As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, a moment for profound national reflection and renewal, The Catholic University of America is delighted to announce that its distinguished Institute for Human Ecology will henceforth bear the name The James Cardinal Gibbons Institute for Human Ecology. The addition honors James Cardinal […]
By Daryl Li Grateful for the generous support from the IHE and the CUA School of Philosophy, I journeyed to Savannah, Georgia to deliver a paper at the Southwestern Philosophical Society’s (SWPS) 87th Annual Meeting on 21 November 2025. Dedicated to providing a pluralistic and open forum for philosophical research, the SWPS welcomes papers on […]
Father Michael Baggot, L.C. Compelling Comfort In times of stress, confusion, disappointment, or alienation, AI companions seem to offer exactly the kind of accessible, attentive concern that people desperately crave. They are available anytime, anywhere. An AI system’s extended context window can give the impression that it knows the user’s backstory and aspirations even better than human neighbors do. AI companion platforms such as Replika, Character.AI, Nomi, and others reach hundreds of millions of people worldwide. They explicitly promise friendship, romance, and love. […]
By Morgan Whitmer If Josef Pieper is known in the English-speaking world, it is usually for his work Leisure: The Basis of Culture. Frequently, moderns misunderstand leisure as a break from work, a time for refreshment before returning to the grindstone.1 For Pieper, however, leisure is not mere “free time.” Rather, Pieper argues that true leisure, according to […]
By Dr. Jonathan Wanner “The truth shall make you odd.”—Flannery O’Connor A paradox clears up the mud in your mind by making it dirtier, and the best paradoxes rely on an error to correct an error. G. K. Chesterton intuited this fact well, as he routinely confuses the reader only to enlighten him, teaching logical […]
By IHE Scholar Miriam Pritschet The IHE England pilgrimage was an unparalleled experience. Accompanied by a flock of faithful, joyful, intellectually curious fellow pilgrims and surrounded by the stunning architecture of Gothic spires and baroque facades, I could hardly believe how blessed I was to be experiencing the riches of the faith in Our Lady’s […]
By Theresa Ryland The Church recently celebrated the feast day of Saint Augustine on August 28. Augustine’s life shows how prayer and intellectual activity can unite in the depths of the human heart by grace. Augustine’s practice of sacred intellection reflects Christ’s prayer that his disciples would be “consecrated in the Truth” (John 17:19 RSV). […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has captured the attention of a wide variety of individuals and groups: junior programmers seeking help with coding, university administrators concerned about academic dishonesty, and healthcare professionals seeking tools for analyzing patient data. Even Pope Leo XIV has raised concerns about AI’s implications. Responding to this cultural moment, the Institute for Human […]
By IHE Scholar Thomas Holman Pope Saint John Paul II’s fascination with the human person began early in his life. From the beginning of his priestly ministry through the end of his storied pontificate, the relationality of the human person remained a central theme. His dogged struggles against the evils of the various forms of […]
By IHE Graduate Scholar Molly Egilsrud, MA, MPhil Each June, the Church draws our attention and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year, there is an added poignancy: Pope Francis’s October encyclical Dilexit Nos on this devotion proved to be the final teaching of his pontificate. The late Pontiff encouraged the Church to […]
