Hosted by Dr William Gildea · 🇺🇸 US · EN-GB · 13 episodes
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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.
Dr William Gildea hosts Surprising Ethics, a society show with 13 episodes published.
Are activists who fight for a good cause with a bad strategy on the hook morally? The episode begins with a striking thought experiment which suggests the answer may be ‘yes’. The episode also asks: Are hard-line approac
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
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
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
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
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 philoso
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 th
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 ha
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 sho
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 lov
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 ethi
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 deba
Philosophy, made accessible, intriguing, and surprising. Give your feedback ! https://tinyurl.com/feedbackformSurprisingEthics Podcast website for contact details and more: surprisingethics.buzzsprout.com Instagram: @sur
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Surprising Ethics is hosted by Dr William Gildea. The show is categorised under society (culture) and has published 13 episodes.
Surprising Ethics has published 13 episodes.
Surprising Ethics regularly covers society, culture, philosophy. It sits in the society category, with a culture focus.
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Episodes of Surprising Ethics average 39 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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