Imagine you’re a teenager in the parking lot outside a grocery store. It’s hot, you’re tired, and you’re late. Your mother has strictly commanded you to be home in 5 minutes, and you have just enough time to make it. Suddenly, you spot an elderly woman struggling with a heavy cart of groceries. Cars honk at her as she shuffles toward her sedan. You see her flushing with anxiety. What do you do? Obey your mother and hope the woman is okay? Ignore your obligation to your mother and help her? Why? Why not?
Moral choices of various caliber arise for us daily. Maybe they’re not all as intense as this case, but nonetheless, how do we make our moral decisions? Where do our values originate? This episode Kevin and I revisit the question, examining our own moral compasses, a few case studies from our experiences, and some relevant philosophical perspectives. We highly recommend reading the show notes first. Enjoy!
Audio
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Video
Show Notes
- Normative Ethics | Wikipedia
- Stanford Prison Experiment | Wikipedia
- Kenan Malik asks Where Do Values Come From? | The RSA
- Deontological Ethics | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Virtue Ethics | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Consequentialism | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Post-Show Song
“Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
02/07/2014 at 7:23 am Permalink
In the past, I saw an old man cycling and he fell .
I don’t know why, but I didn’t move, because I thought someone will come and help him .
Indeed, someone helped him .
When someone fall, I can’t help because I’m ashamed, my mother told me that it’s because I’m young ▬?▬ .
Is that good ? Is that bad ?
That’s the question .
I think feelings are really important into morality .