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.
Episodes
12 episodes
What Counts as a War of Self-Defence? Iran & Beyond w. Prof David Rodin
What actually counts as self-defence when waging war? The 21st century has seen a pivot towards ‘preventive wars’: wars fought in anticipation of a possible future attack. The war in Iran is the latest example. What can philosophy tell us about...
Is the manosphere making men incapable of love? w. Patrick van Straaten
Research shows it’s love – not money or social status – that can soothe the suffering many men are feeling today. But is the manosphere taking this balm away from men? It encourages men to see women as stereotypes and as commodities. This could...
Votes for children? w. Dr Isa Trifan
Many countries are considering lowering the voting age. But right now it’s 18 nearly everywhere. Why? Why not 14, 12, or even 6? Don’t teenagers and kids have interests in having a voice? Adults may on average have more experience than teenager...
What should parents feed their kids? Meat, or vegan? | w. Dr Fischer & Dr Fredericks
How do we craft a diet in the child’s best interests? That’s the question Rachel Fredericks and Jeremy Fischer set out to answer, leaving behind the usual arguments about climate and animals. These two ethicists combined philosophy, psychology ...
Philosophy of New Year’s Resolutions
Are new year’s resolutions a golden opportunity for self-improvement, or do they reinforce a damaging ideology of work and “self-improvement”? And how can we best decide on a resolution?This episode explores two philosophical challenges ...
Is envy sometimes a virtue? w. Prof Sara Protasi
Envy is seen as a deadly sin. But not by Professor Sara Protasi, who argues that envy is often good – even *virtuous*. Envy drives progress, she claims. Feeling envious is natural. And without it, we might never leave the couch. But how can suc...
Do AIs have moral rights?
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...
Should the state ban smoking, restrict calories, and stop us harming ourselves? | Prof Sarah Conly on paternalism
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...
Is monogamy morally wrong?
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...
Do human rights imply animal rights?
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...
Is pleasure all that matters in life?
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...