In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we explore Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece, Don Quixote. Why does a 17th-century novel feel startlingly modern — even postmodern — in its treatment of identity, self-consciousness, and public perception? We examine how Quixote constructs an identity for the gaze of others, the strange meta-narrative of Part Two, and the parallels between Cervantes' world of chivalric romances and our own immersion in social media, curated personas, and screen culture. Finally, we look at the dynamic between Quixote and Sancho Panza, and what Quixote's poignant ending says about noble ideals in an unheroic world.

00:00 - The Modern Problem of Image and Perception

02:03 - The Meta-Narrator: Cide Hamete Benengeli

05:07 - Being Observed: Don Quixote in Part Two

09:06 - Books of Chivalry and Media Saturation

13:12 - Curating Personas: Social Media vs. Reality

16:00 - The Duke and Duchess: Cruelty and Manipulation

20:00 - Moral Conscience vs. Living for an Audience

24:00 - History, Bias, and the Medium

27:16 - Why We Love Quixote: Nobility vs. Buffoonery

34:33 - The Cave of Montesinos and Seeking Validation

37:40 - Sancho Panza: The Grounded Observer

44:48 - Becoming What You Behold

48:00 - Sancho's Growth and Governance

50:08 - The Deathbed Renunciation: Tragedy or Humility?

56:56 - Ideals vs. Trappings in Modern Culture

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we dive into Niccolò Machiavelli's classic and controversial political treatise, The Prince. Specifically, we unpack his famous assertion in Chapter 15 that a prince must "learn to be able not to be good" when necessity demands it. Is Machiavelli endorsing moral evil as an end, or is he laying out a cold, pragmatic toolbox for political survival? We explore his concept of the "effectual truth," examine historical examples like Cesare Borgia and Remirro de Orco, and contrast Machiavelli's realism with the classical ideals of Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas. Along the way, we ask: Can a Machiavellian ruler ever have genuine friends, and why does this ruthless philosophy continue to fascinate us today?

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Reading Machiavelli's The Prince

01:37 – Necessary Evils: Maintaining Political Power

02:50 – The Godfather Analogy & Suspending Morality

05:01 – Cesare Borgia & The Calculated Use of Cruelty

09:14 – The Machiavellian Prince vs. Plato's Tyrant

12:40 – "The Effectual Truth" vs. Imagined Republics

18:50 – Keeping Faith: The Fox, the Lion, and Entering Evil

24:48 – Machiavelli's Critique of Christian Morality

29:18 – Machiavelli vs. St. Thomas Aquinas on Kingship

31:13 – Good Arms vs. Good Laws

33:51 – What Makes Machiavelli Unique? The Science of Politics

38:58 – Can a Machiavellian Leader Have Real Friends?

40:17 – The Enduring Appeal of Machiavellian Cunning

44:52 – Conclusion & Wrap-Up

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, host John Finley sits down with architect Anthony Grumbine ('00), alumnus of Thomas Aquinas College and the University of Notre Dame's School of Architecture. Anthony discusses how the built environment acts as the backdrop to human life and shapes the soul.

From Vitruvian principles of design to the differences between authentic local architecture and commercial fast-food design, Anthony explores how buildings embody theology, philosophy, and cultural values. He also reflects on how the liberal arts formation at TAC prepares thinkers to study the masters and bring enduring beauty into the modern world.

Learn more about Thomas Aquinas College: thomasaquinas.edu

Subscribe for more alumni stories and conversations: @TheTACPodcast

How do we endure profound suffering, grief, and sudden loss when our world falls apart?

In this episode of "The TAC Podcast," we examine Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius and his masterpiece, "The Consolation of Philosophy." Falsely accused of treason and imprisoned while awaiting execution, the Roman statesman and philosopher was stripped of his wealth, status, and freedom. In the depth of his despair, he is visited by Lady Philosophy, who guides him out of melancholic grief by redirecting his mind toward truth, virtue, and the eternal order of reality.

Join us as we explore why human suffering involves far more than physical pain, how our assessment of hardship shapes our sorrow, and why the pursuit of wisdom remains one of the most deeply humanizing responses to tragedy.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Boethius & The Consolation of Philosophy

01:45 – How Do We Live with Grievous Suffering?

03:46 – Lady Philosophy Confronts Melancholic Grief

05:18 – Reading Boethius's Opening Lament0

7:45 – Contemplating Truth in the Midst of Despair

10:44 – The Root of the Problem: Forgetting Who You Are

12:40 – Why Humans Suffer: Rationality vs. Physical Pain

16:18 – Banishing False Muses: Emotion Governed by Reason

19:00 – The Fickle Nature of Fortune and Fate

21:08 – Comparing Boethius and the Book of Job

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we are joined by Thomas Aquinas College alumnus Father Andrew De Silva—pastor at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in New Jersey and Captain in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps.

Father Andrew shares valuable insights from his work with young adults across parish life, high school summer programs, and the military. We dive into why young Catholics are increasingly searching for objective truth, how genuine community and intellectual leisure provide an antidote to modern burnout, and the unique leadership lessons learned from serving both the Church and the armed forces.

00:00 – Highlights & Preview

00:49 – Welcome Father Andrew De Silva (Parish Pastor & Army Chaplain)

01:19 – What Young Catholics Are Searching for Today

04:00 – Institutional Distrust vs. The Search for Authentic Truth

06:50 – Great Books & Honest Dialogue at TAC

11:25 – Priestly Formation & Communicating the Faith with Authenticity

14:41 – Faith in the Military: Hierarchy, Doctrine, and Ministry to Soldiers

18:18 – Balancing Pastoral Duties & Preventing Burnout Through Leisure

24:21 – Vocations and True Friendship Formed in the Pursuit of Truth

26:00 – Intellectual Leisure: Deep Conversations Beyond the Classroom

28:39 – Mentorship and Leadership Formation in TAC Prefects

31:52 – Leading as a Military Chaplain vs. Leading a Parish

34:48 – Closing Thoughts

What can Aristotle teach us about the study of the natural world more than 2,000 years after he wrote the Physics? Unlike modern physics, Aristotle's study of nature begins not with equations, specialized experiments, or mathematical models, but with our ordinary experience of the world around us. Motion, change, time, causality, matter, and nature itself are realities we encounter constantly, yet rarely stop to examine.

In this episode of "The TAC Podcast," Dr. John Finley and Dr. Chris Decaen explore the opening of Aristotle's Physics and ask why this ancient work remains foundational to the Western philosophical tradition. They discuss the difference between modern physics and the classical philosophy of nature, why Aristotle begins with what is most familiar to human experience, how knowledge moves from effects toward causes, and why understanding change ultimately requires an account of matter and form.

The conversation also considers a larger question: Can scientific measurement ever replace philosophical reflection on what things actually are? From Aristotle's investigation of nature emerges a path toward some of philosophy's deepest questions, including human nature, causality, the soul, and ultimately the unmoved mover Aristotle identifies as the highest cause of the natural world.

Learn more about Thomas Aquinas College and its Great Books curriculum at https://www.thomasaquinas.edu #Aristotle #Physics #Philosophy #GreatBooks #ThomasAquinasCollege #NaturalPhilosophy #Metaphysics #Science #classicaleducation

00:00 – Introduction: Why Aristotle's Physics Still Matters

01:08 – Modern Physics vs. Aristotle's Philosophy of Nature

04:35 – Starting from Common Human Experience

08:34 – Fundamental Principles vs. Modern Science Pitfalls

10:00 – Ordinary Language vs. Mathematical Abstraction

11:03 – The Nature of Speed: More Than Distance Over Time

14:29 – What is Known to Us vs. What is Knowable in Itself

17:25 – Reasoning from Effects to Causes

20:44 – Moving from Vague Grasp to Clear Definition

23:33 – Why Fundamental Natural Philosophy Stands the Test of Time

26:12 – The Drawing Analogy: Implicit Awareness & Active Perception

28:52 – Practical Science vs. Contemplative Wonder

30:50 – Where Human Nature Fits into the Order of Sciences

33:37 – The First Mover: Transition from Physics to Metaphysics

36:20 – Why the Philosophy of Nature Precedes Ethics

42:43 – Starting with Change: Matter, Form, and Privation

47:20 – Conclusion & Looking Ahead to Matter and Form

In this episode of "The TAC Podcast," we explore the "loneliness pandemic," and the fundamental human need for connection, through the lens of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics." Join us as we discuss the different levels of friendship — from utility and pleasure to "complete friendship" based on virtue — and how our modern, technologized world affects our ability to form deep, lasting bonds.

Chapters:

00:00 The "Loneliness Pandemic" and Current Statistics

01:21 Why We Are Social Animals

02:57 The Deep Need to Love and Be Loved

05:12 Aristotle's Three Kinds of Friendship

06:15 Friendships of Utility vs. Pleasure

07:12 What is a "Complete Friendship"?

09:12 Growing in Virtue Together

10:58 Mutual Understanding and Awareness

12:50 The Barriers of Modern Anxiety and Vulnerability

14:14 The Challenge of Consumer Culture and Isolation

15:13 The Importance of "Living Together" and Shared Life

17:42 "A Friend is Another Self"

19:05 Looking Together at the Good

21:32 The Universal Desire for Community

23:35 Becoming "Lovable" and Deserving of Friendship

25:52 The Cyclical Relationship Between Morality and Friendship

27:56 Self-Help vs. Helping Others

29:08 Justice: The Foundation of Reliable Bonds

31:35 Trust and the Risks of Social Media Status

33:55 The Surface Level of Digital Communication

37:00 Moving Actively Toward Connection

38:53 Institutions of Connection: Marriage, Church, and Community

40:15 The Supernatural Dimension of Friendship

42:38 Why True Friends are Few

44:48 Depth over Breadth: The Human Limit

45:26 Marriage as the Paradigm for Devoted Friendship

In this episode of The TAC Podcast, we explore the groundbreaking social encyclical from Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence. Drawing parallels to the Industrial Revolution and the legacy of Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, the discussion centers on how AI impacts human dignity, the necessity of limits, and the importance of maintaining genuine human relationships in a digital age.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Magnifica Humanitas

02:07 - Biblical Imagery: Tower of Babel vs. Nehemiah

03:10 - A History of Catholic Social Teaching

04:19 - Systematic Overview of Social Principles

05:10 - The Gentle and Proposals-Based Tone of the Encyclical

07:25 - Analyzing the Tower of Babel as a Warning for AI

11:34 - Homogeneity and the Danger of Treating People as Cogs

16:47 - AI as an "Out of Control" System vs. Human Reason

19:11 - Defining AI: Imitation vs. Human Experience

21:54 - The Risk of Losing Human Personal Relationships

25:28 - Five Core Principles of Social Doctrine

27:14 - Subsidiarity, Solidarity, and Social Justice

35:01 - Defining the Common Good in the AI Context

42:52 - The Role of Families, Schools, and Corporations

45:30 - The Technocratic Paradigm and the Lure of Efficiency

48:42 - Embracing Finitude and the Value of Human Suffering