Whether or not we're aware of them, we make important ethical decisions all the time - as professionals, consumers, citizens, parents, sons and daughters, and friends. These 24 thought-provoking lectures offer you the chance to reflect on some of the most powerful moral issues we face in our daily lives: Is it ever OK to lie? What are our moral obligations to others? What is the key to living the good life? From Plato to Kant to Bonhoeffer, you'll see how some of the world's greatest thinkers from across the ages have approached similar problems. Professor Martin provides a complete picture of various ethical schools and approaches and applies this rich philosophical overview to "case studies" relevant to our contemporary lives. You'll explore all the ins and outs of issues such as business ethics, love and marriage, privacy and technology, genetic engineering, animal rights, and much more. Engaging stories and thought experiments bring these issues to life, showing what different philosophical theories have to say about real-world ethical dilemmas. According to Professor Martin, the trick is to understand that the mind is like a parachute; it only works when it's open. Rather than take a side in any particular debate, this course provides a framework for thinking through a host of debates and dilemmas from all sides. Through it all, Professor Martin is a sympathetic guide, helping you think through some of our most complex decisions.
All Lectures: 1. Why Be Good? 2. Is It Ever Permissible to Lie? 3. Aren't Whistle-Blowers Being Disloyal? 4. What's Wrong with Gossip? 5. Do I Have an Obligation to Be Healthy? 6. Can I Sneak a Grape or Two While Shopping? 7. Is It Wrong to Make as Much Money as I Can? 8. What Are My Obligations to the Poor? 9. Can We Do Better Than the Golden Rule? 10. Why Can't I Just Live for Pleasure? 11. Why Can't I Date a Married Person? 12. Are Jealousy and Resentment Always Wrong? 13. What Are the Rules for Respecting Privacy? 14. What Do I Owe My Aging Parents? 15. Should I Help a Suffering Loved One Die? 16. Is Genetic Enhancement "Playing God"? 17. Is Conscientious Objection a Moral Right? 18. Is It Always Wrong to Fight Back? 19. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 20. Is Torture Ever Acceptable? 21. Do Animals Have Rights? 22. Why Should I Recycle? 23. Does It Matter Where I Shop? 24. What Would Socrates Do?
