Rome fell—but not before raising Christianity to the throne. In its triumph, the Church buried the pagan schools, silenced the philosophers, and turned the pursuit of wisdom into obedience to doctrine. Philosophy survived, but only as a shadow of itself—abstract, disembodied, and no longer a way of life.

Topics discussed:
 * The Fragile Foundations of Empire: How climate shifts, pandemics, and migratory upheavals undermined Rome's stability and accelerated its collapse.
 * From Creed to Control: How Christianity’s elevation to state religion empowered it to suppress dissent, enforce orthodoxy, and marginalize competing philosophies.
 * The Displacement of Pagan Thought: How rich traditions of inquiry—from Epicurean naturalism to Aristotelian empiricism—were dismantled, lost, or rebranded under Church authority.
 * The Eclipse of Philosophy as a Way of Life: How the therapeutic, practical dimensions of philosophy were replaced by scholastic abstraction and theological obedience.
 * The Rise of Moral Authoritarianism: How Augustine’s doctrines of original sin and divine grace reinforced a system of inherited guilt, curbed intellectual freedom, and redefined virtue as submission.
 * Glimmers of Survival and Recovery: How remnants of ancient thought were preserved by monks, transmitted through Islamic scholars, and eventually rediscovered by humanists, paving the way for the Renaissance.

For more, visit theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/].

Lesson 3.8: Into the Void

Philosopher Teresa Baron joins us to discuss her book The Artificial Womb on Trial. As artificial womb technology edges closer to reality, Baron asks a different question: not just what ectogenesis means for society, but how we ethically get there. From human subject trials to questions of consent, regulation, and reproductive justice, this episode puts the development process itself under the bioethical microscope.

For more info, visit ethicscircle.org [https://www.ethicscircle.org/].

#16 Teresa Baron: The Artificial Womb on Trial

A dialect with an army becomes a language. A cult with an empire becomes a religion—and theology becomes a tool for social control.

Topics discussed:
 * From Diversity to Dogma: Early Christianity was a pluralistic and fragmented movement, but through imperial endorsement and councils like Nicaea (325 CE), it hardened into a singular orthodoxy, suppressing competing theologies like Arianism and Origenism.
 * Power over Persuasion: The rise of Nicene Orthodoxy was not the result of philosophical consensus but imperial decree—Constantine and later emperors enforced doctrine to secure unity and political control, not theological truth.
 * Platonism Repackaged for Empire: Thinkers like Origen infused Christianity with Platonic thought, but Church authorities retooled these mystical frameworks into rigid hierarchies that justified ecclesial and political authority.
 * Augustine’s Turn to Authority: Initially drawn to philosophy and mysticism, Augustine later abandoned speculation in favor of doctrinal certainty, reinforcing Church authority and defining orthodoxy against “dangerous” alternatives like Pelagianism and Donatism.
 * Original Sin as Political Theology: Augustine’s doctrine of inherited guilt and cognitive degradation bolstered imperial authority by portraying humanity as morally incapacitated and dependent on the institutional Church for salvation.
 * The Church as Imperial Bureaucracy: As the Western Roman Empire crumbled, the Church emerged as its bureaucratic successor—rewriting history, consolidating power, and becoming the central authority in a post-imperial world.

For more, visit theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/]. 

 Lesson 3.7: The Darkening Age

What does it mean to live well in an AI-driven world—and how can we use AI to help us get there?

In this episode, we speak with psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Kosslyn [https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/stephen-m-kosslyn]. Stephen Kosslyn is Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, and he is former chair of the Harvard psychology department and dean of social sciences. He is currently the CEO of Active Learning Sciences [https://www.activelearningsciences.com/]. We discuss how generative AI isn’t just a tool for speed and convenience—it can be a cognitive amplifier for building the kind of life we actually want. Drawing from his book Learning to Flourish in the Age of AI [https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Flourish-in-the-Age-of-AI/Kosslyn/p/book/9781032686660?srsltid=AfmBOoq6ZVq0FM_jbptvgRw6jd_TDjkbIe-0BMwsl8PV7TawiVkGlifB], we explore how to use large language models to set life goals, stay motivated, communicate better, manage emotions, understand ourselves and others, and think more clearly.

For more info, visit ethicscircle.org [https://www.ethicscircle.org/].

#15 Stephen Kosslyn: Learning to Flourish in the Age of AI

In the centuries after Jesus, it was unclear what it mean to be a “good Christian.” Some fled into the desert to battle demons, others tore down temples and murdered philosophers, and many sought out persecution—not to avoid death, but to guarantee salvation.

Topics discussed:
 * Martyrdom as Moral Calling: Early Christians often saw suffering and death not as tragedy but as spiritual victory—martyrdom was the fast track to eternal life, especially for society’s marginalized.
 * Religious Violence and Iconoclasm: As Christianity gained imperial power, some Christians believed it was their ethical duty to destroy pagan temples, art, and even people—acts justified as spiritual warfare against idolatry and demons.
 * The Desert Fathers and the Flight from the World: In stark contrast, ascetics like Antony and Pachomius retreated to the wilderness to fight internal battles through solitude, fasting, and constant self-examination.
 * Demonic Distraction and Spiritual Warfare: The desert was imagined as the devil’s territory; monks fought temptations and impure thoughts as if they were literal demons—an early form of psychological warfare rooted in spiritual metaphysics.
 * Philosophy Reborn as Monasticism: The practices of the Desert Fathers were deeply influenced by Stoicism, Platonism, and even Cynicism, reshaping ancient philosophical self-care into a radical Christian form of soulcraft.
 * Ethical Lessons for Today: Monastic practices of attention, restraint, self-scrutiny, and ethical discretion remain surprisingly relevant, offering tools for resisting distraction, consumerism, and emotional reactivity in the modern world.

For more, go to theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/].

Lesson 3.6: Revelations in the Sand

What if the best AI art doesn’t care what we think? In this episode, we talk with philosopher Alice Helliwell [https://www.alicehelliwell.com/] about her provocative idea: that future AI might create aesthetic value not by mimicking human tastes, but by challenging them. Drawing from her 2024 article “Aesthetic Value and the AI Alignment Problem,” we explore why perfect alignment isn't always ideal—and how a little artistic misalignment could open new creative frontiers.

For more info, visit ethicscircle.org [https://www.ethicscircle.org/].

#14 Alice Helliwell: The Art of Misalignment 

Ante orthodoxiam, chaos erat.
In the centuries after Jesus, Christian thinkers, mystics, and radicals offered wildly different visions of who Jesus was, what salvation meant, and whether the material world was a divine creation—or a cosmic mistake.

Topics Discussed:
 * Competing early Christian views on Jesus’ divinity and humanity, including Adoptionism, Docetism, and Arianism
 * How dualistic worldviews and secret knowledge shaped Gnostic and Manichaean heresies
 * The political pressures behind the Church’s drive to define orthodoxy—especially under Constantine
 * The evolving doctrine of the afterlife, from Sheol and resurrection to Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory
 * Augustine’s role in responding to heresies like Donatism and Pelagianism
 * Why “heretics” were often more numerous—and sometimes more philosophically interesting—than their orthodox opponents

For more, go to theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/].

Lesson 3.5: What Demons Whisper

Plotinus believed Plato’s dialogues concealed a map for the soul’s ascent—inward, upward, and beyond. You are not a body reaching for the heavens, but a soul fallen from them, a forgotten god recalling a home you never truly left.

Topics discussed:
 * How Plotinus reimagines Plato’s philosophy as a mystical roadmap for the soul’s return to its divine origin
 * The metaphysical structure of reality: The One, Divine Intellect (Nous), and Soul—and the process of emanation and return
 * The soul’s ascent through three levels of virtue: civic, purificatory, and contemplative
 * Neoplatonism’s vision of truth as otherworldly, self-authenticating, and hidden beneath the surface of rational argument
 * The transformation of philosophy into a spiritual practice—preparing the soul not merely to reason, but to remember
   

For more, go to theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/].

Lesson 3.4: Not of this World (Pt. III)

In a cruel Roman world, Stoicism offered its students—including former slaves, senators, and emperors alike—a way to stand firm amid chaos, to cultivate peace in the storm, and to live well regardless of what fate delivered.

Topics discussed:

 * Stoicism as Psychological Training:
   Stoic ethics is not a list of rules, but a discipline of mind. It teaches that emotional disturbances arise from irrational judgments, and that inner peace (euthymia) is achieved through rational mastery of impressions.
   
 * The Dichotomy of Control:
   Only our judgments are truly “up to us.” All else—fortune, reputation, others’ behavior—lies beyond our power and should be met with acceptance. This insight lies at the heart of Stoic freedom.
   
 * The Stoic Toolkit:
   Practices like the reserve clause, morning and evening meditation, and the memorization of Stoic principles help one build a stable inner citadel of the mind—resistant to the chaos of the world.

For more, go to theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/].

Lesson 3.3: The Inner Citadel

A crucified rebel. A Jewish philosopher who read Genesis like Plato.
One challenged empire with parables; the other reimagined a faith without a temple.
Both helped ignite revolutions that would reshape the ancient world—and ours.

Topics discussed:
 * The World of Jesus: Political unrest, economic inequality, and Roman brutality shaped the world into which Jesus preached—and against which he rebelled.
 * Jesus' Radical Vision: A coming Kingdom of God that would reverse earthly hierarchies, heal injustices, and bring hope to the oppressed.
 * Philo of Alexandria: A Jewish thinker who blended Scripture with Greek philosophy, transforming Judaism into a rational, universal faith beyond Temple rituals.
 * Allegory as Survival: Both proto-Christians and Jewish philosophers like Philo used allegorical interpretation to defend and reinterpret ancient traditions for a new, cosmopolitan world.
 * The Birth of New Worlds: Out of trauma, exile, and conquest emerged new ideas of God, justice, and human destiny—ideas that would echo for millennia.

For more, go to theluxuryofvirtue.com [https://www.theluxuryofvirtue.com/]. 

Lesson 3.2: Pax (Pt. II)

Welcome to AITEC Podcast, where we explore the ethical side of AI and emerging tech.

We call our little group the AI and Technology Ethics Circle (AITEC). Visit ethicscircle.org [https://www.ethicscircle.org/] for more info. 

AITEC Podcast

These are the audio files for the PHIL courses taught by R. C. M. García at El Camino College. 

Roberto Carlos

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