Examining Ethics
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.
Episodes
Modern life runs on rules—some helpful, some… not so much. In this episode, Alex talks with philosopher Barry Lam (UC Riverside) about his new book Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion. Lam makes a bold claim: sometimes fewer rules can actually make us better. With sharp insights and real-world stories, he walks us through why giving people more wiggle room might lead to fairer, more humane outcomes. But it’s not all...
As a special feature for this Spring, Alex Richardson sits down with the leadership of both the National High School Ethics Bowl and the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for a detailed conversation about the activity’s nature and future.
The post Special: The Future of the Ethics Bowl appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Rebecca Roache (Royal Holloway, University of London) on her new book, For F*ck's Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude, and Fun. Here, Roache examines the art, psychology, and moral implications of a good cursing out, ultimately concluding that it isn't the words themselves which are offensive, but what lies between the lines.
The post Rebecca Roache: The Ethics of Swearing ap...
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Robert Talisse (Vanderbilt) on his new book, Civic Solitude: Why Democracy Needs Distance. Here, Talisse argues that democracy, in addition to its participatory elements, requires a kind of reflection and capacity building that is best achieved in solitude. He recommends that we rebuild and/or expand public spaces for such development as a potential antidote to some of our own...
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a conversation with Jeff Sebo (NYU) on his new book, The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why. Here, Sebo argues that we should prepare to widen our circle of moral consideration to septillions more beings than we currently recognize as morally relevant, including animals of obvious and non-obvious species, as well as other kinds of beings like artificial intelligence agents as well.
Our 2024-2025 season continues with a special episode in conversation with Michael Vazquez (UNC) and Michael Prinzing (Baylor), co-authors of a first-of-its-kind new study on the development of intellectual virtues among philosophy students, and are working to apply their methodology to learners all across the lifespan.
The post Special: Does Studying Philosophy Make Better Thinkers? appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Eth...
A brand-new season of Examining Ethics kicks off with new host Alex Richardson in conversation with Krista Thomason, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Swarthmore College, on her new book Dancing with the Devil: Why Bad Feelings Make Life Good.
The post Krista Thomason: Can Negative Emotions Make Life Good? appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Examining Ethics is back. Join new Host and Executive Producer, Alex Richardson for a brand new season of digging into tough ethical issues this November!
The post 2024-2025 Season Announcement appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Meredith Broussard is a data journalist working in the field of algorithmic accountability. She writes about the ways in which race, gender and ability bias seep into the technology we use every day.
The post Bias in Tech with Meredith Broussard appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Philosopher Cat Saint-Croix joins the Examining Ethics podcast to discuss their work on the role that attention can play in thinking about epistemology.
The post Rumination and Wronging with Cat Saint-Croix appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Myisha Cherry is on the show today to help us reframe our understanding of the complicated topic of forgiveness.
The post Myisha Cherry: Failures of Forgiveness appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Philosopher Emily McTernan joins us on the show to defend the act of taking offense and showing disapproval.
The post Taking Offense with Emily McTernan appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Philosopher Luvell Anderson joins us to explore the ethics of the comedic roast.
The post Roasting Ethics with Luvell Anderson appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Ethnographer and historian of religion Lucia Hulsether on the strange phenomenon she calls “capitalist humanitarianism.”
The post Capitalist Humanitarianism with Lucia Hulsether appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
In an age when endangered species are dying out by the hundreds, philosopher Christopher Preston argues that there’s hope to be found in the stories of successful wildlife recoveries.
The post Wildlife Recoveries with Christopher Preston appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
How much should we expect from ourselves when it comes to fighting climate change? Explore the issue of demandingness with philosophers Kyle Fruh and Marcus Hedahl on today's episode of Examining Ethics.
The post How Much Should We Expect of Ourselves? with Marcus Hedahl and Kyle Fruh appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
On this episode of Examining Ethics, we discuss the ambivalence of motherhood with philosopher Sarah LaChance Adams.
The post Motherhood and Ethics with Sarah LaChance Adams appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Jessica Flanigan is a philosopher at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. She argues that egalitarians might want to rethink their commitment to democracy.
The post Social Equality with Jessica Flanigan appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
On this episode of Examining Ethics, philosopher Manuel Wörsdörfer joins us to review some of the most pressing climate ethics issues we face today.
The post Climate Ethics with Manuel Wörsdörfer appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
On today’s show, we explore the complicated relationship between gender, authenticity and ethics with philosopher Rowan Bell.
The post Authenticity and Gender Norms with Rowan Bell appeared first on The Prindle Institute for Ethics.
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.