The study of good and bad conduct, right and wrong values, and good and evil.
Thank you, Ehab Syed, for this fascinating question. The question is full of interesting ambiguity. What does it mean to live for others or ourselves? And in what sense of ‘better’? Are we asking which form of life is better? I will assume that to live for others or ourselves means to embrace one of […]
Is it better to live for ourselves or others? Read More
Thank you, Al Esperida, for such a profound question. We would all love to know what happens when our hearts stop beating. Even here in the secularized West, where the afterlife is dealt with only through horror movies and too-good-to-be-true TV mediums, it is a question which privately gnaws at most thinking people. But let’s
How would knowing there is life after death affect our daily lives? Read More
Thank you, Ajit Deshmukh, for your question. There are a few different ways to answer this question: one, to ask whether animals have a right to life; another, to ask whether humans have a duty of care towards them (non-human animals, that is); another still, to ask whether there is any reason to suppose that
Is killing an animal wrong? Read More
Thank you, Roy Head, for such an intriguing question. When considering this question, I assume that most people would think of ‘health’ or ‘life’ insurance, rather than ‘car’, ‘fire’, ‘liability’, ‘property’, etc. Yet they are all insurances, and I intend to cover all of them in this Opinion. Google defines insurance as “an arrangement by
Is insurance (and selling it) moral? Read More
Thank you, Hannah Hughes, for such a thoughtful question. As I explore the question, I will assume that by ‘wealthy’, you mean something like having much more money than would be necessary to live without a constant worry about one’s financial situation. I think that there are two moral perspectives to take into account here:
Is it bad to aspire to be wealthy? Read More
Thank you, Ali Muràád Bàloç, for this fascinating question. The first thing we have to ask is, what is hypocrisy? Ask most people, and they will tell you that hypocrisy is not practicing what you preach. But consider this: in the process of becoming mature adults, we often do things that we later condemn, or
Do people live without hypocrisy? Read More
Context: He’s also been described as a vigilante and anti-hero, but he beats up bad guys for a living? Thank you, Olivia Rose Brown, for this wonderful question! I agree that Batman’s violence makes him problematic, but there are even more ethical issues related to his activity. Batman spends most of his time fighting criminals,
Is Batman a superhero? Read More
Thank you, Charmaine Elaine, for this multi-faceted question. The phrase “taking a stand” can be used to describe a variety of behaviors in different contexts; in what follows, I will consider two interpretations. First, is it wrong not to engage in political activity? Second, is it wrong not to adopt a firm position on a
Is it wrong not to take a stand? Read More
Thank you, Gnanak Gerhardson Munnangi, for a great question! Although it may seem a bit distrusting to consider the motives of someone seeking your friendship, doing so may reveal a lot about yourself. When I saw this question, I was tempted to say that in a friendship I would like caring and understanding, as well
What are your expectations from a person who wants to be your friend? Read More
Thank you, Eoin Martin, for this fascinating question. I will assume that we are interested in whether good intentions matter for our moral evaluation of actions, and in particular whether good intentions morally justify an action. I will also assume that a ‘good’ intention is an intention that aims at something that is to some
Do good intentions matter? Read More
