Consequentialist moral theories, like utilitarianism, are quick and easy to use, like using fingers in the air to gauge the direction of the breeze, but they are not without fault. In this post, I hope to demonstrate the issues with consequentialist moral theories. What is Consequentialism? Consequentialism, as its name suggests, is simply the view…
Morality and Misconceptions – SciPhi: 018 [Video]
Morality and Misconceptions Morality is a complex topic often discussed on the internet. There are a number of misconceptions surrounding it and as such, I created some “cards” for quick reference based on a number of learnings from a variety of sources and moral theories. W e will be leaning on a number of things…
Morality, Agency and Intent
Whilst Morality’s purpose seems geared toward human flourishing and wellbeing, as described in the examination of various moral theories in ‘Does Morality have a Purpose?’ there is another component or two that I feel needs to be examined. To discuss this we will be looking at the higher-level moral theories, consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics….
The Morality of Forced/Rejecting Vaccinations.
I’ve written a few articles about vaccinations from the scientific point of view but felt it was time to turn my attention to the morality of the topic; both from the angle of if it is a moral obligation to be vaccinated, and the morality of forcing vaccinations on people. What do we mean by…
Justice – Fresh AiR – S02:E05:C04
What is Justice? (e.g. is it simply fairness?)Cardinal Virtue / First Virtue of Social institutionsKantian Justice – The preservation of human dignity, respecting a person as ends in themselves rather than a means to an end.Rawlsian Justice (aka Distributive Justice) – The fair and equal distribution of goodsThis includes more than just physical goodsRightsProtectionsEducationPlatonic Justice…
Does Morality Have a Purpose?
Morality is the principles of good/bad right/wrong behaviour, but what is the purpose of these rules? To answer this question we have to look back and consider how morality came about, and how it served us in the past. We will also have to examine moral theories, past and present, to see how they work…
An Intro to Political Ethics – Fresh AiR – S02:E05:C01
What is Political Ethics? We ask the question tonight, ‘What is Political Ethics’ and discuss topics such as: Why is Morality important (to all parties)Legitimacy (covered in a later chapter)Perception of VotersDo all parties act in accordance with their moral compass at all times? We also cover off our what chapters to expect in the…
On Morality: Subjective vs Objective – A Discussion – Fresh AiR – S02:E04
Subjective? Objective? Something Else? It is common to hear many reduce morality to it either being subjective or objective, but how accurate is that? Are people defining these terms properly? Are there correct definitions for the context? If one part of morality is subjective, does that make it all subjective? Well, tonight these two atheists,…
Moral Subjectivism and Relativism – Fresh AiR – S02:E02:C11
Tonight we embark on our last chapter of specific moral theories and our penultimate chapter of episode 2. Moral Subjectivism and Relativism We discuss a number of topics around subjective and relative morality. What these terms actually mean. What it would mean if morality was wholly subjective or wholly relative. Common misconceptions folks have about…
Virtue Ethics – Fresh AiR – S02:E02:C10
What is Virtue Ethics? Tonight we discuss virtue ethics, covering topics like: What is a virtue?Which virtue is the most important?How do we apply virtues?If you apply one virtue too much, e.g. bravery, are you still brave, or do you become stupid? And of course we segue into a number of topics inclusive of: DrugsPornCosplayPower…
