The London Lyceum Moral Psychology and Aquinas with Jennifer Frey
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Nov 16, 2022 
In this engaging discussion, Jennifer Frey, a Roman Catholic philosopher known for her expertise in moral psychology and Thomas Aquinas, delves into the intricacies of moral psychology. They explore neo-Aristotelian ethical naturalism and the essential role of virtues in achieving happiness. Frey shares her transformative journey toward embracing philosophy and Aquinas, while also examining the relationship between knowledge, desire, and moral failings. Listeners are encouraged to appreciate the connections between faith, reason, and moral understanding.
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Use Medieval Thought To Reintegrate Human Nature
- Engage medieval thinkers to recover an integrated hylomorphic view of persons where reason belongs to nature.
- Frey credits her conversion and moral seriousness to studying Augustine and Aquinas, which resolved dichotomies in modern thought.
Chance Philosophy Class Sparked Her Conversion
- Frey recounts taking an introductory philosophy class by chance and meeting an intellectually serious Orthodox Jewish professor.
- That encounter shattered her assumption that religious people are intellectually inferior and led her into philosophy and eventual conversion.
Moral Psychology Beyond Beliefs And Desires
- Moral psychology should be a robust theory of human capacities (intellect, will, passions) rather than reduction to beliefs and desires.
- Jennifer Frey argues ancient and medieval accounts (Aristotle, Aquinas, Murdoch) capture moral perception, emotions, and embodied seeing better than modern simplifications.