TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Practical Ethics Bites

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9 episodes
2014 to 2015
Median: 18 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast offers short, classroom-oriented interviews on practical ethics aimed at UK school pupils studying philosophy. Hosted by David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton and featuring academics linked to Oxford’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, the discussions use real-world controversies to introduce ethical reasoning and key concepts in moral philosophy.

Across the episodes, a major focus is on bioethics and the moral questions raised by medicine and reproduction. Topics include the moral status of embryos in genetic research, the ethical implications of selecting a child’s sex, debates about abortion framed in terms of competing rights and interests, and end-of-life decision-making, including whether euthanasia should be legal. These conversations typically foreground how to weigh harms, autonomy, and fairness when policy and personal choices intersect.

Another recurring theme is sexuality and sexual orientation, including questions about whether orientation is chosen and how claims about what is “natural” relate—or do not relate—to moral evaluation. The podcast also addresses broader issues in moral and political philosophy, such as whether war can ever be morally justified and how to think about violence under ethical constraints.

Alongside applied topics, listeners are introduced to foundational tools for ethical analysis. Episodes connect debates to wider theories such as virtue ethics and examine the relationship between free will and moral responsibility, including what it takes for someone to be blameworthy. Overall, the series presents accessible discussions designed to support teaching and learning in ethics.