the death penalty, just war, and more! This is the longest episode we have ever recorded, so it is jam packed with rants, opinions, and all the political discussion you could possibly ask for!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Away from the idealized theories of the Greeks and into the practical wisdom of the Romans! In this episode, we look at two of Rome's most influential authors: Polybius and Cicero. Through Polybius' historical accounts and Cicero's assorted works, we are able to look at the structure of the Roman Republic and how it differed from all previous forms of government. We discuss the idea of the mixed constitution, the very effective citizenship system, and what ultimately led to Rome's downfall. We also provide the good rule of thumb that it is probably not a good idea to be on the side of the political party that is in favor of killing nuns.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Mark has a change of ideals and has become a Marxist! Join us as we look at Aristotle's political thought in The Politics, as we look at the teleology of politics. What is the goal of the government, how should we examine the world around us, how do economics affect political stability, and what is the ideal state? We also realize that a random lottery is the best way to pick our political leaders and go on several rants, especially about San Francisco!  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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Everyone's favorite philosopher who gives no specifics on how to achieve his utopia: Karl Marx! And Plato, too! In this episode, we look at two of Plato's political (or antipolitical) dialogues: Gorgias and Republic. We look at the varying definitions of justice, whether it's just to act according to your power, and how Plato's ideal society was structured. We look at all this with a critical eye, but we do appreciate many of the opinions on justice and the faults with lying politicians.  Follow us on Twitter! @UlmtdOpinions

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The failures of radical democracy! In this episode, we look at Chapter 1 of Alan Ryan's On Politics, beginning with the emergence and rule of Athenian radical democracy. We look at the origins of the Greek city-state, the functioning of the Athenian Assembly, the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, the Trial of Socrates, and more! We also break down why the Athenian democracy ultimately failed and why it might not be the best idea to praise radical democracy as a great political system. We're also planning a future giveaway, so be sure to follow us on Twitter @UlmtdOpinions for more upcoming details!

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