Examining Ethics

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Everybody wrestles with questions about ethics. Some of those questions are easy to figure out. Should I murder someone? No! But other questions are more difficult to answer. Examining Ethics doesn’t provide answers to these ethical dilemmas, but instead leaves listeners with tools and ideas from so…

The Prindle Institute for Ethics


    • Jun 1, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 76 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Examining Ethics

    African American Philosophy with John McClendon III and Stephen Ferguson II

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2022 33:23


    John McClendon III and Stephen Ferguson II are like philosophical archaeologists, uncovering and analyzing the lost scholarship of Black thinkers from the last two centuries. Their book, African American Philosophers and Philosophy, is a fascinating... The post African American Philosophy with John McClendon III and Stephen Ferguson II appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Robin Zheng: Roles and Responsibilities

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2022 26:22


    We're facing some pretty big problems these days. And whether they're things like climate change, racism or poverty, these problems are all bigger than we are as individuals. So big, in fact, it can be... The post Robin Zheng: Roles and Responsibilities appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Phantom Patterns and Online Misinformation with Megan Fritts

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022 27:31


    We take in massive amounts of information on a daily basis. Our brains use something called pattern-recognition to try and sort through and make sense of this information. My guest today, the philosopher Megan Fritts,... The post Phantom Patterns and Online Misinformation with Megan Fritts appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Climate Change is Unjust War: Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 30:06


    Most of us probably think of war as violent conflict between countries. There are aggressors and victims, and it's essentially a battle between groups of people. My guests today, Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl, complicate... The post Climate Change is Unjust War: Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Reconsidering Reparations with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 29:31


    Reparations and climate change might at first glance seem unrelated. My guest Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò argues that they are inextricably linked, and that racial justice cannot happen without climate justice. Contact us at examiningethics@gmail.com. For the... The post Reconsidering Reparations with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Why Moral Psychology is Disturbing: Regina Rini

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022 31:47


    Regina Rini holds the Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Moral and Social Cognition at York University and she joins us today to discuss why we might be disturbed when we learn about the role... The post Why Moral Psychology is Disturbing: Regina Rini appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Joshua Greene and Moral Tribes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2022 27:43


    We often discuss individual morality and ethics on the show–how people should or should not behave on an interpersonal level. But what about groups of people? How should they make sense of their competing value... The post Joshua Greene and Moral Tribes appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Women Are Up to Something: Benjamin Lipscomb

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 29:45


    On the podcast today philosopher Benjamin Lipscomb explores the unique friendship and work of four women who changed the face of moral philosophy. The post The Women Are Up to Something: Benjamin Lipscomb appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Seen and Not Heard: Jana Mohr Lone

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 26:12


    On today's episode of Examining Ethics, philosopher Jana Mohr Lone explains the profoundly empowering effects philosophy can have on children. The post Seen and Not Heard: Jana Mohr Lone appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    A Different Way of Thinking about Trust with C. Thi Nguyen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 30:55


    Many of us rely heavily on our smartphones and computers. But does it make sense to say we “trust” them? On today's episode of Examining Ethics, the philosopher C. Thi Nguyen explores the relationship of... The post A Different Way of Thinking about Trust with C. Thi Nguyen appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Kat Schrier: Using Games to Teach Ethics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2022 23:02


     If you don't know much about gaming, it can be easy to dismiss video games as violent wastes of time or to think of board games as something you pull out when there's nothing else... The post Kat Schrier: Using Games to Teach Ethics appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Transparency is Surveillance: C. Thi Nguyen

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 26:09


    Calls for increased transparency and oversight are common in public life. C. Thi Nguyen argues that transparency is a form of surveillance. The post Transparency is Surveillance: C. Thi Nguyen appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Ethics of Giving with Shariq Siddiqui

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2021 27:33


    Giving away money and resources is great, right? What harm could it do? Philanthropy expert Shariq Ahmed Siddiqui, who is a professor at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, joins us to explain... The post The Ethics of Giving with Shariq Siddiqui appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Weight of Whiteness with Alison Bailey

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2021 26:08


    Alison Bailey opens her new book, The Weight of Whiteness with an invitation to “wade slowly and mindfully into the weight of whiteness, and to attend to the ways white supremacy has misshapen our nation,... The post The Weight of Whiteness with Alison Bailey appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Uncivil Disobedience with Candice Delmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 30:49


    The last time philosopher Candice Delmas was on the show, we explored civil disobedience. On today's episode, we're discussing the uncivil side of disobedience. She explains that the very reasons that we might be obligated... The post Uncivil Disobedience with Candice Delmas appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Democratic Deliberation with Sheron Fraser-Burgess

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 21:06


    Deliberative democracy is a school of political thought in which conversation takes on a central role. It's different from representative democracy, which involves voting and polling, because it focuses on discussion and understanding to move... The post Democratic Deliberation with Sheron Fraser-Burgess appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Policing and Ethics with Ekow Yankah

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2021 29:25


    Legal scholar Ekow Yankah discusses the ethics of policing on today's episode of Examining Ethics. The post Policing and Ethics with Ekow Yankah appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Thinking While Walking with Martin Bunzl

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 29:59


    Nature has always fascinated the philosopher Martin Bunzl. For him, this spectacular setting proved to be fertile ground for reflecting on philosophical puzzles and questions about nature and ethics. The post Thinking While Walking with Martin Bunzl appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Just Immigration with Allison Wolf

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 29:39


    On this episode of Examining Ethics, the philosopher Allison Wolf explains how feminism, and its focus on oppression, sheds light on immigration injustice. The post Just Immigration with Allison Wolf appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Naomi Zack: Government Should Be Boring

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2021 33:49


    The subject of identity politics is part of a constellation of heated issues in the United States. Politics in general has been fraught with conflict in the last decade or so. Naomi Zack, professor of... The post Naomi Zack: Government Should Be Boring appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Civil Disobedience with Candice Delmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2021 30:00


    Civil disobedience is an inherently tricky moral issue. It involves intentionally breaking laws, and purposefully upsetting norms. Candice Delmas, professor of philosophy and political science at Northeastern University, is on the show to help us... The post Civil Disobedience with Candice Delmas appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Ethics of Love with Ashley C. Ford

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2021 27:08


    Ashley C. Ford is a prolific writer who covers a lot of subjects. Some of her most compelling writing is about the ethics of love. In the fall of 2019, we sat down together to... The post The Ethics of Love with Ashley C. Ford appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    A Spirit of Care with Maurice Hamington

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2021 29:22


    Portland State University professor of philosophy Maurice Hamington explains the basics of care ethics on today's episode of Examining Ethics. The post A Spirit of Care with Maurice Hamington appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Vaccine Equity with Govind Persad

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 25:08


    Many of us have vaccines on the brain recently–whether because we've just received a shot, or because we are trying to access one. Who gets vaccinated and when they get their doses is a decision... The post Vaccine Equity with Govind Persad appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Meena Krishnamurthy and Political Emotions

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2021 24:02


    On this episode of Examining Ethics, Meena Krishnamurthy discusses the important role that political emotions played in Martin Luther King Jr.'s work. The post Meena Krishnamurthy and Political Emotions appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Kindness of Strangers with Michael McCullough

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2021 31:11


    How did humans turn from animals who were only inclined to help their offspring to the creatures we are today–who regularly send precious resources to total strangers? With me on the show today is Michael... The post The Kindness of Strangers with Michael McCullough appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Moral Grandstanding with Brandon Warmke

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2021 30:00


    Brandon Warmke joins Christiane on the show today for a discussion of the importance of moral discourse. In recent years, you may have noticed a rise in the use of hyperbole and grand statement-making on... The post Moral Grandstanding with Brandon Warmke appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Ashley C. Ford and the Ethics of Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2020 28:09


    Ashley C. Ford is a prolific writer who covers a lot of subjects. Some of her most compelling writing is about the ethics of love. In the fall of 2019, we sat down together to... The post Ashley C. Ford and the Ethics of Love appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    42: Is It Possible to Be Too Good?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2020 36:12


    Is it possible to be too good? Is it possible that thinking about morality could cause clinical levels of emotional and mental distress? On today’s show (hi, it’s been a while!), Christiane talks to two... The post 42: Is It Possible to Be Too Good? appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    I Owe You an Explanation…

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2019 5:00


    Examining Ethics normally comes out on the last Wednesday of every month…except for the last few months. Christiane explains why, and also gives you an exclusive sneak peek of what we’ve been working on here... The post I Owe You an Explanation… appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    41: Ethics Education with Thomas Wartenberg and Chris Robichaud

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2019 20:01


    We often take for granted the active process of learning about ethics and morality, so today’s show focuses on the source of ethics education: the educators themselves. We hear from two superstar teachers: Chris Robichaud... The post 41: Ethics Education with Thomas Wartenberg and Chris Robichaud appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    40: Morality Scaled Up with Joshua Greene

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2019 27:43


    We often discuss individual morality and ethics on the show–how people should or should not behave on an interpersonal level. But what about groups of people? How should they make sense of their competing value... The post 40: Morality Scaled Up with Joshua Greene appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    39: The Authentic Encounter with Beth Benedix

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2019 28:30


    Beth Benedix is a professor of religious studies, world literature and community engagement and in her book Ghost Writer (A Story about Telling a Story), she explores the ethics of narrative. We covered some of the... The post 39: The Authentic Encounter with Beth Benedix appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    38: A Story about Telling a Story (about Telling a Story) with Beth Benedix

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2019 29:18


    Humans are captivated by stories. Stories draw people in–they take raw facts and infuse them with meaning and significance. But is it acceptable to take the facts of someone’s life and turn them into an entertaining... The post 38: A Story about Telling a Story (about Telling a Story) with Beth Benedix appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    37: Pushing Back on Epistemic Pushback with Alison Bailey

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2019 27:10


    If a professor told you about pushback from their students, you might assume that their students are complaining about having too much homework, or that the assigned reading is boring. The philosopher Alison Bailey says that... The post 37: Pushing Back on Epistemic Pushback with Alison Bailey appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    36: Facing the Synthetic Age with Christopher Preston

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2019 28:11


    We’re in an age known as the Anthropocene, an era in which humans have been the dominant force on earth. We’ve impacted the climate, we’ve shaped the land and in recent years, we’ve made changes... The post 36: Facing the Synthetic Age with Christopher Preston appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    35: Finite Responsibility and Infinite Hope with Joel Reynolds

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2018 25:16


    Caring for other people can be difficult. Whether it’s your own children, your parent, or a friend, care work is emotionally complicated and can be physically messy and uncomfortable. Today’s guest, the philosopher Joel Reynolds,... The post 35: Finite Responsibility and Infinite Hope with Joel Reynolds appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    34: Roles and Responsibilities with Robin Zheng

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2018 26:22


    We’re facing some pretty big problems these days. And whether they’re things like climate change, racism or poverty, these problems are all bigger than we are as individuals. So big, in fact, it can be... The post 34: Roles and Responsibilities with Robin Zheng appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    33: Identity Matters: Standpoint Epistemology with Briana Toole

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2018 24:23


    How do we obtain knowledge? Is it a purely objective, abstract process that has nothing to do with identity? Or does who we are, and where we sit on the social spectrum matter when it comes... The post 33: Identity Matters: Standpoint Epistemology with Briana Toole appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    32: Busting Myths about Banning Books with Emily J. Knox

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2018 31:21


    It’s Banned Books Week, and so on today’s show, we’re looking at some of the unquestioned assumptions that tend to go hand-in-hand with the idea of banned books. A lot of people assume that book... The post 32: Busting Myths about Banning Books with Emily J. Knox appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    31: Exploring Intellectual Property Rights with Adam Moore

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2018 24:18


    We all interact with intellectual property on a daily basis, and you probably already have some general idea of what intellectual property is and why it might be an important thing to think about. But... The post 31: Exploring Intellectual Property Rights with Adam Moore appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    30: Learning from History with Elizabeth Anderson

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2018 29:00


    Slavery is immoral. There’s no debate about it these days. But Americans didn’t always think that way. The morality of slavery was a hotly contested issue in the 18th and 19th centuries. So how did... The post 30: Learning from History with Elizabeth Anderson appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    The Ethics of Privacy Online with Andy Cullison

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2018 14:00


    We’ve long considered privacy on the internet to be a privilege we can freely give up, at no harm to ourselves. But in light of the recent Cambridge Analytic scandal, that perspective is beginning to... The post The Ethics of Privacy Online with Andy Cullison appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    29: A Dungeon Crawl Through Moral Alignments

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2018 23:25


    Can necromancers be good people? Can dragons be feminist care ethicists? Why are we asking? In this episode, producer Eleanor Price asks resident ethics expert (and fellow role-playing game enthusiast) Andy Cullison about the moral... The post 29: A Dungeon Crawl Through Moral Alignments appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    28: Philosophy and #MeToo with Emily McWilliams

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2018 27:54


    In late 2017, women’s stories of sexual assault, abuse and harassment took the center stage on social media with the hashtag MeToo. But this isn’t the first time people have shared these stories–tales of these... The post 28: Philosophy and #MeToo with Emily McWilliams appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    27: Perceiving Morality with Preston Werner

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2018 26:49


    Can you see goodness with your eyes or feel immorality in your heart? The philosopher Preston Werner thinks so. He defends an idea called moral perception, which means that just like you are able to... The post 27: Perceiving Morality with Preston Werner appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    Forgiveness and More: Bonus Material with Myisha Cherry

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2018 8:05


    In Episode 26, producer Christiane Wisehart spoke to philosopher Myisha Cherry about her work on forgiveness and moral exemplars (people who exemplify excellent forgiveness practices — for better or for worse). They had a great... The post Forgiveness and More: Bonus Material with Myisha Cherry appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    26: Forgiveness and Moral Exemplars with Myisha Cherry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2018 21:58


    Forgiveness is a big, complicated topic. We often see stories about forgiveness play out in the media, and it probably plays a large role in our personal lives as well. That’s why we wanted to... The post 26: Forgiveness and Moral Exemplars with Myisha Cherry appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    25: What’s the Deal with Philosophers?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2017 27:46


    We’re talking about the culture and quirks of the world of moral philosophy on this episode. Specifically, we’re asking questions about the parts of the field of ethics and philosophy that confuse us the most.... The post 25: What’s the Deal with Philosophers? appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    24: The Art of Listening with Krista Tippett

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2017 22:00


    Deep, meaningful conversations require active listeners. It’s obvious that part of what makes a good discussion is listening. But as it turns out, being an ethical listener requires effort. Krista Tippett joins us to share... The post 24: The Art of Listening with Krista Tippett appeared first on Examining Ethics.

    23: Frankenstein and His Creation: Who’s the Real Monster?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2017 34:29


    Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein introduced the world to archetypes we’re still familiar with: the mad scientist and his terrifying creation. But the novel is more than just a horror classic. It also asks questions about... The post 23: Frankenstein and His Creation: Who’s the Real Monster? appeared first on Examining Ethics.

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