Ethics in a Nutshell: The Philosopher's Approach to Morality in 100 Pages

*Visit YouTube.com/MattDeatonPhD for fun, concise lectures on each chapter (bottom left, first playlist)* Hi, I'm Professor Matt. You may know me from one of my philosophy videos on YouTube or maybe from EthicsBowl.org (huge Ethics Bowl fan). I've been teaching philosophical ethics for almost two decades, and there's no reason it can't be accessible and fun. Here are a few of the questions Ethics in a Nutshell answers quickly and in everyday language.

Can you simplify the four dominant ethical theories? Of course. Utilitarianism mandates that we maximize net pleasure (for everyone impacted by a decision, not just ourselves – sorry, it’s not selfish hedonism). Kantianism: only do stuff you could rationally endorse everyone else doing, and treat persons with respect, never as mere tools. Care Ethics: prioritize the interests of loved ones. Virtue Ethics: practice the virtues such as bravery and patience, and avoid the vices such as gluttony and laziness.

How do moral arguments by analogy work? By comparing two relevantly similar cases and applying similar moral logic to both. For example, “Hey, case A is about personal freedom, and so is case B. So let’s treat case B the same way we treat case A." Moral philosopher Peter Singer offers a famous argument by analogy about a drowning child and giving to charity we cover in chapter 7, as well as another about a famous violinist and abortion by Judith Jarvis Thomson.

Doesn’t the law tell us what our ethics should be? Please no. Consider laws legitimizing the sale of human beings or forbidding women from voting. Even when you could legally buy people, this didn’t make the practice moral. Even when women were legally banned from voting, this didn’t make the practice immoral. Good law tracks morality, but doesn't determine or guarantee it.

There’s much more, but that’s enough for now. Don’t miss the lecture videos on every chapter at YouTube.com/MattDeatonPhD (remember: bottom left, first playlist), the teaching resources at EthicsinaNutshell.org or my real passion EthicsBowl.org (hooray for Ethics Bowl!).