Mercy and Justice in Political Life: Augustine, Seneca, and Nussbaum – Prof. Sarah Byers
About this episode
Prof. Sarah Byers discusses the interplay of mercy and justice in political life through the lenses of Augustine, Seneca, and Nussbaum.
This lecture was given on January 23rd, 2026, at University of Toronto. To make a gift this June, visit https://truth.thomisticinstitute.org/pod . About the Speaker: Sarah Byers is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boston College. Her interests include St. Augustine, Hellenistic philosophy, and the history of ancient and medieval ethics and metaphysics. She is responsible for many publications, including Perception, Sensibility, and Moral Motivation in Augustine: A Stoic-Platonic Synthesis, a book that argues that Augustine assimilated the Stoic theory of perception into his philosophy. Keywords: Augustine, Compassion, Justice, Mercy, Martha Nussbaum, Neoplatonism, Political Life, Seneca, Stoicism, Virtue Ethics
People in this episode
Guest: Prof. Sarah Byers
Topics covered
- mercy
- justice
- political philosophy
- ancient ethics
- Stoicism
- Neoplatonism
Keywords
- Augustine
- Compassion
- Justice
- Mercy
- Martha Nussbaum
- Neoplatonism
- Political Life
- Seneca
- Stoicism
- Virtue Ethics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Boston College
Places: University of Toronto
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