Surprising Ethics
The most interesting ideas from ethics and political theory. Where every episode contains a surprise.
Surprising Ethics is an accessible philosophy podcast exploring the striking ways in which philosophers are trying to upend received wisdom about politics and how to live ethically. In the battle between the status quo and surprising alternatives, which will win out?
By Dr William Gildea, McGill University and Centre for Research in Ethics. Artwork by Ana Otelea.
Podcasting since 2025 • 6 episodes
Surprising Ethics
Latest Episodes
Do AIs have moral rights? | Ep. 5
We normally think: how can we stop AI harming humans? We may also have to ask: how can we stop humans harming AI? After all, there’s a surprisingly strong case for the rights of future AIs. If future (or present!) AIs have rig...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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31:36
Should the state ban smoking, restrict calories, and stop us harming ourselves? | Prof Sarah Conly on paternalism | Ep. 4
We think of ourselves as rational agents, able to choose well for ourselves. Professor Sarah Conly calls this into question. She argues that we’re reliably bad at making certain decisions. So much so that governments should step in, and make ma...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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58:50
Is it morally wrong to be monogamous? | Ep. 3
Some philosophers now argue that monogamy is morally wrong. Imagine your friend came and told you that you can’t have any other friendships. You’d be bemused. But what’s the difference between this and exclusivity in love relationships? Is jeal...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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25:56
Do only human beings have moral rights? | Ep. 2
Society assumes that animals do not have moral rights. But what could this be based on? How could we argue that humans are the only animals to have rights? And where do we draw the line? These questions about animal ethics also raise the questi...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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25:10
Is pleasure all that matters in life? | Ep. 1
Hedonists claim that pleasure is all that makes for a good life. Are they right that relationships, achievements, and meaningfulness have no intrinsic value? We explore the surprising arguments on both sides of this debate about wel...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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22:03
