Examining Ethics
Examining Ethics is a podcast produced by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. It explores ethical dilemmas and questions, aiming to make academic philosophy accessible to a general audience. The show features interviews and discussions with prominent figures in moral philosophy, providing listeners with conceptual tools rather than definitive answers. Hosted and produced by Christiane Wisehart, the podcast bridges the gap between scholars and non-experts.
Episodes
Erik Kenyon: Philosophy at the Gym
When you picture philosophy, you probably picture dusty books, not a weight room full of teenagers. In the latest episode, Alex talks with philosopher Erik Kenyon (Friends Academy) about his book Philosophy at the Gymnasium, which traces how Greek moral philosophy grew directly out of athletic training. In Athens, the gym wasn't just a place to build strength. It was a hub for civic and moral educ
Jake Monaghan: Just Policing
Policing sits at the center of some of our most heated debates about justice, power, and public safety. In the first episode of Season 11, Alex talks with philosopher Jake Monaghan (University of Southern California) about his new book Just Policing. Monaghan makes the case that policing, done right, is not just permissible but morally necessary, even as he confronts its very real capacity for har
Barry Lam: The Case for Discretion
Modern life runs on rules—some helpful, some… not so much. In this episode, Alex talks with philosopher Barry Lam (UC Riverside) about his new book Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. Lam makes a bold claim: sometimes fewer rules can actually make us better. With sharp insights and real-world stories, he walks us through why giving people more wiggle room might lead to fairer, mor
Special: The Future of the Ethics Bowl
As a special feature for this Spring, Alex Richardson sits down with the leadership of both the National High School Ethics Bowl and the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for a detailed conversation about the activity’s nature and future.
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Rebecca Roache: The Ethics of Swearing
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Rebecca Roache (Royal Holloway, University of London) on her new book, For F*ck's Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude, and Fun. Here, Roache examines the art, psychology, and moral implications of a good cursing out, ultimately concluding that it isn't the words themselves which are offensive, but what lies between the lines.
The post Rebecc
Robert Talisse: Civic Solitude
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Robert Talisse (Vanderbilt) on his new book, Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance. Here, Talisse argues that democracy, in addition to its participatory elements, requires a kind of reflection and capacity building that is best achieved in solitude. He recommends that we rebuild and/or expand public spaces for such development as a po
Jeff Sebo: The Moral Circle
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Jeff Sebo (NYU) on his new book, The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why. Here, Sebo argues that we should prepare to widen our circle of moral consideration to septillions more beings than we currently recognize as morally relevant, including animals of obvious and non-obvious species, as well as other kinds of beings like artif
Special: Does Studying Philosophy Make Better Thinkers?
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a special episode in conversation with Michael Vazquez (UNC) and Michael Prinzing (Baylor), co-authors of a first-of-its-kind new study on the development of intellectual virtues among philosophy students, and are working to apply their methodology to learners all across the lifespan.
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Krista Thomason: Can Negative Emotions Make Life Good?
A brand-new season of Examining Ethics kicks off with new host Alex Richardson in conversation with Krista Thomason, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Swarthmore College, on her new book Dancing with the Devil: Why Bad Feelings Make Life Good.
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2024-2025 Season Announcement
Examining Ethics is back. Join new Host and Executive Producer, Alex Richardson for a brand new season of digging into tough ethical issues this November!
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Bias in Tech with Meredith Broussard
Meredith Broussard is a data journalist working in the field of algorithmic accountability. She writes about the ways in which race, gender and ability bias seep into the technology we use every day.
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Rumination and Wronging with Cat Saint-Croix
Philosopher Cat Saint-Croix joins the Examining Ethics podcast to discuss their work on the role that attention can play in thinking about epistemology.
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Myisha Cherry: Failures of Forgiveness
Myisha Cherry is on the show today to help us reframe our understanding of the complicated topic of forgiveness.
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Taking Offense with Emily McTernan
Philosopher Emily McTernan joins us on the show to defend the act of taking offense and showing disapproval.
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Roasting Ethics with Luvell Anderson
Philosopher Luvell Anderson joins us to explore the ethics of the comedic roast.
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Capitalist Humanitarianism with Lucia Hulsether
Ethnographer and historian of religion Lucia Hulsether on the strange phenomenon she calls “capitalist humanitarianism.”
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Wildlife Recoveries with Christopher Preston
In an age when endangered species are dying out by the hundreds, philosopher Christopher Preston argues that there’s hope to be found in the stories of successful wildlife recoveries.
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How Much Should We Expect of Ourselves? with Marcus Hedahl and Kyle Fruh
How much should we expect from ourselves when it comes to fighting climate change? Explore the issue of demandingness with philosophers Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl on today's episode of Examining Ethics.
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Motherhood and Ethics with Sarah LaChance Adams
On this episode of Examining Ethics, we discuss the ambivalence of motherhood with philosopher Sarah LaChance Adams.
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Social Equality with Jessica Flanigan
Jessica Flanigan is a philosopher at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. She argues that egalitarians might want to rethink their commitment to democracy.
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Climate Ethics with Manuel Wörsdörfer
On this episode of Examining Ethics, philosopher Manuel Wörsdörfer joins us to review some of the most pressing climate ethics issues we face today.
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Authenticity and Gender Norms with Rowan Bell
On today’s show, we explore the complicated relationship between gender, authenticity and ethics with philosopher Rowan Bell.
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Phenomenology of Black Spirit with Biko Mandela Gray and Ryan J. Johnson
We’re joined on the podcast today by Biko Mandela Gray and Ryan J. Johnson. Their new book puts major Black thinkers in conversation with Hegel.
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Predatory Grooming and Epistemology with Lauren Leydon-Hardy
Philosopher Lauren Leydon-Hardy explores the ways that predatory grooming can interfere with the way that a person thinks about themselves and the world.
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Ethics in Focus with Elena Ruíz and Nora Berenstain
Philosophers Elena Ruíz and Nora Berenstain discuss colonialism and reproductive justice on this episode of Examining Ethics.
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Rules with Lorraine Daston
Today on Examining Ethics, historian of science Lorraine Daston discusses the history of rules and their connection to deep-seated values.
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Reproductive Ethics with Camisha Russell
Philosopher Camisha Russell joins us on this episode of Examining Ethics to explore connections between Black Lives Matter and the ethics of reproduction.
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Victims’ Rights with Lenore Anderson
We're discussing the ethics of victims' rights with president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice Lenore Anderson.
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Obedience with Pauline Shanks Kaurin
Pauline Shanks Kaurin, a philosopher and professor of military ethics at the U.S. Naval War College, joins us to explore the ethics of obedience.
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Emma Saunders-Hastings: Philanthropy and Democracy
On this episode of the Examining Ethics podcast, political theorist Emma Saunders-Hastings explains the effects philanthropy has on democracy.
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Care and Institutions with Elizabeth Lanphier
Clinical ethicist and professor of philosophy Elizabeth Lanphier joins the show to discuss the relationship between care and justice, and what an ethic of care might look like in institutional settings.
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Ethics and Cities with Quill R. Kukla
The philosopher Quill R. Kukla joins the show to discuss the ethics of city living and how people and cities shape each other.
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The Science of a Better You with Jim Davies
The cognitive scientist Jim Davies argues that it's possible to figure out how to do the most good for the most people and shares his insights on giving.
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Nasty, Brutish and Short with Scott Hershovitz
Scott Hershovitz joins the show to discuss his work on the questions his kids raise about philosophy and ethics.
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The Life Worth Living with Joel Reynolds
On this episode of the Examining Ethics podcast, we explore disability and ethics with Georgetown University scholar Joel Reynolds.
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African American Philosophy with John McClendon III and Stephen Ferguson II
Explore African American philosophy with Stephen Ferguson II and John McClendon III on this episode of the Examining Ethics podcast.
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Phantom Patterns and Online Misinformation with Megan Fritts
Philosopher Megan Fritts is on the show today to argue that the patterns we may see in the news aren’t actually all that meaningful.
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Climate Change is Unjust War: Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl
Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl argue that island nations around the world are currently in an unjust war, not with other nations, but with climate change.
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Reconsidering Reparations with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò
Philosopher Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò joins the podcast to discuss the idea that racial justice cannot happen without climate justice.
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Why Moral Psychology is Disturbing: Regina Rini
Regina Rini joins us today to discuss why we might be disturbed when we learn about the role that psychology plays in our moral decision-making.
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The Women Are Up to Something: Benjamin Lipscomb
The philosopher Benjamin Lipscomb joins the show to discuss the unique friendship and work of four women who changed the face of moral philosophy.
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Seen and Not Heard: Jana Mohr Lone
Before Jana Mohr Lone was a philosopher, she was a lawyer who worked with children. Now she uses philosophy to empower young people.
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Thinking about Trust with C. Thi Nguyen
On today’s episode of Examining Ethics, the philosopher C. Thi Nguyen explores the relationship of trust we form with the technology we use.
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Kat Schrier: Using Games to Teach Ethics
Games designer Kat Schrier joins the show to explain that ethics educators can use games to build deeply immersive and rewarding learning experiences.
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Transparency is Surveillance: C. Thi Nguyen
C. Thi Nguyen argues that while transparency might root out public corruption, it also has a sort of chilling effect on the work itself.
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The Ethics of Giving with Shariq Siddiqui
Philanthropy expert Shariq Ahmed Siddiqui joins us on the show today to explain that the ethics of giving is a lot more complicated than we think.
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The Weight of Whiteness with Alison Bailey
Philosopher Alison Bailey is on the show to discuss what she calls "the weight of whiteness" and the reasons white people need to sit with and explore it.
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Uncivil Disobedience with Candice Delmas
Candice Delmas explains that the very reasons that we have to follow the law in society can also mean we should to break the law in unjust societies.
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Democratic Deliberation with Sheron Fraser-Burgess
Sheron Fraser-Burgess explains how educators can take principles from deliberative democracy and apply them to a classroom setting to discuss ethics.
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Policing and Ethics with Ekow Yankah
Our guest today, professor of law Ekow Yankah, argues that police power is often deployed in a misguided attempt to solve deep economic and social problems.
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Thinking While Walking with Martin Bunzl
The Pacific Crest Trail is fertile ground for reflecting on philosophical puzzles and questions about nature and ethics for our guest Martin Bunzl.
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Just Immigration with Allison Wolf
Allison Wolf explains how feminism, and its focus on oppression, can shed light on the problem of justice and immigration ethics.
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Naomi Zack: Government Should Be Boring
Philosopher Noami Zack argues that identity politics has no place in the government and offers an alternative vision for the future of America.
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Civil Disobedience with Candice Delmas
The philosopher and political scientist Candice Delmas is on the show to help us understand civil disobedience, and its potential value to society.
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A Spirit of Care with Maurice Hamington
Care impacts all of our lives intimately. Here to discuss the ethics of care with us is Maurice Hamington, a professor at Portland State University whose work on care spans decades.
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Vaccine Equity with Govind Persad
On today's podcast, Dr. Govind Persad–an expert in bioethics–argues that legislators should think through more equitable options for distributing vaccines.
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Meena Krishnamurthy and Political Emotions
Meena Krishnamurthy is a philosopher whose recent work explores the value of political emotions in Martin Luther King Jr.’s writing and activism.
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The Kindness of Strangers with Michael McCullough
Michael McCullough joins the podcast to discuss the difficult questions around the evolution and development of human kindness and morality.
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Moral Grandstanding with Brandon Warmke
Brandon Warmke, one of the authors of book Moral Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk, discusses the importance of moral discourse.
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Ashley C. Ford and the Ethics of Love
Ashley C. Ford is on the show to discuss her thoughts on–and the ethics of–self-love, relationships and family. Her memoir, Somebody's Daughter, is out now.
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Is It Possible to Be Too Good?
On the show today are two philosophers who explore a disorder known as Scrupulosity, a condition in which people are obsessive about morality.
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Ethics Education with Thomas Wartenberg and Chris Robichaud
On today's show we hear from Chris Robichaud and Thomas Wartenberg, two professors committed to bringing moral philosophy to young learners.
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Morality Scaled Up with Joshua Greene
Neuroscientist Joshua Greene is on the podcast to explain how our brains make moral decisions and why this matters in morality amongst groups of people.
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The Authentic Encounter with Beth Benedix
Beth Benedix joins the podcast to discuss how our encounters with each other and with the stories we tell affect the way we think through ethics.
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A Story about Telling a Story (about Telling a Story) with Beth Benedix
On today's podcast, Beth Benedix discusses her book Ghost Writer (A Story about Telling a Story) and the ethics of narrative.
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Pushing Back on Epistemic Pushback with Alison Bailey
On today's podcast, philosopher Alison Bailey explains exactly what epistemic pushback is, and discusses the ways it slows down classroom conversations.
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Facing the Synthetic Age with Christopher Preston
On this podcast, the philosopher Christopher Preston explores the ethics of technologies that have the potential to radically reshape the world.
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Finite Responsibility and Infinite Hope with Joel Reynolds
Care work can be physically and emotionally complex. Philosopher Joel Reynolds is on the podcast to discuss the ethics of care.
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Roles and Responsibilities with Robin Zheng
Robin Zheng is on the podcast to discuss her fascinating theory about the relationship between individual responsibility and structural injustice.
(00:00:01) Introductions
(00:01:14) Structural injustice explained
(00:05:08) Are individuals responsible for injustice that happens in social structures and systems?
(00:06:33) Role Ideal Model of social responsibility(
00:07:03) Social roles and expe
Identity Matters: Standpoint Epistemology with Briana Toole
On today’s show philosopher Briana Toole explores the idea that your identity has the power to help influence the kinds of knowledge you have access to.
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Busting Myths about Banning Books with Emily J. Knox
We’re looking at some of the unquestioned assumptions around the ethics of banning books with professor of information science Emily J. Knox.
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Exploring Intellectual Property Rights with Adam Moore
We talk to philosopher Adam Moore to learn about some of the most important ethical issues related to intellectual property.
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Learning from History with Elizabeth Anderson
Philosopher Elizabeth Anderson explains that the way people went about moral inquiry over two hundred years ago holds important lessons for us today.
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Philosophy and #MeToo with Emily McWilliams
Philosopher Emily McWilliams explains the connections between the MeToo movement and the philosophical concept known as hermeneutical injustice.
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Perceiving Morality with Preston Werner
The philosopher Preston Werner joins the podcast to defend an idea called moral perception, the notion that we are able to perceive, or feel, morality.
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Forgiveness and Moral Exemplars with Myisha Cherry
We're exploring the ethics of forgiveness with philosopher Myisha Cherry, with a focus on convincing victims from marginalized communities to forgive.
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What’s the Deal with Moral Philosophers?
We’re talking about the weird world of moral philosophy on this episode with the philosopher and ethicist Emily McWilliams.
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The Art and Ethics of Listening with Krista Tippett
Meaningful conversations require active listeners. Krista Tippett joins us to share her insight into the ethics of listening.
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Frankenstein and His Creation: Who’s the Real Monster?
Frankenstein is a horror classic that explores the ethics of scientific and technological innovation–issues that we still struggle with today.
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Gaslighting, PTSD and Testimonial Injustice with Rachel McKinnon
Trans people are vulnerable to many types of harms. Some of these harms come from their allies. Today we feature the work of philosopher Rachel McKinnon.
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