Episodes

  • From The Eight Capital Vices To The Seven Deadly Sins - The Original Eight Capital Vices

    From The Eight Capital Vices To The Seven Deadly Sins - The Original Eight Capital Vices
    Jan 26 2026
    In this invited lecture at Marist College, hosted by the Catholic Studies Program as part of their Marcelin Lecture Series, I narrate some of the key points and developments in the story of how we ended up with the current list of the Seven Deadly Sins, which are: Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Originally, these start out as the Eight Capital Vices, a list which includes sadness, acedia, and vainglory, and which does not include envy. So, how did we end up with the list we know today? The story involves Christian monks in the Egyptian desert, Benedictine monks, a reluctant pope, poets, scholastic professors, confessors, and mystics, and ranges over a millennium of thinkers and texts. In the process, I discuss some of the key players: Evagrius Ponticus, John Cassian, Gregory I, Alcuin, Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Dante Alighieri This portion of the talk discusses the origin of the eight capital vices that precede the schema of the seven deadly sins. We look first at Evagrius Ponticus and then at John Cassian, both important monastic writers. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
  • From The Eight Capital Vices To The Seven Deadly Sins - Introducing The Topic - Sadler's Lectures

    From The Eight Capital Vices To The Seven Deadly Sins - Introducing The Topic - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 25 2026
    In this invited lecture at Marist College, hosted by the Catholic Studies Program as part of their Marcelin Lecture Series, I narrate some of the key points and developments in the story of how we ended up with the current list of the Seven Deadly Sins, which are: Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Originally, these start out as the Eight Capital Vices, a list which includes sadness, acedia, and vainglory, and which does not include envy. So, how did we end up with the list we know today? The story involves Christian monks in the Egyptian desert, Benedictine monks, a reluctant pope, poets, scholastic professors, confessors, and mystics, and ranges over a millennium of thinkers and texts. In the process, I discuss some of the key players: Evagrius Ponticus, John Cassian, Gregory I, Alcuin, Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, and Dante Alighieri This portion of the talk introduces the topic and discusses briefly how the conceptions of eight capital vices and seven deadly sins become so important within western culture. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Soren Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments As Gilsonian Christian Philosophy - Sadler's Lectures

    Soren Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments As Gilsonian Christian Philosophy - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 24 2026
    This is the recording of my presentation of my paper, "Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments as Gilsonian Christian Philosophy," during the International Etienne Gilson Society satellite session at the American Catholic Philosophical Association 2015 conference. The recording also includes some lively discussion in the Q&A portion following my reading of the paper. In the paper, I discuss key features of Gilson's conception of Christian philosophy developed during the 1930s debates about the topic, examine why Kierkegaard would seem to be an unlikely prospect for Gilsonian Christian philosophy, but then argue that Kierkegaard's work Philosophical Fragments actually does fit Gilson's conception of Christian philosophy quite well. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Soren Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments - https://amzn.to/4bQbwtk
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Does Love Wound The Lover? - Sadler's Lectures

    Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Does Love Wound The Lover? - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 22 2026
    This lecture discusses key ideas from the medieval Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, 1st part of the 2nd part, question 28 "The Effects Of Love", and examines his discussions in article 5, which centers on a question raised not only by literary tropes but also by the Song of Songs. Does the passion of love in some way wound or harm the lover? Thomas notes that love produces a "melting" or receptiveness in the lover, which if the object of love is present can lead to enjoyment, but if not can lead to strong desire and to the sadness of languor. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae - amzn.to/2ITcKYQ
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Zeal As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures

    Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Zeal As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 21 2026
    This lecture discusses key ideas from the medieval Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, 1st part of the 2nd part, question 28 "The Effects Of Love", and examines his discussions in article 4, which centers on the question of "zeal" (zelus in Latin, zēlos and zēlotupia in Greek) and whether it is or is not an effect of love. The answer to this depends on what sense of "zeal" we have in mind, and that depends on whether the person feel love of concupiscence or love of friendship. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae - amzn.to/2ITcKYQ
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Ecstacy As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures

    Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Ecstacy As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 19 2026
    This lecture discusses key ideas from the medieval Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, 1st part of the 2nd part, question 28 "The Effects Of Love", and examines his discussions in article 3, which centers on whether or not ecstasy is something that love produces as an effect. For Thomas as it turns out, it all depends on how we understand that term. If we have in mind an affective state that in some way sets them outside their normal rational faculties, then this does occur in some cases. But if we mean something more literal, being placed outside ourselves in some way, ecstasy is indeed an effect of love, in particular the love of friendship To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae - amzn.to/2ITcKYQ
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Mutual Indwelling As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures

    Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Mutual Indwelling As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 18 2026
    This lecture discusses key ideas from the medieval Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, 1st part of the 2nd part, question 28 "The Effects Of Love", and examines his discussions in article 2, which centers on the question whether mutual indwelling (mutua inhaesio) is an effect of love. Thomas considers several arguments that seem to rule against this being the case, then distinguishes between how it can be understood with respect to the apprehensive and appetitive powers, and how the latter works with love of concupiscence and love of friendship. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae - amzn.to/2ITcKYQ
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Union As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures

    Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae - Union As An Effect Of Love - Sadler's Lectures
    Jan 17 2026
    This lecture discusses key ideas from the medieval Christian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, 1st part of the 2nd part, question 28 "The Effects Of Love", and examines his discussions in article 1, which centers on the question whether union is or is not an effect of love. Thomas considers several arguments against union being an effect of love, and then clarifies the ways in which love does produce union between the one loving and the one loved in some respect To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae - amzn.to/2ITcKYQ
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins