8 Impossible Thought Experiments - Cosmic Skeptic - #484
Alex O'Connor is a philosopher, podcaster & a YouTuber. Philosophy is hard. Ethics are hard. Working out what is moral is hard. Today we get to put our mental muscles to the test with some of the most challenging thought experiments in moral...
June 9, 2022
1 hr 35 min
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Episode 484 · June 9, 2022
8 Impossible Thought Experiments - Cosmic Skeptic - #484
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Summary
Alex O'Connor is a philosopher, podcaster & a YouTuber.
Philosophy is hard. Ethics are hard. Working out what is moral is hard. Today we get to put our mental muscles to the test with some of the most challenging thought experiments in moral philosophy.
Expect to learn why brain tumours might be a good way to learn what is actually moral, whether ethics is just an expression of emotion, whether we can kill someone to stop them nuking a city, why it might be best to just not have any more children, whether an expensive education is cheating, what it means to say that someone is morally responsible for their actions, why Alex wore a suit to a boat party and much more...
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:35) What’s the Point of Discussing Ethics?
(04:54) Rediscovering Ancient Truths
(13:24) Is Ethics About Minimising Suffering?
(24:46) Reductio Ad Absurdum
(28:09) Is it Right to Harm People for the Greater Good?
(41:50) Moral Responsibility Vs Ability to Act Differently
(1:06:01) Unfairness of Imbalances in Wealth & Intelligence
(1:17:28) Do Non-Smokers Deserve Medical Treatment More Than Smokers?
(1:29:11) Where is the Source of Goodness?
(1:33:37) Where to Find Alex
Extra Stuff:
Watch Alex on YouTube - https://youtu.be/gcVR2OVxPYw
Subscribe to Alex on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/CosmicSkeptic
To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom
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