Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh Philosopher on Why Being Nice is Selfish, Is Incest Bad? &, Testing our Ethics! | Alex O'Connor
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Aug 20, 2025 
In this lively discussion with Alex O’Connor, an Oxford-educated philosopher known for his engaging debates, the team tackles some of life’s wildest moral dilemmas. Topics range from the ethics of incest to the complexities of empathy and cultural humor. They dive into thought-provoking questions like why bestiality is considered wrong and the implications of the trolley problem on moral responsibility. The conversation is a mix of deep philosophical insights and comedic banter, inviting listeners to rethink their ethical beliefs while having a good laugh.
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Empathy As Self-Interested Mechanism
- Alex O'Connor argues empathy is ultimately self-serving because we take on others' suffering and act to avoid our own distress.
- He traces moral feelings to evolutionary pressures that align care with genetic relatedness, not objective morality.
Morality As Evolutionary Byproduct
- Alex rejects objective ethics and treats moral intuitions as evolutionary byproducts that line up with genetic self-interest.
- He uses kin-care patterns (child vs cousin) to show moral duties mirror genetic relatedness, not universal moral facts.
Define Terms Before Debating Ethics
- Define terms early in moral debates to avoid talking past each other and turning disputes into mere word fights.
- Use clear shared definitions before arguing consequences or principles.
