Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Examining Ethics is an ethics podcast produced by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. Everybody wrestles with questions about ethics. Some of those questions are easy to figure out. Should I murder someone? No! But other questions are more difficult to answer. Examining Ethics doesn’t provide answers to these ethical dilemmas, but instead leaves listeners with tools and ideas from some of the biggest names in moral philosophy and ethics. Academic philosophy and ethics can sometimes be difficult to understand, and our accessible, open-minded content bridges the gap between scholars and everyone else. Examining Ethics is hosted and produced by Christiane Wisehart.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Moral philosophy tools • justice, policing, law, civic life • rules vs discretion • democracy, equality, deliberation • tech bias, surveillance, misinformation • climate ethics, wildlife • race, gender, disability, reproduction • emotions, forgiveness, offense, swearing, comedy • ethics education, virtues, games, ethics bowls • moral circle incl. animals and AIThis podcast explores ethical questions through accessible conversations grounded in academic moral philosophy. Rather than offering definitive answers, it introduces frameworks and concepts meant to help listeners think more clearly about difficult dilemmas in everyday life and public policy. Episodes frequently feature philosophers, scholars, and practitioners discussing recent books or research and connecting theory to concrete social problems.
A major thread across the show is political and social ethics: debates about policing and criminal justice, victims’ rights, obedience to authority, and when breaking the law might be justified. The podcast also examines democracy and civic life, including how deliberation works, how philanthropy and inequality can shape democratic institutions, and what kinds of reflection or “distance” democratic citizens may need.
Another recurring focus is how ethics intersects with identity, power, and justice, with discussions touching on race, colonialism, reproductive justice, gender norms, disability, and traditions in African American philosophy. Technology and information ethics also appear, including algorithmic bias, trust in technology, surveillance and transparency, and how misinformation and pattern-seeking affect what people believe.
The show regularly turns to moral psychology and interpersonal life—emotions, forgiveness, taking offense, swearing, humor, and attention—asking what these experiences mean for living well with others. Environmental and animal ethics are also present, from climate responsibility and wildlife recovery to questions about expanding moral concern to nonhuman animals and potentially artificial agents. Special episodes address ethics education itself, including competitive ethics bowls, classroom deliberation, and research on whether studying philosophy develops intellectual virtues.