Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
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.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Accessible moral philosophy tools • rules vs discretion, obedience, civil disobedience • democracy, deliberation, civic solitude • technology bias, surveillance, trust, misinformation • climate justice • race, gender, disability, reproduction, immigration • emotions, forgiveness, offense, swearing, humor • philanthropy, care, cities, wildlife, moral circle including animals and AI • ethics education, Ethics BowlThis podcast uses accessible conversations with philosophers, scholars, and practitioners to explore everyday moral questions and public ethical controversies without presenting a single “correct” answer. Across the episodes, the host draws on moral philosophy, political theory, and social science to give listeners conceptual tools for thinking through dilemmas—often by clarifying what values are at stake, how social structures shape choices, and where common assumptions may mislead.
A recurring theme is how rules, norms, and institutions influence moral life. Discussions consider when rule-following promotes fairness and when discretion may better serve humane outcomes, along with the risks of bias and the need for accountability. Related episodes examine obedience, lawbreaking under injustice, and the ethical design of civic life, including how democracy depends not only on participation but also on reflection, trust, and the spaces that support deliberation.
The show also frequently engages ethics in contemporary social issues: policing, immigration, philanthropy, victims’ rights, and the entanglement of democracy with wealth and power. Several conversations focus on identity, oppression, and historical context, addressing topics such as racial justice, whiteness, colonialism, reproductive justice, African American philosophy, and how gender norms shape authenticity and moral expectations.
Another strong thread is technology and epistemology—how people form beliefs, interpret patterns, and navigate misinformation or algorithmic bias. These episodes connect ethical evaluation to questions about attention, trust in tools and institutions, surveillance dynamics, and the psychological processes behind moral judgment.
Personal and interpersonal ethics also appear throughout, including the moral significance of negative emotions, forgiveness, taking offense, humor and social censure, swearing, and the ambivalence of caregiving roles like motherhood. The podcast extends moral concern beyond human communities as well, considering climate responsibility, conservation and wildlife recovery, and arguments for expanding the “moral circle” to include nonhuman animals and potentially artificial agents. Educational practice is another focus, with attention to ethics bowls, teaching ethics through games, and whether studying philosophy cultivates intellectual virtues.