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Examining Ethics is an ethics podcast produced by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. 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 some of the biggest names in moral philosophy and ethics. Academic philosophy and ethics can sometimes be difficult to understand, and our accessible, open-minded content bridges the gap between scholars and everyone else. Examining Ethics is hosted and produced by Christiane Wisehart.
102 Episodes
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When you picture philosophy, you probably picture dusty books, not a weight room full of teenagers. In the latest episode, Alex talks with philosopher Erik Kenyon (Friends Academy) about his book Philosophy at the Gymnasium, which traces how Greek moral philosophy grew directly out of athletic training. In Athens, the gym wasn't just a place to build strength. It was a hub for civic and moral education, where competition, discipline, and the pursuit of virtue went hand in hand. The conversation asks what sports culture can still teach us about moral growth, and what it might mean to train for virtue the way we train for a heavy lift.
Policing sits at the center of some of our most heated debates about justice, power, and public safety. In the first episode of Season 11, Alex talks with philosopher Jake Monaghan (University of Southern California) about his new book Just Policing. Monaghan makes the case that policing, done right, is not just permissible but morally necessary, even as he confronts its very real capacity for harm and abuse. Drawing on his research into the political philosophy of cities and his hands-on work with police reform and reentry programs, he pushes back against calls to abolish or radically defund police, while still taking seriously the demand for accountability, restraint, and reform.
Modern life runs on rules—some helpful, some… not so much. In this episode, Alex talks with philosopher Barry Lam (UC Riverside) about his new book Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. Lam makes a bold claim: sometimes fewer rules can actually make us better. With sharp insights and real-world stories, he walks us through why giving people more wiggle room might lead to fairer, more humane outcomes. But it’s not all freewheeling freedom—the conversation also digs into the risks of bias and the need for accountability when discretion takes the wheel.
The post Barry Lam: The Case for Discretion appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
As a special feature for this Spring, Alex Richardson sits down with the leadership of both the National High School Ethics Bowl and the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for a detailed conversation about the activity’s nature and future.
The post Special: The Future of the Ethics Bowl appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Rebecca Roache (Royal Holloway, University of London) on her new book, For F*ck's Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude, and Fun. Here, Roache examines the art, psychology, and moral implications of a good cursing out, ultimately concluding that it isn't the words themselves which are offensive, but what lies between the lines.
The post Rebecca Roache: The Ethics of Swearing appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
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