Imagine you’re a teenager in the parking lot outside a grocery store. It’s hot, you’re tired, and you’re late. Your mother has strictly commanded you to be home in 5 minutes, and you have just enough time to make it. Suddenly, you spot an elderly woman struggling with a heavy cart of groceries. Cars honk at her as she shuffles toward her sedan. You see her flushing with anxiety. What do you do? Obey your mother and hope the woman is okay? Ignore your obligation to your mother and help her? Why? Why not?

Moral choices of various caliber arise for us daily. Maybe they’re not all as intense as this case, but nonetheless, how do we make our moral decisions? Where do our values originate? This episode Kevin and I revisit the question, examining our own moral compasses, a few case studies from our experiences, and some relevant philosophical perspectives. We highly recommend reading the show notes first. Enjoy!

Audio

Video

Show Notes

• Normative Ethics | Wikipedia
• Stanford Prison Experiment | Wikipedia
• Kenan Malik asks Where Do Values Come From? | The RSA
• Deontological Ethics | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Virtue Ethics | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Consequentialism | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Post-Show Song

“Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia