This is a segment of an hour long lecture followed by a Q & A session for patrons of the Maurin Academy. To get the entire course and all the courses, reading groups and our lecture series, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/maurinacademy … More Thomas Aquinas’s Natural Law Theory: Brief Explanation (Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics Public Segment #4)
Join Deacon Christopher May this summer for his four-part introductory series on Ivan Illich. This series will meet on Tuesdays: June 17, July 1, 15, and 29 at 7 p.m. US Central Time, live on Zoom. To join Deacon Chris live join our Patreon at the Worker Scholar level ($10), and to get the recordings … More Sign Up for Introduction to Ivan Illich Here!
We finish up Federalist 51 and end the series on Federalist 10 and 51, the basics of American Political Thought. … More The Relationship Between Freedom and Justice (Federalist 51, Part 3)
Starting May 19, Dr. Laurie Johnson will host a four-week series on Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics, relevant to moral philosophy and Christian theology. Participants will explore Aristotle’s concepts, their application in modern life, and address potential biases. Registration provides access to live and recorded sessions on Eventbrite and Patreon. … More Explore Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics: A Four-Week Course
James Madison tried hard to faction-proof the US Constitution, but he did not anticipate the effects of instant media and the massification of modern populations. … More Madison Would Be Surprised — and Disappointed (Federalist 10, Part 4)
Madison devoted the majority of Federalist paper #10 to the dangers of a violent majority faction and corrupt demagogues. In this part of the paper, we see Madison hoping that a large republic will prevent such a faction from existing, or if it exists, will blunt its ability to tyrannize over the rest of the citizens. … More Did Madison Foresee the Demise of Democracy? (Federalist 10, Part 3)
Zech Mickel of the Theology Mill podcast interviewed me on the various idea streams in my new book The Gap in God’s Country: A Longer View On Our Culture Wars. I liked that he asked about those streams in detail: classical conservatism, Marxism, psychology and theology.
On April 7, at 7 p.m. the Maurin Academy will host Dr Eugene McCarraher, author of The Enchantments of Mammon, live on Zoom for Patreon subscribers and guests registered on Eventbrite. Dr. McCarraher will speak on “The Enchantments of Mammon and Techne” as part of the Maurin Academy 2025 speaker series. … More Join Us Live: Eugene McCarraher, “The Enchantments of Mammon and Techne”
My ongoing monthly Great Books reading group for the Maurin Academy is about to turn to a new reading, “The Grand Inquisitor” by Dostoyevsky, part of the larger The Brothers Karamazov. Our first meeting on it is April 10. You can join this and/or our Dialectic of Enlightenment reading group at the “Trainee” level or … More Great Books–Our Next Read
Laurie discusses Plato’s view of democracy–its strengths and weaknesses, particularly its vulnerability to demagogues–and what he thought about other types of regimes. Pardon the reverberation on this recording! … More What Did Plato Say About Democracy and Demagogues?
