What does it mean to live a good life? If we want to live ethically, it stands to reason that our daily habits and overall goals must align themselves with a certain moral code. Moral Decision Making: How to Approach Everyday Ethics offers you the chance to reflect on some of the most powerful moral issues we face—as well as providing a framework for making the best decisions that will lead to a happier, more fulfilling life. Over the course of 24 thought-provoking lectures, Professor Clancy Martin of the University of Missouri–Kansas City introduces us to a variety of ethical “case studies”—the kind of difficult situations we have all faced at some point—and he shows us how great thinkers, from Socrates to Nietzsche to Bonhoeffer, approached similar problems.
Moral Decision Making: How to Approach Everyday Ethics
Meet a diverse array of great thinkers and probe the most fascinating questions of ethics as they apply to our everyday lives in this engaging and thought-provoking course.
Trailer
01: Why Be Good?
Begin your survey of morality by asking some of the fundamental questions that philosophers have been grappling with for thousands of years. What is the source of morality? Is it culturally relative? Are humans innately good or evil? What role does society play in civilizing—or corrupting—us?
31 min
02: Is It Ever Permissible to Lie?
We’ve all told lies and can think of reasons to justify them, but philosophers are surprisingly divided on whether deceit is ever ethical. See what Plato, Kant, Machiavelli, Bonhoeffer, and others have said on the subject of why we lie, the relationship between truth and freedom, trust and intimacy, and more.
30 min
03: Aren’t Whistle-Blowers Being Disloyal?
Put yourself in the shoes of a company employee who knows his friend is doing something unethical. Would you rat out your friend for the sake of the business? Should you? Explore the mechanism of dissent, the nature of loyalty, and the courage it takes to stand up for one’s principles.
29 min
04: What’s Wrong with Gossip?
Humans are hardwired to enjoy talking about other people. Harmless chatter can be entertaining and establishes intimacy within social circles, whereas malicious gossip provides a feeling of superiority. Consider the ethical pitfalls of gossip before turning to the various types of criticism we can direct toward others—as well as the ethical nuances of criticism’s counterparts, flattery and praise.
30 min
05: Do I Have an Obligation to Be Healthy?
Shift your attention to the ethics of liberty, one of the most important moral values in Western society and a key value of American society. Is it ethical to eat, drink, and smoke whatever we want, wherever we want, and as much as we want? This lecture pits the views of Aristotle and John Rawls against those of Robert Nozick on individualism and self-determination.
29 min
06: Can I Sneak a Grape or Two While Shopping?
Examine the philosophical history of how and why property has become so closely tied to morality in our culture. From John Locke to Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman, you’ll find out how the pursuit of property ties in with the moral pillars of freedom and happiness in Western society. Then turn to Kenneth Arrow’s arguments in favor of regulating this pursuit.
34 min
07: Is It Wrong to Make as Much Money as I Can?
Continue your examination of wealth and society by looking at what several great thinkers have had to say about the role of money and work in the pursuit of the good life. You’ll unpack Aristotle’s philosophy of moderation, study the surprising origins of the Protestant work ethic, and reflect on the dangers of pursuing money at the expense of society at large.
28 min
08: What Are My Obligations to the Poor?
We know that most of the world’s religious traditions advocate giving money to the poor, but what do other, nonreligious thinkers have to say about charity? This lecture returns to Aristotle before introducing you to the worldviews of Andrew Carnegie and Peter Singer, both of whom will challenge what you think you know about charity and the poor.
29 min
09: Can We Do Better Than the Golden Rule?
This first in a series of lectures on interpersonal relationships examines what ethical obligations we have to others. How should we treat those around us? How can we resolve the tension between moral obligations to others with our personal freedom? Take an in-depth look at Kant’s categorical imperative, the idea that all humans are “ends in themselves.”
31 min
10: Why Can’t I Just Live for Pleasure?
Consider hedonism: one-night stands, flashy cars, exotic vacations. What could be wrong with such a life? Survey the philosophy of “utilitarianism,” the philosophy that morality is a matter of seeking the greatest happiness for the greatest number. After exploring the distinction between “pleasure” and “happiness,” you’ll take a look at key objections to utilitarian ethics.
32 min
11: Why Can’t I Date a Married Person?
Dive into the stormy, unpredictable world of love and marriage. To begin with, consider what romantic love is. After surveying four distinct types of love, this lecture helps you navigate the moral norms that govern marriage with a look at the philosophies of the ancient Greeks, Kant, and Nietzsche.
28 min
12: Are Jealousy and Resentment Always Wrong?
Continue your study of moral psychology with an exploration of heartbreak, jealousy, and resentment. After tracing the relationship between emotion and reason, and the voluntary and involuntary components of emotions, you’ll analyze Nietzsche and Hume’s arguments that emotional responses can generate entire moral systems.
33 min
13: What Are the Rules for Respecting Privacy?
In today’s world, technology has complicated the ethics of interpersonal relationships—especially in the realm of privacy. How much privacy are we entitled to? How do intrusions into our privacy affect our freedom and autonomy? Reflect on the arguments for giving up some privacy for security, as well as the dangers of giving up too much.
29 min
14: What Do I Owe My Aging Parents?
Many of us will one day find ourselves in the position of caring for an aging parent. What ethical obligations do we have? What is the best way to take care of the elderly in our society? Travel the world to see what philosophers ranging from Confucius to Plato to William James have to say about filial piety and the ethics of care.
30 min
15: Should I Help a Suffering Loved One Die?
Medical technology is prolonging our lives, for better and for worse. In this lecture, you’ll explore the myriad complexities around euthanasia. Is there such a thing as a “good death”? What counts as “natural causes”? Is there a moral distinction between “pulling the plug” and assisted suicide? Consider the ethical pros and cons.
30 min
16: Is Genetic Enhancement “Playing God”?
What if you had the opportunity to choose your child’s hair color? Or edit her DNA to protect against disease? Or determine your child’s intelligence and athletic ability? This kind of genetic programming is not as far-fetched as it sounds—and it raises a host of questions about human agency and social fairness.
28 min
17: Is Conscientious Objection a Moral Right?
Investigate the origins of “conscience.” Start with the ancient Greek view of “conscience” as an “inner demon.” Then turn to the social contract theory espoused by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, and the relationship between our individual consciences and society, law, and our obligations to each other.
29 min
18: Is It Always Wrong to Fight Back?
Return to the realm of emotions and consider three closely related phenomena: anger, revenge, and forgiveness. First, you’ll consider the moral utility of anger; then, you’ll explore the dictum of “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth,” and see how vengeance, punishment, justice, and forgiveness are all more complicated than you might think.
32 min
19: Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?
The United States is one of the few Western nations that still have the death penalty. In this lecture, you’ll examine several arguments for and against the death penalty—and you’ll survey the larger system of punishment and justice in terms of vengeance, retribution, rehabilitation, and deterrence.
30 min
20: Is Torture Ever Acceptable?
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 clearly laid out an international prohibition against torture, but is there a philosophical case for torture? After exploring myriad objections to torture, this lecture unpacks a utilitarian argument for why torture may be necessary under certain conditions.
29 min
21: Do Animals Have Rights?
Why do we think it’s all right to eat certain animals but not others? Do nonhuman animals have some quality that suggests they have rights? Do the consequences of society’s “social contract” extend to animals? See what Kant, Peter Singer, and other moral philosophers say about rationality, sentience, and the ethics and economics of animal rights.
29 min
22: Why Should I Recycle?
What matters more, people or penguins? Because so much of our impact on the environment flies beneath our radar, the answer to this question is complex and has changed in recent years. In this lecture, you’ll examine Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and apply them to pollution, waste, and the environment. Then consider the tension between corporate interests and environmental protection.
31 min
23: Does It Matter Where I Shop?
What kind of responsibilities do we have as citizens and consumers in terms of business, economic policy, and how we spend our dollars? Do we have an obligation to buy locally? To buy “free trade” products? After reviewing the economic theories of Friedrich Hayek and John Maynard Keynes, you’ll examine the contemporary force of globalization and the idea of a “global village.”
31 min
24: What Would Socrates Do?
Conclude your study of ethical decision making with a look at the difference between belief and knowledge. Socratic wisdom comes from a stance of skepticism, a willingness to ask questions to free ourselves from the danger of moral hypocrisy. Take this sense of curiosity and open-mindedness into the world after the end of the course.
29 min
Overview Course No. 4222
About
Dr. Clancy Martin is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) and Professor of Business Ethics at UMKC's Henry W. Bloch School of Management. A specialist in moral psychology and existentialism, he earned his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. A 2011-2012 Guggenheim Fellow, Professor Martin has authored, coauthored, and edited a variety of books in philosophy, including Love, Lies, and Marriage; Honest Work: A Business Ethics Reader (with Robert Solomon and Joanne Ciulla); and The Philosophy of Deception. He has published dozens of articles, essays, and reviews on Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Romanticism, the virtue of truthfulness, and many other subjects. His writing also has appeared in Harper’s Magazine (where he is a contributing editor), The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the London Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, and numerous other forums. Before becoming a philosopher, Professor Clancy was a successful businessman and owned a chain of luxury jewelry stores, a wine bar, and a mergers and acquisitions company. He is a Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and author of two novels, How to Sell: A Novel and Travels in Central America. His work in progress includes a book on the nature of will, a novel, and several essays, both philosophical and popular.
