The Morality of Everyday Things: An E...

The Morality of Everyday Things is a philosophy podcast (top 0.1% most listened to, in fact!) that guides you through the moral questions we may all wonder in life, from "Should billionaires exist?" to "Is God a good thing?" Join Jake and Ant, two friends who studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford before founding Stasher.com together, as they still find time to enjoy philosophy in their sparetime when they break down the key arguments on these and other everyday ethical issues.

This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about philosophy and morality in a fun and accessible way. Jake and Ant are experts in their field, but they also know how to make complex ideas easy to understand. They're also not afraid to have a bit of fun, so you can expect to hear some interesting and thought-provoking conversations.

Whether you're a seasoned philosophy buff or a complete beginner, The Morality of Everyday Things podcast is sure to teach you something new about ethics, morality and philosophy. So subscribe today and start exploring the big moral questions in life!

Society & Culture
Philosophy
Education
76
Is it wrong to have children in an era of clima...
<strong>In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of having children in the context of climate change. Is it ok to birth a child into a doomed circumstance...is this circumstance quite so doomed...even if it wasn't, is it maybe wrong to birth someone without their permission anyway?</strong><br><br><strong>This discussion begins by exploring moral considerations around having children with 2 key perspectives, particularly: the way that you may be wronging a baby itself by birthing it, either by dooming it to a struggle with the woes of life (if that's how you view life) or the struggles of climate change, or the way you may be wronging society more widely. After an exploration in this regard we focus more on the practicalities of climate change: is human life actually doomed and is that question relevant? Can we weigh human happiness against humans having a place to live? Can we realistically ask people to not have children and what might a policy look like?<br><br>As always, reviews really help us, please follow and review on your podcast platform of choice and contact us on your social media of choice. Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt<br><br>A huge shoutout to listener Peter Maxwell who was so sick of our awful sound mastering, he messaged and offered to help us with it by salvaging what was possible from our amateurly recorded files.</strong></p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
51 min
77
Is it wrong to keep pets?
<strong>In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of pet care. Is it ok to keep any sentient living being as property, free to be made infertile if their incessant humping annoys us and even to be put down if they become an inconvenience or minor danger. <br><br>Part of this discussion will feel familiar from our vegan/vegetarianism episode (how do we compare animal vs human rights?), but the fundamental question is how do we square the very common stance of being anti-livestock/vegan but pro-pets? We do care about our pets, but we also violate what may very reasonably be their rights as sentient creatures in the interest of our enjoyment - and their being happy with the arrangement may not necessarily get us off the hook, just as it doesn't solve the 'benevolent slave owner' argument. Also, to what extent does keeping pets enable negligient or non-benevolent pet owners to cause suffering, and can we even agree what counts as negligient - by some accounts keeping a dog in an inner city apartment is not fair, for example.<br><br>Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/ If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</strong></p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
57 min
78
Can we enjoy the music of problematic artists?
In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of art. Well, a very small sub-section, enjoying the works of artists who are themselves immoral. In considering this, we consider the difference between art and things that are simply visually/audibly pleasing and how the context of art can (or should) affect how we appreciate it.Key considerations include whether the 'problematic' context of the artist is literally part of their work, a heavy influence or driver of the work, or totally separate. We also consider whether the issue is consequential, i.e. we should withold our attention to financially harm such artists, or diminish their reputation, or whether it's more to satisfy a personal moral qualm.Please do leave a review on your podcast platform, it really helps us immensely.Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt *excuse minor echo in audio* --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
48 min
79
Can entrepreneurship be a force for good? - w/ ...
<p>In this episode (another guest-isode digression from our usual format, which we'll return to next episode), Jake and Ant look at whether entrepreneurship can be a force for good, with Chris and Chris from the Beyond Binary Thinking podcast. We discuss the difference between entrepreneurship en masse and large tech companies, the role of finance (and over-financialization) in business and whether shifting ownership can help resolve some of these issues.<br><br>Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
61 min
80
Was Twitter right to ban Trump? w/ Peter Suciu ...
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant look at whether banning Trump was the right thing to do for social media platforms. With our guests, Peter Suciu (Twitter: @PeterSuciu) and Alex Kantrowitz (twitter: @kantrowitz, podcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/big-technology-podcast) we explore questions such as: are SM platforms utilities, is free speech the same as free access to platforms, what were the morally relevant contingent factors to this decision and what next for such SM platforms?<br><br>This is our first guest-format episode. Please share feedback, give us a review and support the show any way you see fit.<br><br>Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
57 min
81
Would it be ethically justifiable to make the c...
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of mandatory vaccination, particularly in the context of covid and the year of mandatory lockdowns we've just been through. Arguably, vaccines have clearer benefits and fewer trade-offs than lockdowns, but precedent over the last few decades has been to enshrine people's freedom of choice on the matter (even if their opinions are based on debunked conspiracy theories). <br><br>Does the covid crisis make for a different circumstance, particularly given all the recent, mandatory lockdowns? They do after all represent another example of restricting personal freedoms in the interest of public health. We consider the similarities and differences between these interventions which either support or detract from this analogy, exploring concepts of bodily autonomy and human dignity, as well as a brief 'ground-up' view from consequentialist and deontological perspectives.<br><br>Sign up to our newsletter here to receive a breakdown of the arguments presented, some memes and updates on future episodes: https://moedt.substack.com/</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
62 min
82
Is it wrong to send your children to private sc...
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant look at the ethics of private education. Education is so important - and so formative - that it's important to ask whether it is fair for some people to access a higher quality education on the basis of wealth. What happens when what is best for society does not line up with what is best for us individually?&nbsp;</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, checkout our patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
58 min
83
Are footballers paid too much?
<p>In this episode Jake and Ant explore what it means to be overpaid - both from an economic and moral perspective. Particularly, footballers are considered in the context of essentially being entertainers. In it, you'll get a potted history of how footballers went from earning £1 a week to over £300k, an original take on the footballers v nurses debate and a look at what happened to the Gunnersaurus.&nbsp;</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p><p><strong>References from the episode:</strong></p><p>For more information about Treepoints, visit <a href="https://treepoints.green"><em>https://treepoints.green</em></a></p><p>The Peter Crouch podcast's<a href="https://twitter.com/petercrouchpod/status/1270640662023733248?lang=en"> Roy Keane photos</a></p><p><a href="https://www.90min.com/in/posts/sevilla-announce-shock-capture-of-arsenal-mascot-gunnersaurus-01ekyk48fvda">Seville's capture of the Gunnersaurus</a></p><p><a href="https://www.acquired.fm/">The Acquired Podcast</a></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Benioff/status/549339156854214656/photo/1">The shareholders cartoon</a></p><p><br></p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
52 min
84
Are you a bad person if you work at Facebook?
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant explore what it means to be a bad person, briefly revisit the distinction between good/bad and right/wrong and discuss in some more depth why they specifically chose Facebook for this question (rather than BP or Goldman Sachs or Google) and some of the harms and goods it facilitates.</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
49 min
85
Is it immoral to eat meat?
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant consider whether the consumption of meat and specifically the production and slaughter of animals to that end is immoral. This includes an exploration of the moral differences between different animals (humans included) and a consideration of whether the crux of the issue lies in the suffering and death involved in production or rather in the specific act of consuming the flesh of another creature. Following this, there's a consideration of the indirect effects of eating meat as part of the wider system of industrial meat farming, including the environmental impact of the industry, poor treatment of workers and the impact on propogating the spread of viruses.</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
45 min
86
Should we segregate sports by sex?
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant consider how and why we segregate sports and, ultimately, what the point of sports might be? This includes an exploration of current issues of segregating by sex, given difficulty determining how to include trans atheletes and those with DSD such as Caster Semenya - who recently lost a court ruling on the matter. There are many other forms of segregation that happen in sport, such as weight classes.</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
43 min
87
When is lockdown justified?
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant consider the circumstances where restricting personal freedoms in the interest of public health may be morally justified. This includes an exploration of whether this is a truly unique circumstances, versus issues like national security, what moral frameworks are most appropriate and the classic balancing of the moral calculus. We'll address questions such as: what's the value of a human life? How should we spread benefits and harms across society and, of course, what might Kant have to say about all this?</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
66 min
88
Should you have shared #BlackoutTuesday?
<p>In this episode, Jake and Ant explore why those who are able may have a duty to help disadvantaged groups and whether the motives of our actions matter to their moral worth. We revisit the question of 'Can you do the right thing for the wrong reasons?' as well as exploring the types of obligations we have and how we can form new ones. Do white people have a special obligation to help BAME groups, or is it purely on the basis of fairness that a duty is owed? Is a duty owed at all?</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
46 min
89
Is it OK to punch a nazi?
<p>In this second episode, Jake and Ant explore the circumstances in which we may be justified in doing something we'd typically class as wrong. Are we ever justified in using violence, particularly against those who have done or intend to do bad things? Would you be proud if your child punched a bully? Would you lie to an axe-murderer? Can you punch a secret nazi? All this and more discussed in this episode, including a breakdown of the 3 main types of moral frameworks - virtue based ethics, consequentalist and deontological.</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
49 min
90
Should billionaires exist?
<p>In this first episode, Jake and Ant explore the moral implications of extreme wealth inequality. Can billionaires co-exist with a population in poverty? When, if ever, is it right to takeaway someone's private property? Do we deserve the cash we inherit any less than the talents we inherit by birth?</p><p>If you'd like to support the show, check out our Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/moedt</p>--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/moedt/message <p>If you'd like to listen ad-free (on any podcast app) and support us as creators, become a member for as little as $2 per month at: <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt">https://plus.acast.com/s/moedt</a>.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
42 min