Can You Actually Know Anything? Epistemology for Normal People (Dr. Trent Dougherty) | Ep. 571

Pints With Aquinas

Matt Fradd

Education, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.8 • 7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 March 2026

⏱️ 194 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This episode's mature themes may not be suitable for children. Catholic philosopher and epistemologist, Dr. Trent Dougherty, joins Pints to tackle the age-old question: what does it even mean to know something? The conversation weaves between rigorous philosophical debate - Descartes, Gettier, justified true belief and vulnerable personal territory where Dougherty shares his battles with the inner demons that plagued his pursuit of success. Ep. 571 - - - 📚 Resources Mentioned: Books • Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Devout-Life-Image-Classics/dp/0385030096 • The Problem of Animal Pain by Trent Dougherty https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Animal-Pain-Creatures-Philosophy/dp/0230368484 • The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Discarded-Image-Introduction-Renaissance-Literature/dp/1107604702 • The Four Cardinal Virtues by Josef Pieper https://www.amazon.com/Four-Cardinal-Virtues-Josef-Pieper/dp/0268001030 • Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius of Loyola https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Exercises-St-Ignatius-Loyola/dp/0895550555 • The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Christ-Thomas-Kempis/dp/0385302754 • Against Heresies by Irenaeus (Church Fathers) https://www.amazon.com/Against-Heresies-Irenaeus-Lyons/dp/1614279551 Debates / Conversations • The Bertrand Russell vs. Frederick Copleston Debate (1948 BBC) https://www.ditext.com/russell/debate.html • Trent Dougherty and Tom Jump YouTube Conversation https://youtu.be/qw-ihYHwYUA?si=fEaxOKlwS_FOM4X_ - - - Today's Sponsors: Seven Weeks Coffee: Save up to 25% with promo code 'PINTS' at https://sevenweekscoffee.com/PINTS St. Paul Center: Share your faith with others this Easter Season by joining the Easter Accompaniment Challenge. Sign up and become a member today at https://stpaulcenter.com/pints Catholic Match: Download the app or head to https://CatholicMatch.com and find your forever. Charity Mobile: Visit https://charitymobile.com/MATTFRADD to get started. PreBorn: Make a difference for generations to come. Donate securely online at https://preborn.com/PINTS or dial #250 keyword 'BABY' - - - Become a Daily Wire Member and watch all of our content ad-free: ⁠⁠https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe⁠⁠ 📲 Download the free Daily Wire app today on iPhone, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, and more. - - - 📕 Get my newest book, Jesus Our Refuge, here: https://a.co/d/bDU0xLb 🍺 Want to Support Pints With Aquinas? 🍺 Get episodes a week early and join exclusive live streams with me! Become an annual supporter at 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mattfradd.locals.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠ - - - 💻 Follow Me on Social Media: 📌 Facebook: https://facebook.com/mattfradd 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/mattfradd 𝕏 Twitter/X: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Pints_W_Aquinas⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://tiktok.com/@pintswithaquinas⁠⁠⁠ 📚 PWA Merch – ⁠⁠⁠https://dwplus.shop/MattFraddMerch⁠⁠ 👕 Grab your favorite PWA gear here: https://shop.pintswithaquinas.com - - - Privacy Policy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dailywire.com/privacy⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Now, are all the traitors present?
0:02.0	Let's get started, shall we?
0:04.0	From rags to riches.
0:06.0	I'm so sick of this.
0:07.0	Working like a dog and being treated worse.
0:09.0	Yorkshire to New York.
0:10.0	Or climbers, you and me.
0:12.0	A life dedicated to revenge.
0:14.0	Let's make this an occasion to remember.
0:16.0	A Woman of Substance on Channel 4, stream now.
0:20.0	Epistemology is first philosophy from a phenomenological standpoint.
0:23.2	The idea of whether or not we can have successful cognitive contact with reality, what does
0:27.8	knowledge even mean?
0:29.5	Can Christians know that they know, that they know?
0:33.0	Was there a moment that you chose to believe in God and dedicate your life to Christ?
0:38.9	And did knowledge and evidence play a part in that? There's nothing good about me that isn't something God, as it were,
0:49.1	twisted out of a vice. What is knowledge then, and should we even care? You shouldn't care what knowledge is.
0:55.0	What you should care about is justified belief.
0:57.0	And if we do not live in a demon world and we do not live in a matrix world, then following the evidence will get us to the truth.
1:05.0	And if it does, and it does so in a non-accidental way, then we have cognitive contact with reality.
1:10.0	Do you know that? I do believe I know that.
1:12.6	I do believe I know that.
	...

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