Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
The Morality of Everyday Things is a philosophy podcast (top 0.1% most listened to, in fact!) that guides you through the moral questions we may all wonder in life, from "Should billionaires exist?" to "Is God a good thing?" Join Jake and Ant, two friends who studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford before founding Stasher.com together, as they still find time to enjoy philosophy in their sparetime when they break down the key arguments on these and other everyday ethical issues.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Everyday moral philosophy and political theory • wealth inequality, taxes, UBI, housing • work, happiness, meaning, suffering • democracy and voting ethics • media narratives, censorship, religion • AI understanding and risks • bioethics, medicine pricing, vaccines, euthanasia • sportswashing, strikes, refugees, personal relationshipsThis podcast uses everyday controversies and personal dilemmas as a gateway into moral and political philosophy. Hosted by two friends with backgrounds in philosophy, politics, and economics, it aims to make classic arguments and frameworks accessible while still taking them seriously. Discussions typically begin with a familiar real-world question—often drawn from current events, popular culture, or common social situations—and then broaden into competing ethical principles, trade-offs, and thought experiments.
Across the episodes, a major theme is how societies should distribute resources, opportunities, and burdens. Questions about extreme wealth, taxation, inheritance, housing, wages, and universal basic income are treated as moral problems as much as economic ones, with attention to property rights, fairness, equality of opportunity, and the responsibilities of individuals within flawed systems. Related political topics include democratic participation, the legitimacy of voting rules, and when civic duties or state coercion can be justified.
Another recurring strand focuses on the ethics of institutions and collective life: the news media and agenda-setting, censorship and free speech (especially around children’s culture), labour strikes and public disruption, and sports fandom in the context of “sportswashing” and authoritarian funding. These topics are often used to test ideas about complicity, responsibility at a distance, and whether participation itself can be morally compromised.
The show also frequently turns to questions of meaning, suffering, and well-being. It explores what happiness is, how work relates to identity and purpose, and whether philosophy can function as guidance for living through hardship. Religious belief and moral authority are examined both for their truth claims and for their social and ethical effects.
Finally, several conversations address skepticism, consciousness, and technology, including what it means to “understand,” whether advanced AI poses existential or social risks, and classic doubts about reality and knowledge. Films and other cultural references are sometimes used to illustrate philosophical problems and make abstract debates concrete.
| Episodes: |
What is happiness? What form matters? Part 1 - Season teaser drop!2024-Oct-24 52 minutes |
Replay our first ever episode: Should billionaires exist?2023-Sep-20 44 minutes |
How do we know we're not living in the matrix? Solipsism and another classic philosophy film2023-Sep-06 27 minutes |
How should we decide what makes the news? Imploding submarines and manufacturing consent.2023-Aug-30 40 minutes |
INTERVIEW: Life Is Hard, with Kieran Setiya - part 22023-Aug-23 32 minutes |
INTERVIEW: Life Is Hard, with Kieran Setiya - part 12023-Aug-17 58 minutes |
Is it wrong to increase the price of medicine?2023-Aug-09 42 minutes |
Life is hard, but can philosophy help deal with our suffering and the meaning of life? A discussion of Kieran Setiya's book2023-Aug-02 54 minutes |
Universal Basic Income with Professor Guy Standing (part 2) - how do we practically make it happen, and what will the impact be?2023-Jul-26 42 minutes |
Universal Basic Income with Professor Guy Standing - what is the moral justification for giving everyone free money?2023-Jul-19 48 minutes |
Money in sports - is it wrong to support Newcastle United now they have Saudi money?2023-Jul-12 37 minutes |
Absurdism, The Meaning of Life, Camus and Everything Everywhere All At Once2023-Jul-05 36 minutes |
SEASON 3 teaser trailer - out this wednesday!2023-Jul-03 1 minute |
Is it unfair to overpay footballers? REPLAY2023-Jun-28 53 minutes |
Is 'God' a good thing? Part 3 - what's the source of religious moral authority? REPLAY2023-Jun-20 21 minutes |
Is 'God' a good thing? Part 2 - has religion been a net benefit to society? REPLAY2023-Jun-15 36 minutes |
Community whatsapp group - link in description2023-Jun-08 1 minute |
Is God a good thing? Classic arguments for belief - Replay2023-Jun-05 42 minutes |
Are NFTs a Scam? - Replay2023-May-31 64 minutes |
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The Trailer - The Morality of Everyday Things 2023-May-26 1 minute |
Season finished - Replays to come for the next 4 weeks2023-May-26 1 minute |
Is bullying ever a good management strategy? Raab getting fired, hot-take - end of season2023-May-22 37 minutes |
Will AI steal our jobs, or just straight up kill us?2023-May-10 53 minutes |
When do you deserve to retire, and have the french taken striking too far? Hot-take episode2023-May-02 26 minutes |
Is WFH good for us?2023-Apr-24 57 minutes |
Does AI actually understand us, and what does it mean to understand?2023-Apr-17 28 minutes |
Should we censor children's books?2023-Apr-10 47 minutes |
Replay: should we make the covid vaccine mandatory?2023-Apr-03 63 minutes |
Hot-take: Gary Lineker was right, and the unexpected reason we should support refugees2023-Mar-27 36 minutes |
REPLAY: When is lockdown justified?2023-Mar-24 67 minutes |
Update on upcoming epsidoes on the podcast...2023-Mar-23 3 minutes |
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Greta Thunberg is selling a book...noble move or total sellout? 2023-Mar-14 24 minutes |
Are strikes selfish extortion or justified and necessary?2023-Mar-06 60 minutes |
Is it wrong to ghost someone?2023-Feb-10 24 minutes |
Should teenagers get a vote, or should we limit voting even further?2023-Feb-03 37 minutes |
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Should it be a legal requirement to vote? Can I sell my vote? 2023-Jan-11 37 minutes |
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Am I a bad person if I don't vote? 2023-Jan-06 31 minutes |
Should you bother voting? Intrumental vs Expressive theories (FEEDBACK SURVEY LINK IN DESCRIPTION)2022-Dec-29 30 minutes |
REPLAY: Should we lie to kids about Santa Clause?2022-Dec-20 56 minutes |
Work: money or meaning? Discussion - Part 22022-Dec-14 22 minutes |
Work: money or meaning? Discussion - Part 12022-Nov-21 25 minutes |
Should we have a death tax? - part 2 - Why have an inheritance tax and does it work?2022-Nov-08 43 minutes |
Should we have a death tax? - part 1 - Why do we have taxes?2022-Oct-31 59 minutes |
Are landlords evil? Part 22022-Oct-24 39 minutes |
Are landlords evil? Part 12022-Oct-17 39 minutes |
Replay - Is it time to get rid of the royals?2022-Sep-19 84 minutes |
Are luxuries immoral? Part 22022-Sep-15 41 minutes |
Are luxuries immoral? Part 12022-Sep-05 47 minutes |
When is it ok to put down a human being? Part 32022-Jul-19 30 minutes |
When is it ok to put down a human being? Part 22022-Jul-14 28 minutes |
When is it ok to put down a human being?2022-Jul-05 36 minutes |
Should we legalize (part 3)...Gambling2022-Jun-24 32 minutes |
Should we legalize (part 2)...Sex Work2022-Jun-01 36 minutes |
Should we legalize (part 1)....Recreational Drugs2022-May-24 51 minutes |
Is 'God' a good thing? Part 3 - the source of religious moral authority2022-Apr-28 21 minutes |
Is 'God' a good thing? Part 2 - has religion been a net good for society?2022-Apr-20 36 minutes |
Is 'God' a good thing? Part 1 - classic arguments for belief/non-belief2022-Apr-11 42 minutes |
NFTs: the future of art or a pyramid scheme?2022-Feb-22 64 minutes |
CROSSOVER EPISODE - Is Liberal Democracy The Best We Can Do?2022-Feb-08 75 minutes |
Is trophy hunting really wrong?2022-Jan-25 52 minutes |
Is it bad to lie to your kids about Santa Claus?2021-Dec-22 56 minutes |
Are you a bad person if you buy gifts from Amazon this X-mas?2021-Dec-08 54 minutes |
Do you have to keep unreasonable promises?2021-Nov-24 60 minutes |
Here's why cyclists who skip red lights aren't bad people2021-Nov-10 40 minutes |
Was Joe Biden wrong to pull out of Afghanistan?2021-Oct-14 44 minutes |
Is the death penalty ever justified?2021-Sep-13 45 minutes |
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Should you give money directly to homeless people? 2021-Aug-05 39 minutes |
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Should we abolish the monarchy? 2021-Jun-15 83 minutes |
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Is it wrong to have children in an era of climate change? 2021-May-14 51 minutes |
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Is it wrong to keep pets? 2021-Mar-29 57 minutes |
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Can we enjoy the music of problematic artists? 2021-Mar-06 49 minutes |
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Can entrepreneurship be a force for good? - w/ beyond binary thinking podcast 2021-Feb-12 62 minutes |
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Was Twitter right to ban Trump? w/ Peter Suciu and Alex Kantrowitz 2021-Jan-25 58 minutes |
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Would it be ethically justifiable to make the covid vaccine mandatory? 2021-Jan-07 63 minutes |
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Is it wrong to send your children to private school? 2020-Nov-19 59 minutes |
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Are footballers paid too much? 2020-Nov-04 53 minutes |
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Are you a bad person if you work at Facebook? 2020-Oct-17 51 minutes |
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Is it immoral to eat meat? 2020-Oct-02 46 minutes |
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Should we segregate sports by sex? 2020-Sep-23 44 minutes |
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When is lockdown justified? 2020-Aug-20 67 minutes |
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Should you have shared #BlackoutTuesday? 2020-Jul-04 47 minutes |
Is it OK to punch a nazi?2020-Jun-16 51 minutes |
Should billionaires exist?2020-Jun-10 44 minutes |