Ep. 077 - To View the Cheerful Skies

Ep. 077 - To View the Cheerful Skies

Author: Albertus Magnus Institute, Inc. April 27, 2023 Duration: 1:10:19

“The gates of hell are open night and day; Smooth the descent, and easy is the way: But to return, and view the cheerful skies, In this the task and mighty labor lies.”

- from The Aeneid of Virgil

The Magnus Podcast returns with Dr. Matthew Bianco of the CiRCE Institute. Listen to this enlightening discussion on Plato and the allegory of the cave, and wonder and the demise of a vacuous society. 

Dr. Matthew Bianco is the Chief Operations Officer for the CiRCE Institute, where he also serves as a head mentor in the CiRCE apprenticeship program. He is married to his altogether lovely high school sweetheart, Patricia. Dr. Matt Bianco has a PhD in Humanities from Faulkner University's Great Books Honors College. He is the author of Letters to My Sons: A Humane Vision for Human Relationships.

Learn more about CiRCE!

Join the Fellowship now! It’s free and always will be. 


Deep within the rich tradition of the classical liberal arts, conversations unfold that feel both timeless and urgently contemporary. Magnus Podcast: Conversations from the Catacombs of Liberal Education is where you’ll find them, a production of the Albertus Magnus Institute. This series explores the foundational ideas that shape our humanity, society, and faith, guided by the enduring vision of St. Albert the Great. His dream was of an education that liberates the mind and spirit, one that is profoundly enriching yet accessible to all. Each episode delves into the intersections of philosophy, culture, and Christianity, examining how these ancient wells of wisdom speak directly to our modern condition. You’ll hear thoughtful dialogues and reflections that resist easy answers, instead inviting a deeper consideration of what it means to live a fully human life. The podcast serves as a kind of auditory academy, where the core subjects of a truly liberal education-those that free us-are opened up for anyone willing to listen. It’s for those curious about how enduring truths can illuminate contemporary confusion, offering not just information but a form of intellectual and spiritual nourishment. Tune in for a journey through the catacombs, where the light of classical thought remains undimmed, waiting to be rediscovered in our own time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 102

Magnus Podcast: Conversations from the Catacombs of Liberal Education
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 089 - On Moral Conundrums [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:55
This week on the Magnus Podcast, John and Larissa talk moral theology with high school teacher, Rocky Brittain and attempt to answer difficult moral questions according to Catholic Theology and Thomas Aquinas, such as wh…
Ep. 088 - On How to Communicate Rhetorically [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:51
In this fast paced world full of echo chambers and outrage machines, we are fooled into believing a misguided view of justice and rhetoric. Dr. Joshua Phillips joins us to talk about how we can properly understand the co…
Ep. 087 - On The Idea of a University [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:06
AMI exists because we, like so many, see a problem with the current university system. What is the modern university providing to its students in comparison to what it ought to be providing? What is the purpose of a univ…
Ep. 086 - On Plato’s Republic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:25
"What is the best way of life for a human being?" The Republic is the most complete attempt by Plato to articulate and answer this question. It is characteristic of Plato that, in the Republic, questions about human happ…
Ep. 085 - On Music & Ratio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:24
Musician and composer, Greg Wilbur of New College Franklin contemplates music within the quadrivium; he explains why music ought to be ordered rightly in education and how it rests in harmony with the other Liberal Arts.…
Ep. 084 - Opening the Eyes to See [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:42
“Take courage daughter, the world is not as strong as it seems.” From the diary of Maria Faustina Brian Fink has returned to the Magnus Podcast to discuss what it means to see reality as it is: to see oneself in order to…
Ep. 083 - A Prudent Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:30
This conversation with Dr. Gary Hartenburg looks at education from a bird’s-eye view before zooming into talk about virtue, specifically the virtue of prudence, according to Aristotle, and ends with little bit of theolog…
Ep.081 - How Does One Know? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:13
How does man know? What are the roles of signs in knowing? What does “meaning” mean? What does man want to know? What are the objects to knowing? In this episode, Dr. Brian Kemple of the Lyceum Institute discusses these…
Ep. 080 - Humanizing Humans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:35
“We can’t teach the humanities unless the students have been humanized." In this episode, Dr. Jared Staudt discusses the text, Newman’s Idea of A University, and begs the question, ”What does it mean to explore reality?”…