The Dissenter

#1136 Ronald de Sousa: Why It's OK to Be Amoral

Aug 14, 2025
Guest
Ronald de Sousa
In this engaging conversation, Ronald de Sousa, Emeritus Professor at the University of Toronto, explores the intriguing notion of amorality. He scrutinizes various moral frameworks like utilitarianism and Kantian ethics, revealing their complexities and potential pitfalls. De Sousa discusses the subjectivity of moral judgments, the dangers of moral fanaticism, and how societal conventions shape morality. Ultimately, he challenges listeners to reconsider their understanding of ethics and the implications of living in a world devoid of absolute moral truths.
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INSIGHT

Morality Defined And Its Puzzle

  • De Sousa defines morality as an informal system of rules, ideals, and virtues addressing behavior toward others and harm.
  • This broad definition raises questions about origins, scope, and whether such rules exist objectively.
INSIGHT

The Euthyphro Challenge

  • Divine command theory claims moral rules derive from God's commands and uses punishment to enforce behavior.
  • De Sousa raises the Euthyphro problem: are acts good because God commands them or does God command them because they're good?
INSIGHT

Limits Of Natural Law Virtue Ethics

  • Virtue ethics links goodness to fulfilling a human purpose and developing character traits like Aristotle described.
  • De Sousa argues natural law versions fail under evolutionary facts and arbitrary selections from nature.
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