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Philosophy for the People

Patrick Flynn
Metaphysics
Philosophy
Divine Simplicity
Philosophy Of Religion
Christianity
Classical Theism
Epistemology
Problem Of Evil
Natural Theology
Thomism
Theism
Death Penalty
Substance Dualism
Aquinas' Five Ways
Divine Hiddenness
Thomistic Metaphysics
Boethius
Aquinas
Stoicism
Philosophy As Therapy

Philosophy for the People's mission is an educational program aimed at overcoming the paucity of serious, fair-minded, and accessible philosophical discourse available to a popular audience. Though we are ourselves dedicated to the Catholic intellectual tradition, we are likewise committed to exploring ideas from all rigorous traditions of philosophizing (scholastic, classical, analytic, and pheno... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes142Founded4 years ago
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PhilosophyChristianityReligion & SpiritualitySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Philosophy for the People

Latest Episodes

Dr. W. Matthews Grant—one of my greatest philosophical inspirations—served as an external examiner for my dissertation defense. Apparently, he didn't beat me up enough the first time, so he returned to the podcast to finish the job. (Okay, it wasn't ... more

Pat is interviewed by Jake Buscher about his disseration (and other things).

Pat and Ethan discuss Hell.

Dr. Gaven Kerr returns to the podcast to discuss his recent editted volume Thomism Revisited: amzn.to/4m3Z4Jx

For more philosophy content, head to Pat's Substack: journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com/

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Recent Guests

Dr. W. Matthews Grant
External examiner and philosopher
Episode: Can God Be the Ultimate Explanation? Dissertation Defense, Part II
Pat Flynn
Philosopher and contributor to the dissertation on divine simplicity
Philosophy for the People
Episode: My Dissertation on God: Divine Simplicity, Arguments for God, and More
Ethan Muse
Catholic philosopher discussed on the show
Catholic philosophical community
Episode: Is Hell Just? w/ Ethan Muse
Gaven Kerr
Philosopher and theologian discussing Thomism and its contemporary relevance
Noted Thomist philosopher
Episode: Why Thomism Still Matters w/ Dr. Gaven Kerr
Dr. Rob Koons
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, specializes in metaphysics and the philosophy of science.
University of Texas at Austin
Episode: Aquinas's Five Ways Are Stronger Than You Think (w/ Dr. Rob Koons)
John DeRosa
Guest speaker, Bible scholar, and host of the Classical Theism Podcast
Classical Theism Podcast
Episode: Bible Basics w/ John Derosa
Dr. Thomas Ward
A scholar specializing in medieval philosophy and author of 'After Stoicism'
Episode: Boethius, the Good, and Philosophy as Therapy w/ Dr. Tom Ward
Dr. Michael Gorman
Author and philosopher specializing in Thomistic metaphysics
N/A
Episode: Thomistic Metaphysics: an Introduction w/ Dr. Michael Gorman
Dr. Perry Hendricks
Philosopher and author of a book on skeptical theism
Episode: Skeptical Theism w/ Dr. Perry Hendricks

Hosts

Gaven Kerr
Guest, philosopher/theologian discussing Thomism; appears as a recurring guest and contributor on religious philosophy topics
Pat Flynn
Host of Philosophy for the People, leads interviews and guides discussions with guests across philosophy and theology
Pat
Host of Philosophy for the People; appears in multiple episodes

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 120 ratings
  • I don’t know

    As someone who is trying to learn more about philosophy I thought philosophy for the people would be a great way in but I feel like the hosts move so fast and assume that you already know fundamental concepts and terminology that I have a difficult time keeping up and understanding what is being discussed. This is not philosophy for the people.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    ElCid16
    United Statesa year ago
  • One of the best

    I know this channel for a long time, first engaged with it on YouTube. I love the depth of the lectures, interviews, reviews. I think of course some issues should be improved a bit, maybe the way how interviews are taken, but this podcast deserves to be listened because it goes much deeper than most popular philosophy podcasts, Patt explains very hard ideas in a very understandable way which is interesting to listen. Anyway, you can listen to this podcast yourself and made your own decision. I’m... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Romy Schreiber
    Russia2 years ago
  • Great podcast!

    Love the content, sound quality is pretty low though. I don’t normally mind, but almost to the point where it’s distracting. Specifically episode on 1/24

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Jaquob_Strange
    United States3 years ago
  • Better Resources Out There

    While I applaud this podcast for attempting to be a Philosophy 101 course, it’s not. Go to great courses or any other free college course site. On top of that, if you look at the comments and discussions, it’s all the same people and the podcasters are appealing to a certain type of person.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    dont stop masticating
    United States3 years ago
  • Uneven and one-sided

    These guys could use an editor. Pat and Jim seem like nice guys. But, I can’t get past the fact that this basically for conservative Catholics, and they sell it like it’s a general overview of philosophy. It’s just not.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    refresh and reinvest
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate rigorous discussion and accessible explanations, even on complex texts.
Some reviews note fast pacing and a Catholic lens that may feel biased to outsiders.
The show dives deep into philosophical topics with clear, thoughtful guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Can God Be the Ultimate Explanation? Dissertation Defense, Part II
Q: Between the option of saying God needs no explanation versus, well, God is self-explanatory, you prefer the second of those two. Why is that?
Because explaining God in terms of external causes runs into the same kind of 'brute fact' problem that naturalists face; by defining God as self-explanatory, grounded in the essence-existence identity, we avoid an infinite regress of explanations and preserve a non-causal, essentialist grounding for why God exists and has the properties he does.
Can God Be the Ultimate Explanation? Dissertation Defense, Part II
Q: Do you have an example, like, just for everyday life, like an example of an essentialist explanation off the top of your head?
One clear example is free will: the power of the will closes down on motives that do not determine the will, and this constitutes an essentialist explanation for why someone acts in a certain way rather than another, grounded in the nature of the agents' capacities rather than mere external causal factors.
Can God Be the Ultimate Explanation? Dissertation Defense, Part II
Q: So maybe that's not a bad place to start, is if you could just talk about that, those alternatives a little bit, what you mean by naturalism and why you think that theism...
Naturalism is typically characterized as the view that only natural entities and properties exist; most naturalists end up with brute facts that require further explanation, which classical theism attempts to avoid by grounding everything in a simple, necessary being whose essence and existence are identical. Theism, especially classical theism, offers a principled metaphysical system where God is the ultimate explanation, possesses ontological independence, and whose simplicity provides an extensive explanatory framework across metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.
Why Thomism Still Matters w/ Dr. Gaven Kerr
Q: What makes Thomism particularly suitable for defending theology as a science?
Thomism provides a systematic, demonstrative framework where propositions about God and creation can be deduced from a coherent metaphysical foundation, using per se and per alio explanations, and employing analogy to connect God's attributes to our understanding, thus enabling theology to be treated as a rigorous science rather than a collection of isolated beliefs.
Why Thomism Still Matters w/ Dr. Gaven Kerr
Q: Give one example from the broader Thomistic project that shows how Thomism can address a persistent problem in metaphysics or theology.
One example is Thomism's account of divine simplicity and the way it allows for the Trinity to be understood through relations and intellectual processions, preserving simplicity while offering a robust, rational foundation for Trinitarian doctrine that contrasts with other systems which struggle with unity, identity, and differentiation of persons.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Philosophy for the People

What is Philosophy for the People about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Long-form philosophy conversations that balance rigorous, historically grounded thought with accessible discussion. Episodes frequently center on Catholic intellectual traditions, exploring topics like Thomism, Aquinas' arguments, the interplay of faith and reason, and how classical metaphysics intersects with contemporary science, ethics, and scripture. Guests range from prominent theologians to analytic philosophers, often tackling controversial questions (e.g., death penalty, evolution and faith, divine providence) with careful reasoning and concrete examples. The format tends to mix deep readings, guided analysis, and Q&A, and it occasionally offers additional pay-what-you-will courses and resources, suggesting a broader pedagogical mis... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Philosophy for the People?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Philosophy for the People:

1. The Thomistic Institute
2. The Counsel of Trent
3. Pints With Aquinas
4. Classical Theism Podcast
5. Godsplaining

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Philosophy for the People launched 4 years ago and published 142 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Philosophy for the People?

Recent guests on Philosophy for the People include:

1. Dr. W. Matthews Grant
2. Pat Flynn
3. Ethan Muse
4. Gaven Kerr
5. Dr. Rob Koons
6. John DeRosa
7. Dr. Thomas Ward
8. Dr. Michael Gorman

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