On The Basis of Morality (1840), Part III: "The Founding of Ethics," Ch. 5: "Statement and Proof of the Only True Moral Incentive."
Everything up to this point in the book has been negative: Morality can't be founded on pure reason as Kant thinks, or on the idea of the good life (eudaimonia) per Aristotle. Schopenhauer tells us that all actions are motivate ... Show More
Sep 18
Horkheimer and Adorno on Enlightenment (Part One)
On "The Concept of Enlightenment" (1944), the first essay in this Frankfurt School book of critical theory, The Dialectic of Enlightenment. Our authors lay out what they take The Enlightenment to consist of, including some quotes from Francis Bacon, and some ultimately fatal tens ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 8
Hegel on Stoicism (Part One)
Discussing the section on Stoicism in Hegel's "Phenomenology of Spirit," which is under "Freedom of Self-Consciousness," "Stoicism, Scepticism, and the Unhappy Consciousness." This comes right after his famous lordship and bondage chapter, and explains how in reaction to being de ... Show More
58m 13s
Jun 2025
Ep. 368: Hume on Reason in Ethics (Part One)
We talk a bit more about David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), and add some parts of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739): sec. 3 "Of the Influencing Motives of the Will" within the third part of Book II, "Of the Passions," and the first two sections of ... Show More
44m 56s
Apr 2021
Five: Prof Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster
Immanuel Kant is a profoundly influential figure in modern philosophy, and was one of the earliest proponents for universal democracy and international cooperation. He also thought that women have no place in civil society, that it was okay to kill illegitimate children, and that ... Show More
1h 52m
Mar 2025
How Environment Shapes Moral Progress (Meditation 3.9)
This episode explores Meditations 3.9, where Marcus Aurelius urges us to revere our rational faculty. In Stoicism, rationality is our greatest gift—it’s the tool that allows us to pursue Virtue, shape our moral character, and ultimately live in accordance with Nature. But how do ... Show More
29m 1s
Sep 2023
The good, the bad and the ignored | Peter Singer, Julian Baggini, Sophie Scott-Brown
Is human agency a fantasy?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe may not always agree on questions of morality, but whatever standards we adopt we apply them to human action. We are less inclined to take a moral stance on human inact ... Show More
42m 5s
Oct 2021
16: The Congenital Defect of All Philosophers
Philosophers have a birth defect. They are cursed, destined to philosophize without a historical sense. Even without realizing it, we take for granted the moral prejudices of our own times. For better or worse, language and the cultural software we inherit both play a role in sha ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 2024
Making morally just decisions (Meditations 2.6)
In this episode, I explore Meditation 6 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on how we often fail to honor our own well-being, instead placing it in the hands of others. I dive into the Stoic concept of violence, explaining that true violence, in Stoic terms ... Show More
27m 39s