Religion and Reason

2 - Infinity and Beyond: Anaximander and Anaximenes

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Peter discusses two very early Greek philosophers, both from Miletus: Anaximander and Anaximenes.

79 - To the Lighthouse: Philo of Alexandria

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We put the Philo in philosophy this week, as Philo of Alexandria reads the Bible through the lens of Middle Platonism.

97 - A Tale of Two Cities: The Last Pagan Philosophers

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Neoplatonism had a long-standing association with traditional Greek religion. How did philosophers respond when Christians gained ascendancy?

102 - Please Accept Our Apologies: the Greek Church Fathers

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Irenaeus, Clement, and Justin Martyr struggle to define Christian orthodoxy and claim philosophy back from the Greeks.

104 - Let's Talk Turkey: the Cappadocians

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Basil of Caesarea, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus use philosophy to help the poor and to defeat their theological opponents.

106 - Double or Nothing: Maximus the Confessor

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Maximus the Confessor brings us to the brink of the medieval Byzantine period with his philosophical defense of Christ’s full divinity and full humanity.

108 - George Boys-Stones on the Greek Church Fathers

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George Boys-Stones joins Peter to discuss philosophy in the Bible and the Greek Church Fathers.

121 - This is a Test: the Mu'tazilites

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A first look at the philosophical contributions of Islamic theology (kalām) and its political context, focusing on the Mu'tazilites Abū l-Hudhayl and al-Naẓẓām.

124 - The Chosen Ones: Judaism and Philosophy

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The roots of Jewish philosophy in the Islamic world, focusing on the Rabbinic background in the Mishnah and Talmud, and the thought of early figures like Isaac Israeli.

130 - State of Mind: al-Fārābī on Religion and Politics

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Al-Fārābī combines Islam and Greek sources to present the ideal ruler as a philosopher who is also a prophet.

144 - Miracle Worker: al-Ghazālī against the Philosophers

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In his Incoherence of the Philosophers, al-Ghazālī attacks Avicenna’s theories about the eternity of the universe and insists on the possibility of miracles.

145 - Frank Griffel on al-Ghazālī

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Why did al-Ghazālī judge "the philosophers" to be apostates? Peter finds out from Frank Griffel.

149 - Back to Basics: Averroes on Reason and Religion

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An introduction to “the Commentator” Averroes, and his defense of philosophy in the Decisive Treatise

157 - Choosing My Religion: Judah Hallevi

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Judah Hallevi argues that Judaism has a better claim to belief than philosophy, Christianity, or Islam.

163 - Burnt Offerings: The Maimonides Controversy

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Maimonides’ works provoke a bitter dispute among Jews in France and Spain over the relation of philosophy to Judaism.

164 - Man and Superman: Gersonides and the Jewish Reaction to Averroes

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The super-commentator Gersonides and other Jews digest the ideas of Averroes.

179 - Mohammed Rustom on Philosophical Sufism

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Peter is joined by Mohammed Rustom in a discussion about Sufi authors including Ibn 'Arabī, al-Qūnawī, and Rūmī.

189 - Subcontinental Drift: Philosophy in Islamic India

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Ideas spread to Mughal India from Iran, and prince Dārā Shikūh seeks to unite the wisdom of the Upanishads with the Koran.

191 - The Young Ones: Encounters with European Thought

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18th and 19th century intellectuals in India and the Ottoman empire, from Shāh Walī Allāhto the Young Turks, continue Islamic traditions and grapple with European science.

233. Stairway to Heaven: Bonaventure

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Bonaventure argues that human knowledge depends on an illumination from God.

243. The Ox Heard Round the World: Thomas Aquinas

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An introduction to Thomas Aquinas, his views on faith and reason, and his famous “five ways” of proving God’s existence.

249. Paris When it Sizzles: the Condemnations

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Two rounds of condemnations at Paris declare certain philosophical teachings as heretical. But what were the long term effects?

251. Masters of the University: "Latin Averroism"

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Did Siger of Brabant and Boethius of Dacia, who have been called “Latin Averroists” and “radical Aristotelians,” really embrace a doctrine of “double truth”?

17. Jessica Frazier on Hinduism and Philosophy

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An interview with Jessica Frazier about philosophical ideas and arguments in the Vedas, Upanisads and later Hindu texts.

20. Master of Ceremonies: Jaimini’s Mimamsa-Sutra

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In the Mīmāṃsā school’s founding text, Jaimini systematizes Vedic ritual and explores its theoretical basis.

259. Richard Cross on Philosophy and the Trinity

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Medieval discussions of the Trinity charted new metaphysical territory, as we see in this interview with Richard Cross.

26. Francis Clooney on Vedanta

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Francis Clooney joins us to discuss the religious and philosophical aspects of Vedānta.

283. Jack Zupko on John Buridan

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Peter speaks to Jack Zupko about John Buridan's secular and parsimonious approach to philosophy.

289. A Wing and a Prayer: Angels in Medieval Philosophy

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Be surprised by how many philosophical problems arise in connection with angels (how many can dance on the head of a pin is not one of them).

298. Renaissance Men: Ramon Llull and Petrarch

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The Renaissance ideals of humanism and universal science flourish already in the medieval period, in the works of Petrarch and Ramon Llull.

2. It’s Only Human: Philosophy in Prehistoric Africa

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Might philosophy be as old as humankind as we know it? We investigate the implications of findings concerning the origins of humankind in Africa.

300b. The Relevance of Medieval Philosophy Today

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Peter King, Catarina Dutilh Novaes, and Russ Friedman discuss their approaches to medieval philosophy and its contemporary relevance.

4. Pyramid Schemes: Philosophy in Ancient Egypt

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Ancient Egyptian figures and writings including the Pyramid Texts, Imhotep, and the "first monotheist" Akhenaten reflect on the nature of things and questions of morality.

301. The Empire Strikes Back: Introduction to Byzantine Philosophy

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We begin to look at the third tradition of medieval philosophy, in which the heritage of classical antiquity is preserved and debated by the Byzantines.

304. Behind Enemy Lines: John of Damascus

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John of Damascus helps to shape the Byzantine understanding of humankind and the veneration of images, despite living in Islamic territory.

8. Solomon, Socrates, and Other Sages: Early Ethiopian Philosophy

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Translations of religious and philosophical texts into Ge’ez, a national epic called the Kebra Nagast, and other developments in the story of philosophy in Ethiopia.

305. Andrew Louth on John of Damascus

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Peter is joined by Andrew Louth for a discussion of John of Damascus and his theological use of philosophy.

9. In You I Take Shelter: Zera Yacob

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The 17th century Ethiopian rationalist Zera Yacob, hailed as the first modern Africana philosopher.

10. Think for Yourself: Walda Heywat

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Walda Heywat’s reaction to the thought of his teacher Zera Yacob, and the dispute over the authenticity of these two Ethiopian philosophers.

307. Consul of the Philosophers: Michael Psellos

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Michael Psellos and his attitude towards pagan philosophy and the political life.

11. Teodros Kiros on Ethiopian Philosophy

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Teodros Kiros discusses his work in political philosophy and the history of Ethiopian philosophical thought.

308. Dominic O'Meara on Michael Psellos

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Dominic O'Meara speaks to Peter about Michael Psellos, focusing especially on his political philosophy.

12. From Here to Timbuktu: Subsaharan Islamic Philosophy

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The spread of Islamic scholarship in subsaharan Africa, focusing on intellectuals of the Songhay empire around the Niger River in the 15th-17th centuries.

13. Renewing the Faith: the Sokoto Caliphate

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Uthman Dan Fodio and his family were scholars, poets, and warriors whose jihad in 19th century Nigeria created the Sokoto Caliphate.

14. Souleymane Bachir Diagne on Islam in Africa

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Peter speaks to Souleymane Bachir Diagne about Islamic scholars in West Africa.

21. The Doctor Will See You Now: Divination, Witchcraft, and Knowledge

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Special forms of knowledge and the explanation of misfortunes in African tradition.

319. Georgia on My Mind: Petritsi and the Proclus Revival

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The Neoplatonist Proclus gets mixed reviews from Christians, as Nicholas of Methone refutes him but the Georgian philosopher Ioane Petritsi helps to revive his thought.

320. People of the South: Byzantium and Islam

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Intellectual exchange between Christians and Muslims, and the later flowering of Syriac literature including the philosopher Bar Hebraeus.

323. Through His Works You Shall Know Him: Palamas and Hesychasm

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Gregory Palamas and the controversy over his teaching that we can go beyond human reason by grasping God through his activities or “energies”.

324. United We Fall: Latin Philosophy in Byzantium

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Thomas Aquinas finds avid readers among Byzantines at the twilight of empire, and is used by both sides of the Hesychast controversy.

326. Istanbul (Not Constantinople): the Later Orthodox Tradition

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When the Byzantine empire ended in 1453, philosophy in Greek did not end with it. In this episode we bring the story up to the 20th century.

36. Sons of Africa: Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano

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Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano advance the goals of the abolitionist movement through a groundbreaking political treatise and an influential autobiography.

340. Footnotes to Plato: Marsilio Ficino

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Marsilio Ficino’s revival of Platonism, with a focus on his proofs for the soul’s immortality in his magnum opus, the Platonic Theology.

44. Religion and Pure Principles: Maria W. Stewart

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Maria W. Stewart’s public addresses bring the concerns of African American women into the struggle against racial prejudice.

342. Denis Robichaud on Plato in the Renaissance

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An interview with Denis Robichaud on how, and why, Plato was read in the Italian Renaissance.

343. As Far as East from West: Jewish Philosophy in Renaissance Italy

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Jewish philosophers in Renaissance Italy, focusing on Leone Ebreo’s Dialogues of Love, the Averroism of Elijah del Medigo, and Italian Kabbalah.

53. Pilgrim’s Progress: Alexander Crummell

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From his time in Liberia to his later concentration on the reform of African American culture, Alexander Crummell identifies progressive “civilization” as a means of liberation.

56. African Personality: Edward Blyden

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Edward Blyden gains appreciation for Islam in West Africa and gradually moves from political nationalism to cultural nationalism.

61. When and Where I Enter: Anna Julia Cooper

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Anna Julia Cooper’s A Voice from the South, an unprecedented contribution to black feminist theory.

358. Of Two Minds: Pomponazzi and Nifo on the Intellect

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Pietro Pomponazzi and Agostino Nifo debate the immortality of the soul and the cogency of Averroes’ theory of intellect.

71. In Blyden’s Wake: West African Intellectuals of the Early Twentieth Century

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West African intellectuals like J.E. Casely-Hayford (pictured) and Mojola Agbebi build upon Edward Blyden’s ideas at the dawn of the twentieth century.

368. Boundless Enthusiasm: Giordano Bruno

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Giordano Bruno’s stunning vision of an infinite universe with infinite worlds, and his own untimely end.

370. Ingrid Rowland on Rome in the Renaissance

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For our finale of the Italian Renaissance series we're joined by Ingrid Rowland, to speak about art, philosophy, and persecution in Renaissance Rome.

371. European Disunion: Introduction to the Reformation

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How humanism and scholasticism came together with the Protestant Reformation to create the philosophy of 15 - 16th century Europe.

378. Faith, No More: Martin Luther

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How Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone and his attack on the Church relate to the history of philosophy.

84. Live Long and Protest: W.E.B. Du Bois, 1920-1963

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Du Bois moves to the left, and revisits and refines older positions during the latter half of his very long life.

381. More Lutheran than Luther: Philip Melanchthon

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Luther’s close ally Melanchthon uses his knowledge of ancient philosophy and rhetoric in the service of the Reformation.

383. Slowly But Surely: Huldrych Zwingli

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The Swiss theologian Zwingli launches the Reformation in Switzerland, but clashes with Luther and more radical Protestants.

384. We Are Not Our Own: John Calvin

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John Calvin's views on predestination and the limits of human reason.

385. I Too Can Ask Questions: Protestant Scholasticism

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In a surprise twist, some Protestant thinkers embrace the methods of scholasticism, and even find something to admire in the work of Catholic authors like Aquinas.

387. Helen Hattab on Protestant Philosophy

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An interview with Helen Hattab on the scope and impact of scholastic philosophy among Protestants.

97. American Dream: Martin Luther King Jr.

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The story of Martin Luther King Jr. up to 1963, focusing on the development of his philosophy of nonviolence.

100. Chike Jeffers on the First Half of the Twentieth Century

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Chike joins Peter to look back at our coverage of Africana philosophy in the first half of the 20th century.

111. A Kwanzaa Story: Maulana Karenga

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The Pan-Africanist philosopher Maulana Karenga defends the importance of cultural revolution and invents the holiday Kwanzaa.

416. God’s is the Quarrel: the English Reformation

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The historical context of English philosophy in the sixteenth century, with particular focus on Thomas Cranmer, and the role of religion in personal conscience and social cohesion.

417. To Kill a King: The Scottish Reformation

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John Knox polemicizes against idolaters and female rulers, while the humanist George Buchanan argues more calmly for equally radical political conclusions.

422. The World’s Law: Richard Hooker

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Richard Hooker defends the religious and political settlement of Elizabethan England using rational arguments and appeals to the natural law.

137. Asante Sana: Molefi Asante’s Afrocentricity

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What inspired Asante's philosophy of Afrocentricity, and its relationship to religion, nationalism, and feminism. 

139. A Love Supreme: Cornel West

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An introduction to the thought of Cornel West, focusing on his early essay “Philosophy and the Afro-American Experience.”

140. Cornel West on Himself

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Cornel West joins us to look back on the development of his thought and the many authors who have inspired him.

438. Don't Give Up Pope: Catholic Reformation

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How the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reformation created a context for philosophy among Catholics, especially in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

439. Cancel Culture: The Inquisition

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How religious persecution and censorship shaped the context of philosophy in Catholic Europe in the sixteenth century.

446. Not Doubting Thomas: the Aquinas Revival

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Cajetan, Bañez and other thinkers make Aquinas a central figure of Counter-Reformation thought; we focus on their theories about analogy and the soul.

453. The Price is Right: Law and Economics in the Second Scholastic

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Vitoria, Molina, Suárez and others develop the idea of natural law, exploring its relevance for topics including international law, slavery, and the ethics of economic exchange.