Daniel McInerny is associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College in Virginia. He is also a novelist and dramatist.

His scholarship is directed toward reactivating an Aristotle’s understanding of art as imitation, long out of favor among philosophers. HIs biggest step in that direction is his new book, Beauty & Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts. Peter Kreeft wrote of his previous book, The Way of Beauty, “This is literally the best book on beauty that I have ever read: the most convincing, clear, and comprehensive; the most eye-opening and satisfying; the most insightful and delightful. It is a masterpiece.” 

In this episode, Dr. McInerny and Jonathan Rogers talk about why human beings take so much pleasure in imitation; they talk about the odd fact that an imitation can often afford us a better insight into a thing than does the direct experience of the thing. Also, they talk about Christopher Walken.