The Morality of Everyday Things: An Everyday Philosophy Podcast

What is happiness? What form matters? Part 1 - Season teaser drop!

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 09:45:45 -0000

Hi all, excuse the LONG pause - we've been heads down at Stasher.com and super busy. We did manage to get this episode together and decided that as Ant is appearing on a quiz show and this has likely brought some new people (hi, if that's you!), it'd be great to let people know that the next season is on it's way if very delayed.

In this multi-parter, we discuss happinness and the dissonance of the human condition. The person who lives a meaningful but trying life is in some way happy (certainly they're admired and envied), but so to is the man who lives in his pleasant cottage and learns to appreciate the simple things...how can these 2 very distinct lives be called the same thing? This is what we explore in this series, what are the constituent parts of happiness and why is this term so fragmented anyway. We'll start from a biological and pyschological perspective (this episode) all the way up to a philosophical view in assessing how we should think about happiness and how we may incorporate these perspectives within our lives.

We'll be back with more content soon!

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Replay our first ever episode: Should billionaires exist?

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:47:00 -0000

The episode that started it all...Should billionaires exist? We explore classic perspectives from the likes of Nozick and Rawls and give some context on just how much a billion is!

Old description: In this first episode, Jake and Ant explore the moral implications of extreme wealth inequality. Can billionaires co-exist with a population in poverty? When, if ever, is it right to takeaway someone's private property? Do we deserve the cash we inherit any less than the talents we inherit by birth?

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How do we know we're not living in the matrix? Solipsism and another classic philosophy film

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:13:41 -0000

The season finale....we bring it back to films we love which are loaded with philosophical ideas and we dive into a little bit of Latin - Cogito Ergo Sum! We discuss the classic questions of, how do we know anything is real? Is there anything we CAN know is real? Does it even matter?

We discuss Descartes and how he came to his famous "I think therefore I am" and what that exactly means, and we extend his skepticism to help explain the relationship with the classic movie The Matrix.

This is the final episode for the season and the upcoming break may be a bit longer as we're busy focusing on Stasher's funding round - https://seedrs.com/stasher if you're interested.

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How should we decide what makes the news? Imploding submarines and manufacturing consent.

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 15:18:32 -0000

In this episode, we use the recent nautical disaster of the imploding submarine to explore how we determine what makes the news, and what should make the news? We examine the model of "newsworthyness" as well as looking at the work of Baudrillard and Chomsky.

Basically, is the news a filter that brings forward diamonds, or does the new have an agenda and weave narratives to guide our thinking, or distract us?

P.s. we're thinking of a London live show! Let us know if you'd like to see us live :) Join the whatsapp and say hi.

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INTERVIEW: Life Is Hard, with Kieran Setiya - part 2

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:28:53 -0000

Following our episode discussing his book and the concepts within, we speak with the author himself! Kieran is a professor in Philosophy from MIT and author of several books around philosophy and it's practical place within our lives.

In this follow-on episode we focus more on the concept of justice and it's role in Kieran's conception of dealing with the hard parts of life - and a wider ranging conversation thereafter!

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INTERVIEW: Life Is Hard, with Kieran Setiya - part 1

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:16:00 -0000

Excuse posting this episode 1 day late. This week, following our episode discussing his book and the concepts within, we speak with the author himself! Kieran is a professor in Philosophy from MIT and author of several books around philosophy and it's practical place within our lives.

We have a far ranging topic around why he wrote this book, whether philosophy is self-help and a breakdown of a synopsis of the book!

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Is it wrong to increase the price of medicine?

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:22:53 -0000

Some of you may remember "The Pharma Bro" who raised the cost of medicine 1000%. He recently appeared on a podcast and it led us to consider the question. Should medicine be sacrasanct? Is it really that different ot other businesses and is being sanctimonious about it just going to get in the way of progress?

We discuss whether Shkreli is fully morally developed, mid-term vs short-term moral optimization and the Heinz thought experiment (is it ok to steal medicine?).

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If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Life is hard, but can philosophy help deal with our suffering and the meaning of life? A discussion of Kieran Setiya's book

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:01:31 -0000

In this episode, we discuss Kieran Setiya's book "life is hard" and discuss the place of philosophy in our everyday lives. Can philosophy be a guide to a life well lived, and actually educate us to live through suffering effectively?

This one is a far-ranging open discussion around the topic of the book.

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Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Universal Basic Income with Professor Guy Standing (part 2) - how do we practically make it happen, and what will the impact be?

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:28:14 -0000

A follow on to last episode where we discuss Basic Income with Guy Standing. Last episode we talked about the moral basis for Basic Income, this week we follow on with a moral practical approach. How will it be funded, what will the impact be, how/when are we likely to see this, etc. Guy is a fantastic and fun guest, so it's definitely worth listening to the follow up here.

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Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Universal Basic Income with Professor Guy Standing - what is the moral justification for giving everyone free money?

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:43:31 -0000

After having previously said over and over that we'll "do UBI properly at some point", the time has come, and what better way to approach this question than including the man who quite literally wrote the book on it, Guy Standing. A professor in Economics at SOAS, who spent many years at the Internatinoal Labour Organization and founded the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), this episode is really more about Guy than us - with us questioning him on what drives the moral imperative for everyone receiving basic income.

Support the show:

Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Money in sports - is it wrong to support Newcastle United now they have Saudi money?

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 10:36:21 -0000

We've previously discussed footballers being overpaid...but where is that money coming from? With our beloved clubs being increasingly funded by authoritarian regimes with spotty human rights records, who are arguably intentionally using these investments as a means of improving their global image, what responsibility sits on the fans? Are newcastle fans required to take a stand against their saudi owners? Should we have boycotted the most recent world cup in Qatar? All this and more as we explore jakes favourite side-interest once again.

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Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Absurdism, The Meaning of Life, Camus and Everything Everywhere All At Once

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 03:00:00 -0000

In today's episode, we use the lens of the film Everything Everywhere All At Once to examine the absurdist strand of the french existentialists. Specifically, we'll discuss Camus and his book The Myth Of Sisyphus, and how it may shape our view of the meaningless(?)ness of it all. On the way, we'll discuss how the stoics and Nietzsche shaped existentialism on its way to Camus, and ultimately wrap up by relating this to the film.

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Here's the link to our new community whatsapp, where we'll discuss episodes and ask our most engaged listeners what sort of topics/formats they most enjoy.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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SEASON 3 teaser trailer - out this wednesday!

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 17:02:00 -0000

What to expect this season, each wednesday.

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Also, click the bell icon to get notified of new episode releases!

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

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Is it unfair to overpay footballers? REPLAY

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:54:02 -0000

The final episode in our mid-season hiatus - which means season 3 will launch next week! This replay also relates to an upcoming episode in the new season....little teaser for you there.

Old episode description

In this episode Jake and Ant explore what it means to be overpaid - both from an economic and moral perspective. Particularly, footballers are considered in the context of essentially being entertainers. In it, you'll get a potted history of how footballers went from earning £1 a week to over £300k, an original take on the footballers v nurses debate and a look at what happened to the Gunnersaurus.

If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt

References from the episode:

For more information about Treepoints, visit https://treepoints.green

The Peter Crouch podcast's Roy Keane photos

Seville's capture of the Gunnersaurus

The Acquired Podcast

The shareholders cartoon

Support the show:

Here's the link to our new community whatsapp.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

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Is 'God' a good thing? Part 3 - what's the source of religious moral authority? REPLAY

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:04:07 -0000

The third in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism!

Old Description:

In this episode, we finish our series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility.

In this episode, we consider the source of moral authority when it comes to religion. Ultimately, if people say things like 'this is the correct way to interpret scripture', there must be some method they're leaning on to pick between alternative interpretations. If this is the case, is God's word not, in itself, the source of moral authority? Is God good at selecting what's good, or does he define it be choosing it? We talk through these problems and consider whether, in the context of morality, an appeal to authority is ever a compelling form of argument.

Support the show:

Here's the link to our new community whatsapp.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

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Is 'God' a good thing? Part 2 - has religion been a net benefit to society? REPLAY

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:44:31 -0000

The second in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism!

Old Description:

In this episode, we begin a series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility.

We begin by assessing some of the classic arguments for either believing or not believing in god, drawing inspiration all the way from the Ancient Greece to Dostoevsky. Next we'll consider whether religion (irrespective of god's existence) has been a net good for humanity, and finally what the moral basis for god's morality could be (an appeal to authority, the definition of what is moral or something else entirely).

Support the show:

Here's the link to our new community whatsapp.

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

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Community whatsapp group - link in description

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 15:57:00 -0000

As the audio explains, here's the link to our new community whatsapp, to discuss upcoming episodes and engage generally!

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Is God a good thing? Classic arguments for belief - Replay

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:20:12 -0000

The first in 3 parts which will relate to the first episode in our next season - absurdism!

Old Description:

Support the show:

Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel all warm inside too.

Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude. Keep up to date with future episodes on our website here: https://moedt.substack.com/

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Are NFTs a Scam? - Replay

Wed, 31 May 2023 16:59:59 -0000

This episode is an inter-season replay - enjoy!

Old intro:

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are all the rage - at time of posting. Should we all be rushing to buy digital images of gorillas wearing sunglasses? Or are there better ways of supporting struggling artists?

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at whether NFTs represent a bright future for helping artists monetize their work. They begin by discussing how NFTs work, what web3 is and why people are so excited about where this technology could lead us. Bill Gates famously warned that one of the early design flaws of the internet was that it would be hard for creators to monetise their content - and we've certainly seen the risks of this with the rise of platforms like Spotify - so does web3 hold the answers? Along the way, they look at what art is, what it means to own art and whether NFTs will actually fulfil all their promises. Is the current hype around NFT just the beginning, or is it a bubble? Or, worse, are NFTs a kind of ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme?

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The Trailer - The Morality of Everyday Things

Fri, 26 May 2023 15:31:47 -0000

"...and it's live!"

Welcome, everybody, to the morality of everyday things. This is a 1 minute intro to Ant and Jake and what this podcast is all about.

We'll tackle everyday questions such as "Should billionaires exist?", "Is it immoral to eat meat?" and much more. We'll walk through how to approach these issues from an accessible philosophical perspective. We're here to make you think and sometimes chuckle.

If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt

To hear when new episodes are released, subscribe on our website: https://moedt.substack.com

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Season finished - Replays to come for the next 4 weeks

Fri, 26 May 2023 15:08:59 -0000

It's felt great to hold a streak and post for you guys each week for a couple months - even if a bunch of bank holidays changed posting days, and we missed the last one by a week! Unfortunately, we're busy busy boys so we'll now be taking a hiatus to build up a bank of episodes again and focus on our business over a rather key month for us.

If there's a question you'd like to hear about in the upcoming season, an anecdote you'd like to share, or something you're an expert on (open to guest sessions in that case) then just let us know. You can reach us on our socials, or by emailing anthony@stasher.com.

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Is bullying ever a good management strategy? Raab getting fired, hot-take - end of season

Mon, 22 May 2023 17:00:36 -0000

Firstly, apologies for the slow release - technical issue with an AI product to smooth the sound ruined our initial release. This will also be the last episode in our recent season, so expect 3-4 weeks of replays of our old hits while we build out a bank for our new season!

Today's Episode:

Today, we do a hot take on the deputy PM's recent firing (Dominic Raab) based on allegations of bullying. We dig in to the specifics of the report, and touch on concepts of management and culture (generally and specific to government) and discuss concepts such as "radical candour", the story of Bartleby and other relevant topics.

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Will AI steal our jobs, or just straight up kill us?

Wed, 10 May 2023 20:01:00 -0000

Today's Episode:

We've previously touched on AI and understanding. In today's episode, we explore what sorts of jobs are at risk of loss, and how and why AI poses a risk to human existence. This explores both it becoming out of control, but also intentional misuse.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts!

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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When do you deserve to retire, and have the french taken striking too far? Hot-take episode

Tue, 02 May 2023 18:10:45 -0000

Today's Episode:

The concept of living out your golden years somewhere warm, wallowing away the hours in the garden or on a beach has gone from the idea of luxury (100-200 years ago) to the expectation for all. In a world with declining fertility rates (i.e. people aren't having babies) and some larger generations approaching their twilight years, some countries are seeing pension spending rising to over 10% of GDP. Put simply, generational demographics (gens getting smaller in many developed countries) and people living longer mean that, when the old outnumber the young, it's going to be very hard to support our pensioners. We're seeing attempts to reform ahead of this pension timebomb, but people do not want to give up money they've come to expect and to continue to work. Nowhere are we seeing this clash happen than in France, where the clash is really quite literal.

This also forms a nice follow-on to our episodes on striking - is this the real life example of trade unions taking it to far? All this and more in today's hot-take episode. Excuse the cursory research into the details of the pension reform in France - further reading has revealed that a large part of the anger towards this policy is that it will hurt poorer people harder than bureaucrats and public sector workers.

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Is WFH good for us?

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:52:00 -0000

Today's Episode:

Many will recall the remote/wfh fervour during covid, what felt like the coming of a new revolution. So many CEOs were saying how much more productive they were, employees were happy and commutes were a distant memory.

Things are different now that covid's gone. CEOs and demanding people back into the office (if they're not just laying people off), cities are rather sad ghost towns and commutes are coming back. In this ongoing struggle between WFH, remote or office based work, where do you stand? More important than the practical, we talk about the subtle psychological factors at play, and discuss the place of work relative to meaning within our lives.

This episode is less of a philosophical exploration, and really just musings between 2 young founders on the nature of work and happiness, particularly when it comes to being a physical part of your working community vs the comfort of WFH or the novelty of travelling!

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Does AI actually understand us, and what does it mean to understand?

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0000

Today's Episode:

ChatGPT is the hot topic of the day and, much like when google first came out, it still feels magic to use. However, it raises several bigger questions to match. Some are practical, but many are a bit deeper.

On the practical side: what happens when AI is doing all the work, will enough be left for us? How should we renumerate people to survive, if not for work?

On the philosophical side: does AI ACTUALLY understand me? What does it even mean to understand? If AI reaches the point where for all intents and purposes it perfectly mimics (or even improves on) understanding...does it matter that there's no thinking, feeling thing behind the code? I mean, how do I know that anyone else is more than an input -> output machine with a conscious experience inbetween? My own is the only one I can verify afterall.

We discuss this and more in our first episode exploring AI, focusing on understanding. We explain the distinction between functional and phenomenal understanding and use thought experiments like The Chinese Room to highlight the point.

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Should we censor children's books?

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 11:15:04 -0000

Today's Episode:

You may have recently heard that Penguin Random House released new, editted versions of Roald Dahl's old classic childrens books, to keep them up to date with current norms around discussions of: weight, gender, race and mental health. Those are some weighty (no pun intended) topics of identity politics of recent years, but have they got this right? Come with us and examine some of these edits to determine where you sit on this decision, that has found critics from across the ideological spectrum.

Particularly, we start by examining the severity of these changes, and ultimately 3 key strands we touch on are: the distinction between the removal of something versus the insertion or promotion of new ideas that weren't previously present, the special case of children's books versus general censorship and finally dicussing censorship, free-speech and the 'marketplace for ideas' more generally.

Support the show:

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Replay: should we make the covid vaccine mandatory?

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 02:00:00 -0000

One more replay before we start our new season - p.s. let us know how you like our current affairs hot-takes, early feedback has been positive! Following the covid theme to mark the 3 year anniversary (do you say that for bad occasions?) of the first lockdowns in 2020, here we discuss the ethics of making vaccines mandatory - original description follows:

----

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of mandatory vaccination, particularly in the context of covid and the year of mandatory lockdowns we've just been through. Arguably, vaccines have clearer benefits and fewer trade-offs than lockdowns, but precedent over the last few decades has been to enshrine people's freedom of choice on the matter (even if their opinions are based on debunked conspiracy theories).

Does the covid crisis make for a different circumstance, particularly given all the recent, mandatory lockdowns? They do after all represent another example of restricting personal freedoms in the interest of public health. We consider the similarities and differences between these interventions which either support or detract from this analogy, exploring concepts of bodily autonomy and human dignity, as well as a brief 'ground-up' view from consequentialist and deontological perspectives.

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Hot-take: Gary Lineker was right, and the unexpected reason we should support refugees

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 01:00:00 -0000

The first of our hot-take episodes, where we assess current affairs, what our feelings are on it and try to apply a philosophical lens where appropriate - and talk through recent listener questions! This week, we discuss the BBC's temporary suspension of Gary Lineker after comparing descriptions of plans to deal with refugees as akin to the talk of 1930's germany.

Please do send in your suggested questions, thoughts etc via instagram.

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REPLAY: When is lockdown justified?

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:51:14 -0000

An ominous anniversary hit us yesterday...3 years since the first UK lockdown. It seemed only fitting to replay this episode. The original description follows. Next up is a hot-take episode for you to let us know what you think of the format, and we then plan to replay our 2nd covid episode as a follow-on to this one, before getting started on the next season!

In this episode, Jake and Ant consider the circumstances where restricting personal freedoms in the interest of public health may be morally justified. This includes an exploration of whether this is a truly unique circumstances, versus issues like national security, what moral frameworks are most appropriate and the classic balancing of the moral calculus. We'll address questions such as: what's the value of a human life? How should we spread benefits and harms across society and, of course, what might Kant have to say about all this?

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Update on upcoming epsidoes on the podcast...

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:24:00 -0000

Firstly, if you enjoy the show, please send in your listener questions via instagram - whether they're personal or topics you'd like us to cover. We'll be addressing more of these in our new episode format (read on for more)...

An update on how we'll be running the podcast in future: to give you all a more consistent posting schedule, we're moving to a seasonal format so we can keep up with weekly posts (if not even more frequent)!

2 things on this...we're moving to a more typical 'season' structure. This means that we'll post every week for a stretch of 5-10 episodes, then take a break every couple months or so to replenish our backlog of episodes to come - during this period, we'll reshare older episodes that newer listeners will have missed. Secondly, we're also adding "hot take" episodes for about 50% of our episodes, where we'll look at current affairs topics through a philosophical lense, and discussing listener questions - first one will be on Gary Lineker and refugees. Those listener questions we find most interesting will be spun into full episodes (if we don't end up rambling a whole episodes worth, there and then!)

Excited for all that's to come with these changes...onwards and upwards friends :)

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Greta Thunberg is selling a book...noble move or total sellout?

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 16:05:00 -0000

A quick one for you today spawned from a real discussion that Anthony and Jake recently had. Ever the cynic and hater of celebrity culture, upon hearing that Greta Thunberg was releasing a book, Anthony was a little miffed - is this capitalist/celebrity co-opting? Jake fights the case in defence of what he rates as quite a good book! Hear it all here.

If you're a fan of the show, please do follow, review and recommend it to a friend - it does far more good than you may realize! :)

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Are strikes selfish extortion or justified and necessary?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 16:17:00 -0000

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

And if you want to give us feedback via our survey, please fill that in here: https://forms.gle/xMjvDbsipam1RAwg6

Today's Episode:

Anyone who lives in the UK will have been affected by these recently...large-scale strikes. This has taken on a very unique flavour, begging a podcast episode, for 2 reasons: aside from the fact this an issue we've not encountered at this scale for decades, we're primarily seeing these in public (or quasi-public) services such as transport and healthcare where the people being hurt aren't profiteering capitalists but everyday people, and this is also coinciding with a wider (and very deep) cost of living crisis for the entire economy. That said, many of these public service workers have seen real wage losses for many years and the 10% real wage drop they face due to inflation this year would be devastating.

All of this really changes the moral calculus on both sides and begs the question...where is the line between fighting for the little man, and holding the public hostage?

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Is it wrong to ghost someone?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 23:56:00 -0000

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

And if you want to give us feedback via our survey, please fill that in here: https://forms.gle/xMjvDbsipam1RAwg6

Today's Episode:

Really taking it to a modern everyday issue here...ghosting. What exactly is ghosting, why does it hurt so much, and when is it ok to do (if ever?). We discuss why the appearance of the romantic trend of simply going silent on a partner and disappearing has emerged. In discussing this, we explore some of the morality around expectations, our obligations to others and how much we should really care about what others think.

For further reading on this episode, see this article: https://ideas.ted.com/why-ghosting-hurts-us-psychology/ It forms the foundation of the psychological analysis we discuss, including:

Why caring about what others think of you is a socially beneficial skill. The key is not to care “too much”.
How uncertainty reduction theory explains the pain of ghosting
Why our craving for human connection exacerbates this pain in a romantic setting

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Should teenagers get a vote, or should we limit voting even further?

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 21:03:00 -0000

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

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Today's Episode:

Should teenagers get a vote, or should we limit voting even further?

Famously in the UK, many reported that, had 16 year olds been included, Brexit would not have passed. Further, had retirees been excluded, it wouldn't have even been close. It raises several interesting questions...why do we allow people who will largely be uninvolved in the future knock-on effects to vote? Where does the legitimacy of getting a vote come from? Also, why do we limit anyone voting by age? Isn't the implication some lack of a certain capacity? If we agree on that point as a good thing, then why don't we introduce MORE tests to indentify people who aren't clued up enough to vote and do that?

We discuss these questions and how our feelings on this may relate to other forms of government (direct vs representative democracies, democracies vs aristocracies, epistocracies and technocracies). All of this follows on neatly from our previous chats on voting, tying it all together with a little intro on Walter Lippman.

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Should it be a legal requirement to vote? Can I sell my vote?

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:39:00 -0000

If you're a fan of the show, we'd love to chat to you! Book a call with us here and it'll feel like being on one of our episodes: https://calendly.com/jacob-stasher/user-research

And if you want to give us feedback via our survey, please fill that in here: https://forms.gle/xMjvDbsipam1RAwg6

Today's Episode:

Should voting be required by law? Should you have to pay a fine if you fail to get to the polls?

With voter turnout dropping around the world, Ant & Jake look at the example of Australia and the effects of mandatory voting. Advocates for mandatory voting say that apart from getting voter turnout above 90%, it makes citizens more politically aware, makes governments more representative and means candidates can focus more on issues. But do these bear out in practice? And is it an infringement on people's liberty to force them to the polls?

Then, in the second half of the episode, they ask the question: what if you could sell your vote? Economists normally argue that the free market leads to more efficient outcomes, but could the risks outweigh the benefits. And would commodifying a vote undermine the very sanctity of democracy?

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Am I a bad person if I don't vote?

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 09:44:00 -0000

Do you have a moral duty to vote? Are you letting down your country if you don't make the effort to ballot?

Last episode, we looked at whether voting was rational. This episode we shift focus and ask whether you have a duty - a moral obligation - to vote, whether or not you think voting makes sense.

Surveys show most people feel you do have a duty to vote - and most moral and political philosophers agree. But why? We look at a few of the major arguments, including the generalization argument, the civic virtue argument and the complicity argument. Other themes we touch on are the theory of easy-aid, free-riding and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem (more on that here).

Support the show:

Please let us know what you think of the pod and how we can improve via our feedback survey! https://forms.gle/xMjvDbsipam1RAwg6

If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt. Know anyone who likes to think about or debate the kind of topics we cover? Spread the word - and you’ll have our gratitude.

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Should you bother voting? Intrumental vs Expressive theories (FEEDBACK SURVEY LINK IN DESCRIPTION)

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 16:14:00 -0000

Please let us know what you think of the pod and how we can improve via our feedback survey! https://forms.gle/xMjvDbsipam1RAwg6

Why should you bother voting at all? In a world where your vote feels like a drop in the ocean, where you're only voting for a representative most of the time, where districts are gerrymandered and voters are suppressed...why bother?

Maybe the answer to that is that we're doing something for the communal good? Maybe you need to communicate to swing future elections? Maybe it's more about saying something to yourself than achieving something!

We'll approach this firstly from a perspective of political science and explain the distinction between instrumental and expressive reasons to vote, before building up to moral reasons and considering policies such as mandatory voting and where we should draw the line of who gets to vote.

Following this series, we'll assess a little more closely what makes democracy legitimate more generally and a review of the history of thought around the topic.

Support the show:

Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon, go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt.

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REPLAY: Should we lie to kids about Santa Clause?

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 14:16:36 -0000

A replay of last year's festive episode - new episode on voting to follow soon :)

Is the Santa myth just harmless fun, or should we be honest to our kids about Saint Nick?

In this very festive episode, Jake and Ant discuss the morality of lying to children about Santa Claus. They start with a brief history of the character's origins, including Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas and even Odin. Then they go over the origins of the tradition of teaching children of Santa's literal existence and the reasons for doing it.

After that, they discuss the potential benefits of the fiction, as well as the potential harms, before bringing up several philosophical frameworks and what they have to say about lying to children in addition to lying in general. They end the discussion by talking about the lessons that the Santa myth may inadvertently teach children, as well as alternatives to lying to children that don't deprive kids of the fun of the Santa story.

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Work: money or meaning? Discussion - Part 2

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:56:00 -0000

Excuse our delay in posting this part 2 - we had to swap podcast providers as we've joined the Auddy.co podcast network and had some issues with this move.

In a slightly different format to normal, today we have part 2 in a discussion around the role that work should have in our lives. Should jobs that make us have to choose between doing good and making money even exist really? Why is there a cultural dichotomy between making money and pursuing meaning, has this always been the case?

This is a loosely scripted/planned episode based on an essay written by Ant, which can be found here: https://adonic.medium.com/work-money-or-meaning-why-has-this-become-a-choice-we-have-to-make-b4628fb2a337.

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Work: money or meaning? Discussion - Part 1

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:48:00 -0000

In a slightly different format to normal, today we have a discussion around the role that work should have in our lives. Should jobs that make us have to choose between doing good and making money even exist really? Why is there a cultural dichotomy between making money and pursuing meaning, has this always been the case?

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Should we have a death tax? - part 2 - Why have an inheritance tax and does it work?

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 12:06:00 -0000

The second in a two-parter where we discuss taxes and specifically inheritance tax. The series explores why taxes make sense at all, and then apply this thinking to inheritance tax - both whether it meets the ideological/moral aims we have for taxes more generally, and indeed whether they seem to actually effectively meet their intended aims!

In this episode, we get into the specifics of inheritance tax - context, policy, ideology. We discuss the intended moral impact of inheritance taxes - avoiding the "paris hilton" effect, a country with too many indolent heirs and landed aristocracy - and also the policy implications, which have some surpising differences vs the ideology. Who's actually paying inheritance tax? Is the law too complicated? Do the rich, with their offshore accounts and tax advisors, even pay it?

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Should we have a death tax? - part 1 - Why do we have taxes?

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:28:00 -0000

The first in a two-parter where we discuss taxes and specifically inheritance tax. The series explores why taxes make sense at all, and then apply this thinking to inheritance tax - both whether it meets the ideological/moral aims we have for taxes more generally, and indeed whether they seem to actually effectively meet their intended aims!

In this episode, we focus a lot on the point of taxes in general and break it down into 3 points: supporting public goods that it wouldn't make sense to privately provide, nudging behaviour and internalizing externalities and finally support general redistribution of wealth. It makes a great pre-cursor to any future tax episodes!

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Are landlords evil? Part 2

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 17:24:00 -0000

The second in a two-parter where we discuss whether landlords are evil. In a world where more and more urban centers in the western world are becoming unlivably expensive, should we be permitting people to treat homes as investment assets and sources of incomes? We also specifically discuss this in the context of 'leverage', which is basically when you use a mortgage to multiply your gains and losses.

In this episode, we discuss whether asset ownership in general should be a means of generating returns with specific reference to Rawls and Piketty. After some back and forth on this, we look at the example set out by some other countries around the world with different living situations which haven't led to the same issues and also some discussion of potential policy solutions, and of course whether it is wrong for landlords to continue to partake in the market given the crisis.

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Are landlords evil? Part 1

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 11:11:00 -0000

The first in a two-parter where we discuss whether landlords are evil. In a world where more and more urban centers in the western world are becoming unlivably expensive, should we be permitting people to treat homes as investment assets and sources of incomes? We also specifically discuss this in the context of 'leverage', which is basically when you use a mortgage to multiply your gains and losses.

In this episode, we give some very wide context on the housing crisis, what's driving it etc, and discuss generally around generating returns from assets, speculation versus true investment and reference to classic libertarian arguments and specific consideration given to when an asset class is something we truly need.

Support the show:

Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt.

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Replay - Is it time to get rid of the royals?

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 15:21:00 -0000

REPLAY - in light of the queen's death and power transfering to Charles III, whilst we offer our condolensces it's more pertinent than ever to ask during these lavish ceremonies and high air-time events...should we even be maintaining our royal families? Here's a replay of our old episode, previously titled 'should we abolish the monarchy?'

Previous description:

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of abolishing the monarchic institutions that are present in the UK and several other EU countries (but really focusing on the UK as a specific example).

The key arguments discussed and considered are:

1 - democracy, 2 - elitism, 3 - corruption/abuse of power, 4 - history & tradition, 5 - entertainment, 6 - soft power, 7 - the practical nuisance of disbanding the royals.

Ant is writing this and I maintain that it's a grossly inequitable institution that doesn't much contribute cash beyond what would be achieved regardless of their maintenance (not that money would even be a good justification anyway)...but hey, listen to the whole pod and form your own opinion!

As always, reviews really help us, please follow and review on your podcast platform of choice and contact us on your social media of choice. Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt

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Are luxuries immoral? Part 2

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:33:00 -0000

The second in a two-parter where we discuss whether luxury goods are immoral. In a true return to form, this is a specific argument we have literally had over the office lunch table, originating from Ant's throwaway statement that he "doesn't get the point of jewellery" and "thinks it's ridiculously wasteful". In order to dissect whether luxuries are immoral, we first break down what exactly counts as a luxury, and secondly explore what exactly would make them immoral.

In this episode, it's all about discussing the opportunity cost of money spent on things that aren't strictly needed. Particularly, this comes through the lens of our last episode where we discuss luxuries of 2 sorts, expensive but perhaps 'good value' and offering some valid sort of self-esteem/self actualisation benefit within Maslow's hierarchy of needs, or another sort where it's frivolous and perhaps the user derives self esteem, but we may question whether that's a legitimate sort of esteem. We then particularly frame this morally considering the ideas of Peter Singer (i.e. all money you spend could be used to save lives, how should that affect your decision making?) vs Susan Wolf (i.e. not everything is about optimizing moral outcomes, it would create a sad and dreary life where we could not pursue anything of what makes the human experience so rich).

Support the show:

Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt.

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Are luxuries immoral? Part 1

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 11:36:00 -0000

The first in a two-parter where we discuss whether luxury goods are immoral. In a true return to form, this is a specific argument we have literally had over the office lunch table, originating from Ant's throwaway statement that he "doesn't get the point of jewellery" and "thinks it's ridiculously wasteful". In order to dissect whether luxuries are immoral, we first break down what exactly counts as a luxury, and secondly explore what exactly would make them immoral.

In this episode, it's all about discussing what luxuries even are. We begin with some general and economic definitions, and then get into what makes something feel like a luxury, beyond some sterile definitions. It all comes down to what is and isn't necessary, and we come up with 2 sub-sets of luxuries to consider: things that are expensive and not necessary, but at least conceivably 'good value', and things that are expensive and not necessary, and are purely expensive as a means of conspicuous spending. We discuss Maslow's heirarchy of needs, distinguishing the difference between 'needs' for literal survival, and 'needs' for greater fulfillment, and several interesting examples of ostentatious spending.

Support the show:

Please leave us a review! Spotify even now let's you do it - see that little star icon - go on, give it a click. Reviews are a great way to help others find the show, and it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. If you’re a fan of the show, please consider signing up to our Patreon. A small subscription of just $1 goes a long way towards supporting the show - and it makes us feel pretty great too. https://www.patreon.com/moedt.

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When is it ok to put down a human being? Part 3

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:28:00 -0000

The third in our series on euthanasia and assisted suicide - later named with the much more provocative title, 'When is it ok to put down a human being?'. In this series we explore how much control we (and other people) should have over our own death. This is primarily focused on circumstances where death is near and inevitable, and life/treatment is becoming pretty horrible in the interim, but we do broaden the discussion a little beyond these boundaries. As we clarify in the episode, agency creates an extremely important distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia, but even the most liberal countries draw some lines on where agency is not enough to bring us to support someone's wish for death.

In this episode, we talk through some of the pros and cons, including the classic 'slippery slope' argument as a negative and the limits of our autonomy, specifically bodily autonomy, in the pros column. We draw on some of the philosophical concepts from last episode as well as religious context and actual context. Ultimately, Jake and Ant - in classic Jake and Ant fashion - end up largely agreeing that respect for autonomy wins out in contexts where one can't be considered impaired in their judgement, in a way that can't be altered (physical pain may be an unavoidable impairment on your normal judgement, when near death).

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When is it ok to put down a human being? Part 2

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:54:00 -0000

The second in our series on euthanasia and assisted suicide - later named with the much more provocative title, 'When is it ok to put down a human being?'. In this series we explore how much control we (and other people) should have over our own death. This is primarily focused on circumstances where death is near and inevitable, and life/treatment is becoming pretty horrible in the interim, but we do broaden the discussion a little beyond these boundaries. As we clarify in the episode, agency creates an extremely important distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia, but even the most liberal countries draw some lines on where agency is not enough to bring us to support someone's wish for death.

In this episode, we talk through some typical moral/philosophical frameworks and what they may have to say about choosing, or being designated, to die. We romp through the typically out-there (by modern standards) ancient greek perspectives - you better be a 'good citizen', or else you're in trouble... - up to typical Kantian/utilitarian perspectives and also looking into "What we owe each other", which is much more than a pop framework that gets a mention in 'The Good Place'.

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When is it ok to put down a human being?

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:09:00 -0000

The first in our series on euthanasia and assisted suicide - later named with the much more provocative title, 'when is it ok to put down a human being?'. In this series we explore how much control we (and other people) should have over our own death. This is primarily focused on circumstances where death is near and inevitable, and life/treatment is becoming pretty horrible in the interim, but we do broaden the discussion a little beyond these boundaries. As we clarify in the episode, agency creates an extremely important distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia, but even the most liberal countries draw some lines on where agency is not enough to bring us to support someone's wish for death.

We'll begin the series by clarifying the terms (what's the difference between assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the active/passive forms of either) and a discussion of the current legal state of affairs across a range of countries - including how hard it is to do any of this in the UK and a little price check of a one-way trip to Switzerland.

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Should we legalize (part 3)...Gambling

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Third in our series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of morality and public policy; generally of the form 'should X be made legal?'. We'll be exploring both the ethical arguments and some of the high level data around key policy decisions surrounding commonly banned substances and activities. A core introductory theme (and one that's consistently touched on through the series) is when and how a governing power should behave independent of morality, i.e. with a greater focus and interest in outcomes and evidence, and when the banning or legalizing of substances are perhaps more important as value statements than as policy approaches who's outcomes we should study. Ultimately, this a spectrum and we will all have different views on this, even from issue to issue.

Today we consider the legality of gambling. Dissimilar to previous episodes, this is something that's is largely legal (though sports gambling is only recently permitted in the US). This means we can assess some of the impacts through studies and also that we consider the realistic efficacy of oversight bodies. In this case, the similar to the sex work, the moral imperative is protection of victims, but the victims are the purchasers rather than the sellers, and the particular difference on top of this is the awkward layering of the capitalist incentive to take advantage of those who gamble most - and are most addicted.

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Should we legalize (part 2)...Sex Work

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 10:42:00 -0000

Second in our series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of morality and public policy; generally of the form 'should X be made legal?'. We'll be exploring both the ethical arguments and some of the high level data around key policy decisions surrounding commonly banned substances and activities. A core introductory theme (and one that's consistently touched on through the series) is when and how a governing power should behave independent of morality, i.e. with a greater focus and interest in outcomes and evidence, and when the banning or legalizing of substances are perhaps more important as value statements than as policy approaches who's outcomes we should study. Ultimately, this a spectrum and we will all have different views on this, even from issue to issue.

Today we consider the legality of sex work/prostitution (i.e. the exchange of cash for sexual services). There are several global locations where there are legal avenues to prostitution, but largely it's illegal. This provides ample opportunity to study the impact of differences and changes and their impact on the health of sex workers. Importantly, unlike drugs, which are very multi-faceted, our main concern looking at sex work is the welfare of the providers of the service. We also touch on the moral significance of sex that delineates it from other physical pleasures - afterall, it's totally acceptable to pay for a non-sexual massage - and whether some goods should simply not have a market for their provision.

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Should we legalize (part 1)....Recreational Drugs

Tue, 24 May 2022 12:33:00 -0000

In this episode, we begin a series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of morality and public policy; generally of the form 'should X be made legal?'. We'll be exploring both the ethical arguments and some of the high level data around key policy decisions surrounding commonly banned substances and activities. A core introductory theme (and one that's consistently touched on through the series) is when and how a governing power should behave independent of morality, i.e. with a greater focus and interest in outcomes and evidence, and when the banning or legalizing of substances are perhaps more important as value statements than as policy approaches who's outcomes we should study. Ultimately, this a spectrum and we will all have different views on this, even from issue to issue.

We begin by assessing the legality of recreational drugs (recreational vs performance enhancing or other use cases). Recreational drugs are widely available legally, such as alcohol, but a large number of substances are actually prohibited (particularly many discovered/popularized within the last century or so). Why? If I can drink myself to death and our society can widely celebrate drinking culture, is it so bad if some people dabble in the use of other substances? Maybe some of these have a particular ability to cloud our judgement and limit our freedom. All of this, and more, discussed this week.

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Is 'God' a good thing? Part 3 - the source of religious moral authority

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:29:00 -0000

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Is 'God' a good thing? Part 2 - has religion been a net good for society?

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:01:00 -0000

In this episode, we continue our series (of 3 episodes) exploring the intersection of 'God' and morality. You'll note the use of quotation marks, this is because we explore the moral implications of theism and organized religion in a way that is not limited to faith-based belief. This means both looking purely at the incentives around belief rather than basing belief on faith, but also weighing up the pros and cons of organized religion and their impact on society. Did it help to instill moral norms and unity, or more act as a basis for persecution, subjugation and undue docility.

In this episode, we weigh up some of the goods and bads that have been committed in the name of religion and whether belief even matters to the moral teachings of religions. We begin with looking at Alain de Botton and work our way through to the '4 horsemen' of atheism, with a bunch of thought experiments along the way.

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Is 'God' a good thing? Part 1 - classic arguments for belief/non-belief

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:46:00 -0000

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NFTs: the future of art or a pyramid scheme?

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:07:00 -0000

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CROSSOVER EPISODE - Is Liberal Democracy The Best We Can Do?

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 18:42:00 -0000

This is a crossover with the Good in Theory podcast. We discuss with Clif what liberal democracy is, the arguments in its favour, and some big critiques. What is the purpose of government? How much of what we look for in good governance is shaped by our liberal democratic contexts (and particularly, the Cold War)? Episode includes Plato, Nazis and of course the Lizard People.

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Is trophy hunting really wrong?

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 12:34:00 -0000

Hunting endangered animals for sport. Everyone knows it’s bad. But is it really?

In this episode, Jake and Ant talk about trophy hunting and whether a moral society can permit it. They begin with an overview of how trophy hunting actually works in the nations that allow it and how it has gone wrong in the past, followed by outlining the effects it has on the environment, conservation, and local communities, which curiously, are generally positive.

This leads them into a discussion of the morality of conservation in general, whether we have an obligation to maintain species, and whether conservation of the species is sufficient to justify animals suffering.

They also discuss the differences in the opinions on trophy hunting in countries that have it and countries that don’t, questioning if it’s fair for the west to enforce their norms on far away places when they have no skin in the game.

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Is it bad to lie to your kids about Santa Claus?

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 13:36:00 -0000

Is the Santa myth just harmless fun, or should we be honest to our kids about Saint Nick?

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Are you a bad person if you buy gifts from Amazon this X-mas?

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0000

Does buying gifts from Amazon make you a bad person?

This week, Jake and Ant tackle the very festive topic of the morality of buying gifts from Amazon. They start by going over the pros and cons of buying from Amazon, both the intended and unintended results. As well as going over both Amazon’s philanthropic and less-than-philanthropic endeavours.

They discuss different philosophical frameworks and what they have to say about the morality of buying from the online marketplace behemoth.

Then they go over the roles individuals have to play versus the one that government does, as well as discussing the morality of even making this an individual issue in the first place. Is even talking about what we, as individuals, can do distracting from a greater issue?

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Do you have to keep unreasonable promises?

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:24:00 -0000

Can you break a promise if it was an unreasonable one to make?

In this episode, Jake and Ant go in depth, discussing several philosophical frameworks and what they have to say about promises. Using realistic (and some less realistic) examples of promises, they discuss what various philosophers would have to say about them, as well as giving their own two cents. They discuss duty, trust, and how our actions support or erode institutions we all depend on.

Should you keep a promise to someone who’ll never know if you do? Should you make a promise you know you can’t keep to make someone feel better? What even counts as a promise?

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Here's why cyclists who skip red lights aren't bad people

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Is it justifiable to blatantly break one of the most basic rules of the road?

In this episode, Jake and Ant discuss the morality of skipping red lights on a bike. They begin by chatting about unexpected outcomes of laws that are designed to improve safety and the possibility that running reds is actually safer for cyclists. They discuss the “Reverse Peltzman effect'' and how by making a behaviour more risky, people compensate by being more careful, which may be enough to outweigh the increased risk.

They also talk about whether the laws applied to cyclists on the road are justified, the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law, as well as musing about what changes may be beneficial for road safety.

Thanks so much to the people who've left reviews! We read them all and the words of encouragement mean the world to us. If you could spare the time, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts would help us a lot. If you don't have Apple Podcasts, feel free to rate using whatever service you use. Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt

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Was Joe Biden wrong to pull out of Afghanistan?

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:44:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of the Western abandonment of Afghanistan after decades of support.

We begin by chatting about some necessary context on the history of Afghanistan, both cold war era and post 9/11. Ultimately, we discuss the limits of one person's moral agency (can the president be personally blamed? Was there any winning decision to be made?), when it may be just to invade or 'nation-build' and the limits of respecting sovereignity and self-determination. Specifically, we also discuss the concept of a 'just war' and Mill's self help test in the context of war. Factcheck timeline here: https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/

What are your thoughts, should Biden have put his foot down and managed the pull out differently, or even cancelled it? Do let us know and chat to us on our facebook page, insta or email anthony@treepoints.green.

Thanks to the Dream Factory in Shoreditch, our new studio.

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Is the death penalty ever justified?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 17:04:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of murdering a murderer.

We begin by chatting about the point of punishment - if we can't work out a justified aim of punishment, it's certainly hard to ever justify any punishment! We discuss the '5 theories of punishment' and their historical context (from Kant, to Bentham, to Michel Foucault). Following this, we discuss the particular issues around death (the sanctity of life and most importantly the irreversibility of death)!

We also consider some side-questions: should 'life-in-prisoners' have the option to opt for death row? Suicide rates are 4x higher in prison after all. Is there any amount of restitution that could serve justice, if the wrong-doer doesn't also suffer? What are the proportional limits of 'an eye for an eye'?

What are your thoughts, should we abolish the death penalty once and for all? Do let us know and chat to us on our facebook group :)

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Should you give money directly to homeless people?

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 14:39:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of giving cold hard cash to street beggars (who we typically assume are homeless).

We begin by exploring a bit around how people end up in the situation of begging for cash and the difference between giving people cash vs giving them goods and services. We go on to examine the tradeoffs between your own satisfaction and the actual consequences of your giving cash to someone who's potentially unstable; what are the limits of your moral agency for the actions of others? Also, do we demonize consumption of drugs and alcohol in a group who have perhaps the most reason to search for escape? If homeless charities insist on treating sober people, but substance abuse is an overwhelming problem in this group, then have we structure our charitable infrastructure well to deal with this issue? What are the reasonable limits of our generosity - if £1, why not £2? If £2 why not £5?

What is your go-to in this everyday situation? Do let us know and chat to us on our facebook group :)

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Should we abolish the monarchy?

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:45:00 -0000

The key arguments discussed and considered are:

1 - democracy, 2 - elitism, 3 - corruption/abuse of power, 4 - history & tradition, 5 - entertainment, 6 - soft power, 7 - the practical nuisance of disbanding the royals.

Thanks for that, Ant ^^

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Is it wrong to have children in an era of climate change?

Fri, 14 May 2021 21:55:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of having children in the context of climate change. Is it ok to birth a child into a doomed circumstance...is this circumstance quite so doomed...even if it wasn't, is it maybe wrong to birth someone without their permission anyway?

This discussion begins by exploring moral considerations around having children with 2 key perspectives, particularly: the way that you may be wronging a baby itself by birthing it, either by dooming it to a struggle with the woes of life (if that's how you view life) or the struggles of climate change, or the way you may be wronging society more widely. After an exploration in this regard we focus more on the practicalities of climate change: is human life actually doomed and is that question relevant? Can we weigh human happiness against humans having a place to live? Can we realistically ask people to not have children and what might a policy look like?

A huge shoutout to listener Peter Maxwell who was so sick of our awful sound mastering, he messaged and offered to help us with it by salvaging what was possible from our amateurly recorded files.

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Is it wrong to keep pets?

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:12:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of pet care. Is it ok to keep any sentient living being as property, free to be made infertile if their incessant humping annoys us and even to be put down if they become an inconvenience or minor danger.

Part of this discussion will feel familiar from our vegan/vegetarianism episode (how do we compare animal vs human rights?), but the fundamental question is how do we square the very common stance of being anti-livestock/vegan but pro-pets? We do care about our pets, but we also violate what may very reasonably be their rights as sentient creatures in the interest of our enjoyment - and their being happy with the arrangement may not necessarily get us off the hook, just as it doesn't solve the 'benevolent slave owner' argument. Also, to what extent does keeping pets enable negligient or non-benevolent pet owners to cause suffering, and can we even agree what counts as negligient - by some accounts keeping a dog in an inner city apartment is not fair, for example.

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Can we enjoy the music of problematic artists?

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 21:31:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of art. Well, a very small sub-section, enjoying the works of artists who are themselves immoral. In considering this, we consider the difference between art and things that are simply visually/audibly pleasing and how the context of art can (or should) affect how we appreciate it.Key considerations include whether the 'problematic' context of the artist is literally part of their work, a heavy influence or driver of the work, or totally separate. We also consider whether the issue is consequential, i.e. we should withold our attention to financially harm such artists, or diminish their reputation, or whether it's more to satisfy a personal moral qualm.Please do leave a review on your podcast platform, it really helps us immensely.Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt *excuse minor echo in audio*

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Can entrepreneurship be a force for good? - w/ beyond binary thinking podcast

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 14:45:00 -0000

In this episode (another guest-episode digression from our usual format, which we'll return to next episode), Jake and Ant look at whether entrepreneurship can be a force for good, with Chris and Chris from the Beyond Binary Thinking podcast. We discuss the difference between entrepreneurship en masse and large tech companies, the role of finance (and over-financialization) in business and whether shifting ownership can help resolve some of these issues.

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Was Twitter right to ban Trump? w/ Peter Suciu and Alex Kantrowitz

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:48:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at whether banning Trump was the right thing to do for social media platforms. With our guests, Peter Suciu (Twitter: @PeterSuciu) and Alex Kantrowitz (twitter: @kantrowitz, podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/big-technology-podcast) we explore questions such as: are SM platforms utilities, is free speech the same as free access to platforms, what were the morally relevant contingent factors to this decision and what next for such SM platforms?

This is our first guest-format episode. Please share feedback, give us a review and support the show any way you see fit.

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Would it be ethically justifiable to make the covid vaccine mandatory?

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:09:00 -0000

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Is it wrong to send your children to private school?

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 12:50:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of private education. Education is so important - and so formative - that it's important to ask whether it is fair for some people to access a higher quality education on the basis of wealth. What happens when what is best for society does not line up with what is best for us individually?

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Are footballers paid too much?

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 09:43:00 -0000

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References from the episode:

For more information about Treepoints, visit https://treepoints.green

The Peter Crouch podcast's Roy Keane photos

Seville's capture of the Gunnersaurus

The Acquired Podcast

The shareholders cartoon

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Are you a bad person if you work at Facebook?

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 09:04:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant explore what it means to be a bad person, briefly revisit the distinction between good/bad and right/wrong and discuss in some more depth why they specifically chose Facebook for this question (rather than BP or Goldman Sachs or Google) and some of the harms and goods it facilitates.

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Is it immoral to eat meat?

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:13:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant consider whether the consumption of meat - and specifically the production and slaughter of animals to that end - is immoral. This includes an exploration of the moral differences between different animals (humans included) and a consideration of whether the crux of the issue lies in the suffering and death involved in production or rather in the specific act of consuming the flesh of another creature. Following this, there's a consideration of the indirect effects of eating meat as part of the wider system of industrial meat farming, including the environmental impact of the industry, poor treatment of workers and the impact on propagating the spread of viruses.

This episode was flatteringly described as "not bad, for carnists".

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Should we segregate sports by sex?

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:40:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant consider how and why we segregate sports and, ultimately, what the point of sports might be? This includes an exploration of current issues of segregating by sex, given difficulty determining how to include trans athletes and those with DSD such as Caster Semenya - who recently lost a court ruling on the matter. There are many other forms of segregation that happen in sport, such as weight classes. Which ones are relevant and how should we handle this issue in the future?

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When is lockdown justified?

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 10:16:00 -0000

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Should you have shared #BlackoutTuesday?

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 05:52:00 -0000

In this episode, Jake and Ant explore why those who are able may have a duty to help disadvantaged groups and whether the motives of our actions matter to their moral worth. We revisit the question of 'Can you do the right thing for the wrong reasons?' as well as exploring the types of obligations we have and how we can form new ones. Do white people have a special obligation to help BAME groups, or is it purely on the basis of fairness that a duty is owed? Is a duty owed at all?

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Is it OK to punch a nazi?

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 08:44:00 -0000

In this second episode, Jake and Ant explore the circumstances in which we may be justified in doing something we'd typically class as wrong. Are we ever justified in using violence, particularly against those who have done or intend to do bad things? Would you be proud if your child punched a bully? Would you lie to an axe-murderer? Can you punch a secret nazi? All this and more discussed in this episode, including a breakdown of the 3 main types of moral frameworks - virtue based ethics, consequentalist and deontological.

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Should billionaires exist?

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 16:42:00 -0000

In this first episode, Jake and Ant explore the moral implications of extreme wealth inequality. Can billionaires co-exist with a population in poverty? When, if ever, is it right to takeaway someone's private property? Do we deserve the cash we inherit any less than the talents we inherit by birth?

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