Showing titles in Ethics & Morality

Shortly before he died, Plenty Coups, the last great Chief of the Crow Nation, told his story - up to a certain point. "When the buffalo went away the hearts of my people fell to the ground", he said, "and they could not lift them up again. After this nothing happened." It is precisely this point - that of a people faced with the end of their way of life - that prompts the philosophical and ethical inquiry pursued in Radical Hope. In Jonathan Lear's view, Plenty Coups' story raises a profound ethical question that transcends his time and challenges us all.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Open Socrates and learn about philosophy.

Why do good people so often do nothing when a small intervention could make a big difference? Pioneering psychologist Catherine Sanderson demystifies the mindset of bullies and bystanders to show why courage comes at such a high cost, and how we can learn to be brave. We are bombarded every day by reports of bad behaviour: from sexual harassment to political corruption, from bullying to corporate greed. We believe these things are wrong or even evil, but in practice few of us choose to intercede.

Thomas Nagel's Mortal Questions explores some fundamental issues concerning the meaning, nature, and value of human life. Questions about our attitudes to death, sexual behavior, social inequality, war, and political power are shown to lead to more obviously philosophical problems about personal identity, consciousness, freedom, and value.

The Fable of the Bees—a satirical poem, prose discussion, three essays and six dialogues completed in 1729—exposes human vices but defends them as a necessity within a wealthy society. Mandeville’s bees thrive until they start living by honesty and virtue… then they are impoverished. Mandeville did not play by the rules: he satirized the sins of society but also ridiculed the widespread hypocrisy of deploring these sins whilst reaping their benefits. He and his work were attacked for the rest of the century.

A train is racing toward five men, tied to the track. Unless the train is stopped, it will inevitably kill all five men. If a fat man is pushed onto the line, although he will die, his body will stop the train, saving five lives. Would you kill the fat man? As David Edmonds shows, answering the question is far more complex, and important, than it first appears. In fact, how we answer it tells us a great deal about right and wrong.

The Art of Worldly Wisdom was written in 1647. It is a collection of 300 maxims on various topics, each elaborated with a commentary. The sayings offer advice and guidance on how to live well, advance socially, and be a better person.

Reflecting on many examples from real life as well as literature, and on the insights of psychologists and philosophers, Cherry uses the tension between the desire to forgive and the protest that a person is unforgivable to push towards understandings of forgiveness that avoid the harshness of binary models. Forgiveness is not, he insists, the only good way forward after harm. A positive understanding of non-vengeful unforgiveness is vital if the harmed are to be given the care and support they need and deserve, and if forgiveness itself is to be authentic and liberating.

"It takes an entire lifetime to learn how to die", wrote the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (c. 4 BC-65 AD). He counseled readers to "study death always", and took his own advice, returning to the subject again and again in all his writings, yet he never treated it in a complete work. How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca's remarkable meditations on death and dying. Edited and translated by James S. Romm, How to Die reveals a provocative thinker who speaks with a startling frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.

As a mother and successful working professional, I face a number of the same challenges that countless parents around the globe encounter. All that I wished I had when I was a first-time mom was this book. Being a parent to a child who feels their emotions intensely can be both a tremendously gratifying and an extremely challenging experience. In this introduction, we'll discuss how to develop a meaningful emotional connection with your child and offer support to them in the midst of whatever challenges they may be facing.

Three months after George Saunders gave a graduation address at Syracuse University, a transcript of that speech was posted on the website of The New York Times, where its simple, uplifting message struck a deep chord. Within days, it had been shared more than one million times. Why? Because Saunders’ words tap in to a desire in all of us to lead kinder, more fulfilling lives. Powerful, funny, and wise, Congratulations, by the Way is an inspiring message from one of today’s most influential and original writers.

Step into the mind of one of history's most influential thinkers as Nietzsche takes you on a profound journey through morality, truth, and the nature of human existence. This groundbreaking work, brought to life in captivating audio format, explores Nietzsche's bold and revolutionary ideas that continue to resonate in our modern world.

There is an epidemic of bad thinking in the world today. When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People provides an engaging tour through the basic principles of logic, argument, evidence, and probability that can make all of us more reasonable and responsible citizens.

Epictetus was born a slave, but at an early age developed a passion for philosophy, and with the permission of his master, he studied under Musonius Rufus. He obtained his freedom sometime after the death of Nero in AD 68 and later began teaching in Rome, until his banishment from the city around AD 93, after which he travelled to Nicopolis in Greece and carried on teaching there for the remainder of his days.

Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from AD 161-180. He wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the first book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova and the second book was written at Carnuntum.

In An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, first published in 1690, John Locke (1632-1704) provides a complete account of how we acquire everyday, mathematical, natural scientific, religious and ethical knowledge. Rejecting the theory that some knowledge is innate in us, Locke argues that it derives from sense perceptions and experience, as analysed and developed by reason. While defending these central claims with vigorous common sense, Locke offers many incidental - and highly influential - reflections on space and time, meaning, free will and personal identity.

In Animals, Robots, Gods, acclaimed anthropologist Webb Keane provides a new vision of ethics, defined less by our minds, religion or society, and more by our interactions with those around us. Drawing on ground-breaking research by fieldworkers around the world, he explores the underpinnings of our moral universe. Along the way we investigate the ethical dilemmas of South Asian animal rights activists, Balinese cockfighters, Japanese robot fanciers -- even macho cowboys.

The Three Domains of Freedom: Each Moment is Yours, Your Life is Yours, Civilization is Yours by George Kinder empowers listeners to experience profound freedoms in their lives and aspires to change civilization. Drawing on his expertise in mindfulness and financial life planning, Kinder offers a transformative guide that inspires listeners to live authentically, discover their life's purpose, and contribute to making a humane and just society. This book is a must-listen for anyone seeking personal fulfillment and a deeper connection to their values and aspirations.

This audiobook contains a selection of writings from Fear and Trembling, Either Or, and The Present Moment, written by Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard's theological work focuses on Christian ethics, the institution of the Church, the differences between purely objective proofs of Christianity, the infinite qualitative distinction between man and God, and the individual's subjective relationship to the God-Man Jesus the Christ, which came through faith.

Of Anger by Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) defines and explains anger within the context of Stoic philosophy, and offers therapeutic advice on how to prevent and control anger. This is achievable by the development of an understanding of how to control the passions, and to make them subject to reason. Seneca believed that the passions arise in a rational mind as a misunderstanding of reality. A passion is a defective belief which occurs when the mind makes errors about the values of things.