Educating Humans

Why should we read? In this episode, Difff and James discuss the startling statistics on the decline of reading across the West, as well as the power that developing our reading capacity can hold.
Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.
Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.

And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff explains his PhD, The Paradox of Enchantment: Syncretising Meteorology, Humoralism, and Demonology on the Early Modern English Stage. The discussion covers questions of enchantment and the 'discarded image' of the medieval mind, Shakespeare, astrology in King Lear, the role of enchantment in education, the importance of continuing to pursue learning into adulthood, and much more.
Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.
Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.

And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

This episode was recorded live at the 2025 Education for Human Flourishing Conference. James was joined by Dr Brian Williams (Templeton Honors College) and Peter Crawford (Institute for Catholic Liberal Education) to discuss poetry and the poetic mode.
Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.
Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.

And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

In this talk from the Education for Human Flourishing Conference in 2025, Difff discusses the ways that artificial intelligence offers a false promise of restoring the logos, which has been systematically eroded and dismissed over the past millennium. Drawing on history, philosophy, and literature, including C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Difff suggests that classical education in the liberal arts is by definition the introduction of students to reality, and as such it connects us to the logos and forms a shield against the false promises of artificial intelligence. 
Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.
Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.

And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff interviews Sarah Flynn, founder of Logos Australis and The Liberal Arts Project in anticipation of the upcoming National Classical Education Conference: Educating for Human Flourishing.
Get your tickets to the conference here.
Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.
Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.

And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0