logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2014
1h 10m

Episode 56: Moral Heroes and Drunk Utili...

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

Following up their discussion of moral villains, Dave and Tamler argue about what makes a moral hero. Tamler defends Sharon Krause’s view that honor values can motivate heroic behavior. Dave accuses Tamler of being inconsistent (nothing wrong with that) and slightly Kantian (NOOOOOO!!!). In the final segment, we’re back on the same page fawning over Susan Wolf’s paper “Moral Saints.” Plus, are drunks more likely to be utilitarians? And why does Dave hate Temple Grandin?

Links

 

Support Very Bad Wizards

Up next
Aug 12
Episode 314: The In-Betweeny Place
David and Tamler go long on McDonagh’s 2008 masterpiece "In Bruges." We talk about the terrific performances and all the weighty themes - sin, guilt, redemption, honor, language, and very inappropriate jokes. Plus philosophers talk about “sex within the discipline” and Tamler can ... Show More
1h 58m
Jul 29
Episode 313: The Spontaneous Eruption of Now
David and Tamler try to wrap their heads around the metaphysics of past and future via the Borges essay(s) “A New Refutation of Time.” What does it mean to be a time skeptic or a time realist for that matter? If you’re a Berkeleyan idealist and Humean skeptic about the self, do y ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 15
Episode 312: MechaSkeptic
David and Tamler return to David Hume’s somewhat slippery brand of skepticism, this time focusing Chapter 12 of his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Plus speaking of things to be skeptical about, we dive into a recent paper called “Your Brain on ChatGPT” – does neuroscienc ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
#126 — In Defense of Honor
Sam Harris speaks with Tamler Sommers about cultures of honor. They discuss the difference between honor and dignity, “justice porn,” honor killings, honor and interpersonal violence, prison and gang culture, collective responsibility and collective punishment, retributive vs res ... Show More
46m 19s
Feb 2022
The dangers of morality | Rebecca Roache, Matthew Taylor and Hilary Lawson
Can morality lead society down dangerous roads? Listen to how our speakers deconstruct our idea of right and wrong.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany would argue that for at least a century we have been moving away from the mor ... Show More
37m 3s
May 2023
#48 — What Is Moral Progress?
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Singer about the concept of universal moral truths, the ethics of violence, free speech, euthanasia, animal welfare, and other topics. Peter Singer is the Professor of Bioethics at the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University.  He is ... Show More
38m 53s
Nov 2021
The Quest for a Moral Life
Note: This is a rebroadcast. This episode originally aired June 2019.Do you ever feel like you’re spinning your existential wheels in life? That outwardly, you seem to be doing ok, but inwardly, you feel kind of empty? My guest today would say that you’ve got to move on from trek ... Show More
48m 56s
Dec 2020
Morality Before Metaphysics | Simon Blackburn, Raymond Tallis, Joanna Kavenna
Should we prioritize morality over scientific research? Our experts discuss.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesAre our descriptions of the world independent from our morality? And should philosophy aim to interpret the world or to c ... Show More
48m 59s
Mar 2019
The Morality of the Artist and the Art
“Leaving Neverland”, a two-part TV documentary broadcast this week, details child sex abuse claims against Michael Jackson. The renewed allegations have prompted a debate about whether we should stop listening to his music. Some believe a boycott takes an important moral stand ag ... Show More
42m 55s
Dec 2020
Best of: The moral philosophy of The Good Place
After creating and running Parks and Recreation and writing for The Office, Michael Schur decided he wanted to create a sitcom about one of the most fundamental questions of human existence: What does it mean to be a good person? That’s how NBC's The Good Place was born. Soon int ... Show More
1h 44m
May 2020
Criminal Minds
One place where law and morality are supposed to agree is that there should be no crime without a criminal mind, what is called “mens rea” in criminal law. But there have been a proliferation of crimes that do not require knowledge or intent, contributing to over-prosecution and ... Show More
56m 24s
May 2019
E30. Andrew Doyle Discusses the Dangers of Well-Intentioned Authoritarianism
Andrew Doyle is the man behind satirical Twitter account Titania McGrath – a radical intersectionalist, feminist, and slam poet, who is constantly telling people how oppressed she is – and author of Woke: A Guide to Social Justice. He and Bridget have a fascinating and important ... Show More
1h 29m