What We Can't Not Talk About

Abortion, pornography, euthanasia: at the height of our technological development, most of the Western world seems unable to find purpose and meaning. Unable to overcome challenges and natural limits, we prefer altering nature—or at least we try. While politicians address issues like “sex work” and gender transitions, hordes of regular people waste time gambling and forgo marriage, childbearing, and all that truly matters in life. Some blame it all on a “disenchanted” world. Our returning guest, Professor and author Carl Trueman, suggests an even simpler and more radical answer which he explores in his latest book: we desecrated ourselves. The solution, however, is equally radical. Tune in for more! You can order (or pre-order) “The Desecration of Man” here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/729796/the-desecration-of-man-by-carl-r-trueman/

Receiving a degree from an Ivy League institution has historically implied a level of educational prowess and prestige—but is that still the case today? In this episode, we sit down with Adam Kissel, Rachel Alexander Cambre, and Madison Marino Doan to discuss their research on the eight Ivy League universities and how their general education curricula have shifted over the years—and not for the better. When a student today can receive a world-renowned degree by learning about Cardi B where their contemporaries a century ago might have been learning about Shakespeare or Aristotle, what does Ivy League status truly amount to in the modern world, and how easy is it to slack one’s way to the illusion of education?

Women on the pill, female CEOs, women abhorring becoming mothers: is this all that feminism has to preach? What if—as author, spouse, and mother Leah Libresco Sargeant argues in her most recent book—real feminism starts by acknowledging how radically different men and women are? And how radically interdependent? Far from suggesting a “trad wife” model—one that thinks that all solutions should be found in 1952—Leah helps us rediscover our nature, rethink some of our policies, and embrace our dependence.

In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, host Dr. Marianna Orlandi welcomes Professor Matthew Franck of the Witherspoon Institute for a thought-provoking conversation on the importance of reading. Professor Franck shares personal experiences that shaped his life through books and reflects on how reading has formed his mind, character, and vocation. He explores how books shape the moral imagination, cultivate patience, and sustain the habits necessary for a free and thoughtful society. In an age of constant distraction, this conversation makes a simple but powerful case: reading is not optional—it is essential.

In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, host Dr. Marianna Orlandi welcomes Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead— The Catholic Institute Fellow and author of Infertile but Fruitful—for a deep and honest conversation about the cross of infertility in marriage. Snead speaks openly about the burdens infertile couples face: the grief, the search for answers, the strain on hope, and the temptation toward despair. She shares how faith anchors couples in this trial, how to confront regret and remedies, and how God can bring real fruitfulness even when the story does not end in pregnancy. Rooted in her own lived experience, Snead offers compassionate, practical, and theologically grounded advice for couples walking this painful path—reminding us that the Incarnation reveals the meaning of every human longing and every unfulfilled desire.

A merely instinctual conservatism, exemplified by Hume, that lacks robust metaphysical and spiritual foundations, proves in the long run incapable of sustaining the institutions that built the West." In this episode, Dr. Orlandi sits with Dr. Zubia, Assistant Professor of Humanities at the Hamilton School for Classic and Civic Education at the University of Florida, to discuss what may be the true origin of the right's current political mess. While many want to "go back" to a better past, with healthier institutions and wholesome lives, most of us have also "done away" with the morality that sustained it all. The mission is thus bound to fail. By tuning in, you will learn more about Hume, about marriage as a case study, and about the importance of the liberal arts in the era of artificial intelligence.

Can Artificial Intelligence replace the human person? Is it benevolent and beneficial, or is it a threat to humanity? In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, Carlo Martinucci joins us to explore these pressing questions. An Italian software engineer who has spent the past year studying Artificial Intelligence, Martinucci offers both technical insight and philosophical reflection on the promises and perils of this rapidly evolving field. Hosted by the Austin Institute, this conversation is hopefully the first of a series: AI is reshaping reality, and true moral agents cannot just "sit and watch". Tune in to learn more about the nature and consequences of this revolutionary technology.

In this episode of What We Can’t Not Talk About, Dr. Ana Samuel joins us to discuss Canavox’s new book - Courageous Conversations: Tips for Talking to Kids about Sexual Identity and Attraction - sharing wisdom for parents navigating the challenges of today’s cultural climate. From questions of sexuality to shifting understandings of identity and marriage, Dr. Ana Samuel offers practical advice and clear guidelines to help parents raise their children with confidence and clarity. Hosted by the Austin Institute, this conversation sheds light on how parents can and should help their children discover the truth of their identity, making time for "courageous conversations" that are simply fundamental for their future happiness: much more than their piano practice. Tune in to learn more!

In this deeply profound panel hosted by the Thomistic Institute at UT Austin, two renowned philosophers — Dr. J. Budziszewski and Dr. Scott Roniger — dive into one of the most ancient and enduring questions in moral philosophy: Does vice carry its own punishment? With references ranging from Aristotle and Augustine to Dostoevsky and Shakespeare, the speakers explore conscience, natural law, self-knowledge, and the metaphysical consequences of wrongdoing. This lecture goes far beyond the legal and social implications of morality, offering a rich philosophical and theological account of how wrongdoing disorders the soul — and why this may be the clearest evidence of divine justice.

Marriage and family are often debated through emotional or religious lenses, but can we defend these institutions using reason alone? Dr. Owen Anderson, Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, joins Dr. Marianna Orlandi on "What We Can't Not Talk About" to delve into the rational basis of marriage, friendship, and lasting love. Starting from the concept of friendship as defined by Aristotle and Aquinas, Dr. Anderson highlights how true friendship involves mutual care for each other's good, setting the stage for understanding deeper relationships. He argues that the conjugal view of marriage, rooted in lasting commitment and openness to life, is not merely a religious ideal but grounded in our shared human nature. Dr. Anderson further addresses contemporary skepticism, emphasizing that widespread doubts about reality, truth, and goodness contribute significantly to confusion around marriage and family structures. He explains how the current age of anxiety is closely linked to philosophical skepticism and suggests that reconnecting with foundational truths about human nature and purpose is crucial for overcoming both skepticism and anxiety.