The Veritas Forum

“What’s my passion?” “What do I want to do for the rest of my life?” These aren’t great questions because they’re fixed. They assume you’ll only have one job or one passion for the rest of your life. But, the reality is, both you and the world around you will change. You need a career decision-making tool that isn’t surprised by change but...

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In today's world of misinformation and misrepresentation, it's wise to be skeptical. But has our skepticism gone too far? What does it look like to not only refute what is false — but also to follow what is true? In this episode, hear from two philosophy professors, Dr. Meghan Sullivan of Notre Dame and Dr. Katja Vogt of Columbia University. Their conversation from April 2022 draws f...

The same facts can lead to different stories. You see this daily in your news feed — major events produce dozens of headlines, and each article has its own interpretation of the facts. This is how we make sense of the world: when we get information, we want to interpret it. But, with so many choices, is there a right interpretation? In today’s episode, we ask this question. How ca...

In this episode, we're going Beyond the Forum with theoretical physicist Dr. Ard Louis (Oxford). He’s on the cutting edge of research about symmetry, and directs a research lab at Oxford. Yet for all of his scientific expertise, he doesn’t think science alone can answer questions of meaning and purpose. For those questions, he turns to his Christian faith — a faith rooted in...

Science is powerful — and our speaker today, Oxford theoretical physicist Dr. Ard Louis, agrees. But when it comes to life's biggest questions, like “Why is there something rather than nothing?” and “What makes us human?”, what does science's power contribute? In this encore episode, you'll hear from Dr. Ard Louis in a 2019 Veritas Forum at the University...

For the twelfth season of The Veritas Forum Podcast, we're exploring some of life's biggest questions: “What’s the purpose of my work?” “How do I know if I’m successful?” “Am I living a meaningful life?” Each week, starting Thursday, February 2nd, we'll share the best Veritas content on meaning and purpose — Forums you love and enga...

In this Winterlude episode, we interview Dr. Lydia Dugdale — a physician and medical ethicist at Columbia University — about the historic medical pledge, the Hippocratic Oath, and how it is not required by medical schools in the United States. (Surprising, right?) Listen to hear what's replacing it, what the Christian tradition might offer medical ethics, and how you can become a b...

In this Winterlude episode, we interview Dr. John Inazu, the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. He gives us an insider's view of how we might engage with the university — not as consumers but as participants who faithfully serve, start conversations that matter, and seize the fleeting time students have on campus. Dr. Inaz...

This season we've asked: "What does it mean to be human?" And not too far downstream from this question is one you probably ask on a regular basis: "Who am I?" Both questions can be overwhelming. What if your answer isn’t right? Do you even know if there is a right answer? Can you change your mind? And is there a point when you have to have it all figured out? In our...

You — like most of us — are likely fed up with social media. The apps that promised us more social connection and genuine communication instead gave us doom-scrolling, photoshopped vacation photos, and hordes of influencers. But in our quest for authentic community, have we looked in the wrong places? Can we express our true selves on social media platforms like BeReal or Instagram? An...

We live in a culture saturated with technology. From a helpful autocorrected text to a friend to the suspiciously targeted ads in your Instagram feed to the deepfakes that can create your likeness without your consent. Given technology's prevalence today, how should we think about our relationship with it? What does this relationship mean for what it means to be human? And is it possible for o...

Last week, you heard from Dr. Jennifer Frey about how you need other people to know who you are. That sounds great when these "other people" are kind, generous in dialogue, and want the best for you. But in our quest to discover what it means to be human, we will encounter other people whose ideas challenge us, expose us to new viewpoints, and uncover significant areas of disagreement. S...

We're going *beyond the forum* with Dr. Jennifer Frey, our guest from last week. Dr. Frey is a philosopher at the University of South Carolina, and she teaches the philosophy of Aristotle, Plato, and other perennial philosophers. We look at happiness in our relationships with others and how friendship plays a role in what it means to be human. In our discussion, we explore Aristotle’s th...

If you're wondering if you'll get the "happily ever after" promised by fairy tales, you're not alone. For the past three decades, the General Social Survey has tracked a slow decline in happiness in the United States. Responses in 2021 suggest the lowest percentage of "Very Happy" Americans (19%) since 1988. But, what exactly *is* happiness — or its lack there...

How would you answer the question, "How much are you worth?"? Based on your body's iron, magnesium, oxygen, etc., you could sell your body for around $18. Or you could check your transcript and report your 4.0 GPA. Or with the help of social media, you could tally up your followers on Instagram and Twitter. But $18, a 4.0, and 3,000 followers are poor approximations for you and the w...

Do you find yourself frustrated by life's inefficiencies? Wouldn't it be better if we could live entirely productive, completely predictable lives? Surprisingly, minor inconveniences can be more beneficial to you than you might think. Perhaps they can even bring meaning to your life and remind you of your ultimate lack of control. In this episode, we’ll investigate how time impacts w...

If only you had 15 more minutes, or were 5 years younger, or a year into the future — then, things would be better. Maybe even *you* would be better. But maybe time is more than a sparring partner. More than something you curse or see as a thief. It might just be an integral part of what it means to be human. In today's episode, we discuss with Dr. James K. A. Smith what it might look li...

Whether it's a scoop of ice cream each night or a quick look at notifications on my phone, our unconscious habits — and their underlying desires — form us. (Even when we *think* they aren't.) So, what does it mean to be human in light of these habits and desires? And, can you use your desires to *enhance* your humanness — rather than take away from it? Listen to one of ou...

There's a lot that humans can do that other animals can't — we can make beautiful works of art and develop life-saving medicines. But, there's a lot we share in common. For example, we share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees. You may wonder, then, where does our *humanness* lie? What makes humans unique? This program was recorded at a Veritas Forum event at Emory University in 2018...

What makes you, *you*? And how can you live into the fullness of your life? We're coming through a global pandemic that may have forced you to face your own mortality. You may be struggling to create loving relationships in a virtual and media-filled world. You might be figuring out who you are and what ‘identity’ means. This fall, it's a great time to ask, "What does it m...

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | This season is all about character and virtue — and how we can close our “character gaps” to become better people. But, what does it look like to grow more virtuous in a world with pain, trauma, and grief? Our guest for this episode, contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura, approaches this question through the lens of a centuries-old art form: kintsu...

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | The pandemic upended all of our lives. As a response, we started different habits — and perhaps even formed addictions — that helped us to cope. But, after two years of pandemic living, is it possible to change? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Nii Addy, a researcher at Yale specializing in addiction, depression, and anxiety. And he says we can have h...

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | People today reach the standard markers of adulthood — finishing education, getting married, becoming financially independent — later compared to people 50 years ago. Does that mean that kids these days are “behind” in their development? Or should these standard markers be rethought? Our guest today, Dr. Nancy Hill, is a Harvard professor a...

PART OF A SPECIAL 6-WEEK SERIES | Career searches often begin with the same question: “What’s my passion?” If you’re in a period of job transition — maybe you’re about to graduate, retire, or have felt like a new job is on the horizon — we want to help. And, we don’t think that “passion” is the best place to start. Join us as we talk with...