Episode
#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
1:30:38
Published: Thu Aug 27 2020
Description
Alex O'Connor is a philosopher & YouTuber. Get ready for a mental workout today as Alex poses some of the most famous and most difficult questions in ethics. What does it mean to say that something is good? Why SHOULD you do one thing instead of another thing? Why should we care about wellbeing? What is the definition of suffering? On whose authority is anything good or bad? Sponsor: Check out everything I use from The Protein Works at https://www.theproteinworks.com/modernwisdom/ (35% off everything with the code MODERN35) Extra Stuff: Watch Alex on YouTube - https://youtu.be/gcVR2OVxPYw Subscribe to Alex on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/CosmicSkeptic Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact
Chapters
Alex discusses the meaning of good, why we should care about well-being, and the definition of suffering, challenging our intuitions about what is good and bad.
00:00 - 04:26 (04:26)
Summary
Alex discusses the meaning of good, why we should care about well-being, and the definition of suffering, challenging our intuitions about what is good and bad.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Practical ethics answers the question of what is good while meta ethics answers the question of what good is.
04:26 - 11:49 (07:22)
Summary
Practical ethics answers the question of what is good while meta ethics answers the question of what good is. Objective ethics is the belief that ethical propositions are true regardless of personal beliefs.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast explores the practical and theoretical aspects of ethics, including how to work out famous moral dilemmas, breaking down specific moral issues, and relying on intuition as a method of exploring different ethical theories.
11:49 - 17:44 (05:54)
Summary
This podcast explores the practical and theoretical aspects of ethics, including how to work out famous moral dilemmas, breaking down specific moral issues, and relying on intuition as a method of exploring different ethical theories.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this episode, the speaker discusses how the concept of morality is not just about maximizing pleasure but rather doing what is considered justified in certain situations like murder.
17:43 - 23:56 (06:12)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker discusses how the concept of morality is not just about maximizing pleasure but rather doing what is considered justified in certain situations like murder.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The discussion revolves around how one should act in a way that maximizes pleasure by following probabilistic utilitarianism.
23:56 - 33:50 (09:53)
Summary
The discussion revolves around how one should act in a way that maximizes pleasure by following probabilistic utilitarianism. They also explore the definition of knowledge and how following a rule of maximizing pleasure might lead to higher suffering in society overall.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The speaker discusses the idea of justified belief, using the example of a job candidate who has 10 coins in their pocket, and how this belief can come about even if the belief turns out to be false.
33:50 - 37:19 (03:29)
Summary
The speaker discusses the idea of justified belief, using the example of a job candidate who has 10 coins in their pocket, and how this belief can come about even if the belief turns out to be false.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The principle of being morally responsible is that one cannot be held responsible if they could not have acted otherwise.
37:19 - 40:32 (03:12)
Summary
The principle of being morally responsible is that one cannot be held responsible if they could not have acted otherwise. For example, if you were a passenger on a train and the train killed someone, you wouldn't be morally responsible because you didn't control the train.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The field of philosophy is composed of various subfields, and one area of focus is ethics.
40:32 - 45:59 (05:27)
Summary
The field of philosophy is composed of various subfields, and one area of focus is ethics. While the questions have remained the same over time, the tools and thought experiments used have evolved and continue to shape the field.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The concept of ethical progression is often associated with practices like slavery being abolished, or the vegan movement, but there are two different types of ethical progression - one is practically changing to live up to an objective ethical standard, while the other is realizing inconsistencies or implications of existing beliefs.
45:59 - 53:11 (07:11)
Summary
The concept of ethical progression is often associated with practices like slavery being abolished, or the vegan movement, but there are two different types of ethical progression - one is practically changing to live up to an objective ethical standard, while the other is realizing inconsistencies or implications of existing beliefs.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The argument is presented that individuals in the porn industry or any aspect of sex work should have the right to refuse to have sex with anyone they don't choose, regardless of race or disability, because they own their own body.
53:11 - 1:01:22 (08:11)
Summary
The argument is presented that individuals in the porn industry or any aspect of sex work should have the right to refuse to have sex with anyone they don't choose, regardless of race or disability, because they own their own body.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Michael Sandell, a philosopher at Harvard, discusses the ethical dilemma known as the Trolley Problem, where individuals decide between killing one person or multiple people.
1:01:23 - 1:09:46 (08:23)
Summary
Michael Sandell, a philosopher at Harvard, discusses the ethical dilemma known as the Trolley Problem, where individuals decide between killing one person or multiple people.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The concept of "doing" versus "allowing" raises moral distinctions in certain scenarios, such as cutting out someone's organ versus killing them in another way.
1:09:46 - 1:17:32 (07:46)
Summary
The concept of "doing" versus "allowing" raises moral distinctions in certain scenarios, such as cutting out someone's organ versus killing them in another way. Despite the non-moral distinctions in the actions, there is a difference in the moral implications of the actions taken.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The host shares his admiration for those who practice effective altruism, donating significant portions of their earnings for the most effective charity, and maximizing the value out of every pound.
1:17:32 - 1:26:16 (08:43)
Summary
The host shares his admiration for those who practice effective altruism, donating significant portions of their earnings for the most effective charity, and maximizing the value out of every pound.
Episode#214 - Cosmic Skeptic - How Do We Define What Is Good & Bad?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast discusses the importance of analyzing old philosophical texts with updated language and the usefulness of analyzing ethics through specific ethical questions.
1:26:16 - 1:30:30 (04:13)
Summary
This podcast discusses the importance of analyzing old philosophical texts with updated language and the usefulness of analyzing ethics through specific ethical questions.