← Return to search results
+

Back to Basics: The Ethics of Voting

The 2016 election day is coming up very soon, so we thought we’d give you all some things to think about as you head to the polls (or if you’re thinking about abstaining). Our producer Sandra Bertin shares some reporting she did on the ethics of voting. Listen in with our other producer Christiane Wisehart to hear the voices of experts and everyday people discussing their thoughts on how to vote. We managed to get through the entire episode without even mentioning who you should vote for!

For the episode transcript, download a copy or read it below.

Contact us at examiningethics@gmail.com

Links to people and ideas mentioned in the show

  1. Second presidential debate in St. Louis, Missouri
  2. Daniel McCarthy, editor of The American Conservative
  3. T.M. Scanlon, Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity, Emeritus at Harvard University
  4. What Happened in Ferguson?” (New York Times)
  5. Daniel Hopkins, Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Pennsylvania
  6. Derrick Darby
  7. Jennifer L. Hochschild, H.L. Jayne Professor of Government, Professor of African and African American Studies, and Harvard College Professor at Harvard University
  8. Tommie Shelby, Caldwell Titcomb Professor of African and African American Studies and of Philosophy at Harvard University
  9. Elizabeth S. Anderson, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies at University of Michigan
    • The Imperative of Integration (Princeton University Press, 2010)

Credits

Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Music featured in the show:

Badlands” by Cory Gray from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Lahaina” by Blue Dot Sessions from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 4.0

Should Civilians Be Spared? with Seth Lazar

On today’s episode, we have one major question for philosopher Seth Lazar: is it ever acceptable to kill civilians in war? As with all good questions in philosophy, it turned out to be a lot more complicated than we initially thought. Lazar wrote Sparing Civilians, out now from Oxford University Press. He lays out what it takes for a civilian or soldier to be considered a threat, what it takes for someone be responsible for that threat, and how to weigh risking harm to other people. Then later in the show, we discuss what responsibility civilians in the United States have for foreign wars.

For the episode transcript, download a copy or read it below.

Contact us at examiningethics@gmail.com

Links to people and ideas mentioned in the show

  1. Seth Lazar, Sparing Civilians
  2. Last Week Tonight: Drones
  3. Ted Cruz debate: “What it means is using overwhelming air power…”
  4. Donald Trump: “You have to take out their families.”
  5. Just War Theory
  6. Michael Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations
  7. Rethinking Just War Theory (Jeff McMahan)
  8. Some other contemporary critics of Walzer’s Just War Theory
  9. Immanuel Kant’s “kingdom of ends
  10. Daniel Pearl

Credits

Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Music featured in the show:

Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Music featured in the show:

Badlands” by Cory Gray from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Lahaina” by Blue Dot Sessions from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 4.0

Ritual Two” by Jason Leonard from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Thaw (Outro)” by Kai Engel from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 4.0

Individuals vs. Groups: Lori Gruen and Martin Wilkinson

Many of the biggest issues in ethics come down to a dispute between individuals and groups. We explore this idea first with the philosopher Lori Gruen. She explains why keeping pets or incarcerating people does harm to the autonomy and dignity of the individual. Then, we interview the public health and ethics expert Martin Wilkinson, who explains that because of a worldwide organ shortage, we have an interest in procuring organs of the recently dead. Martin Wilkinson will explain to us how difficult it is to balance that need against individual rights (even after they’re dead).

For the episode transcript, download a copy or read it below.

Contact us at examiningethics@gmail.com

Links to people and ideas mentioned in the show

  1. Lori Gruen (The Ethics of Captivity)
    1. Lori Gruen’s website
    2. Manuel Wackenheim v. France Case
  2. Martin Wilkinson (Ethics and the Acquisition of Organs)
    1. Martin Wilkinson’s website
    2. Singapore: the problem with mandatory organ donation

Credits

Thanks to Evelyn Brosius for our logo. Music featured in the show:

“Badlands” by Cory Gray from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Dowl” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Hungaria” by Latché Swing from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 FR

“Heavenly Choir” sound effect by SOUND FX TV

Pineapple” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC 3.0

Songe D’Automne” by Latché Swing from the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 FR

Visit our campus.

LOCATION

2961 W County Road 225 S
Greencastle, IN 46135
765.658.5857

 

PLAN YOUR TRIP

HOURS

Monday-Friday: 8AM-5PM
Saturday-Sunday: Closed

Monday-Sunday: Sunrise to Sunset