Death Penalty: Is It Morally Right?In this episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss the ethics of the death penalty, and particularly the question whether other countries have the right to withhold the drugs used in US executions.Join us for an hour-long dose of your Daily Philosophy and take part in a thrilling exploration of the philosophical issues surrounding the death penalty.Brought to you by https://daily-philosophy.com.Music: Nightlife by Michael Kobrin, from: https://pixabay.com/music.00:00:44 Intro00:02:19 Interference in internal affairs of other countries 00:06:14 Respecting the democratic will of others 00:07:44 Relativism  00:09:44 Is there intrinsic value in democratic decisions? 00:12:32 Are we biased when judging other countries?00:13:09 Comparison with euthanasia 00:15:00 Should companies have all rights to their own products?00:18:10 Democratic decisions and social media manipulation00:21:00 The choice of the prisoner on how to die00:23:30 Asking prisoners how they want to die: is it cruel?00:28:33 Can governments kill their own citizens?00:31:00 John Rawls, original position, veil of ignorance00:36:32 Is death worse than lifelong imprisonment?00:40:55 Should people decide how they want to die?00:43:05 Flourishing makes a life worth living00:47:30 Arguments in favour of death penalty: Retribution00:48:04 Retribution vs vengeance00:52:14 Effect of death penalty on crime00:54:58 Do people have a right to life?00:56:15 Deontological (Kantian) ethics. Autonomy00:58:03 Should societies have higher moral standards?00:59:10 The irreversibility of death penalty01:00:40 The utilitarian argument01:03:20 The value of life and the possibility of redemption01:04:36 How can prisoners lead a flourishing life?01:05:15 A voluntary death penalty?Philosophers and theories mentioned:00:07:44 Relativism 00:28:33 Social contract00:31:00 John Rawls, original position, veil of ignorance00:48:04 Retribution vs vengeance00:56:15 Deontological (Kantian) ethics. Autonomy01:00:40 The utilitarian argumentNext episode: Is terrorism for a good cause ever justifiable?Accented Philosophy - Every Tuesday.

Chimeras: Animals as hosts for human organs?In this episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss the complex ethics of growing human organs in animal hosts. Are we in danger of creating human-like animals? Could such animals claim human rights? And are we sufficiently respecting the dignity of such animal hosts?Join us for an hour-long dose of your Daily Philosophy and take part in a thrilling exploration of the philosophical issues surrounding  modern transplantation medicine.Brought to you by https://daily-philosophy.com.Music: Nightlife by Michael Kobrin, from: https://pixabay.com/music.Please note that we had some technical issues recording this episode, which resulted in us re-recording a few minutes of the episode at a different date. This is why a handful of short snippets of the recording sound a bit different from the rest. Don't worry, your ears are fine.00:00:35 Intro 00:01:30 Chimeras: Monkeys as hosts for human organs 00:02:42 What is new about chimeras? 00:04:00 The word “chimera” 00:06:06 Overview of the moral issues00:07:45 The need for organs 00:09:35 Intentions vs outcomes in ethics00:13:04 Is it ethical to kill anyone for their organs?00:14:10 The “trolley problem”00:15:30 The doctrine of double effect 00:17:16 The “humanity” of chimeras00:19:32 Do monkeys have different moral status from pigs?00:21:00 The problem of animal suffering00:22:21 The analogy to meat production00:24:36 Jeremy Bentham on animal suffering00:24:59 Peter Singer on speciesism00:30:08 Aristotle and the flourishing of humans and animals00:31:19 Kant: Autonomy and human dignity00:37:57 Deontological arguments00:39:15 Do pigs have dignity?00:40:13 Being human vs being a person00:42:16 Mary Anne Warren on personhood 00:44:20 The danger of creating human-like life accidentally00:49:30 Manipulating animal development00:50:21 The Christian argument00:56:02 The dignity of animals 01:00:01 Is high-tech medicine ethical?01:03:20 ConclusionPhilosophers and theories mentioned:00:14:10 The “trolley problem”00:15:30 The doctrine of double effect 00:24:36 Jeremy Bentham on animal suffering00:24:59 Peter Singer on speciesism00:30:08 Aristotle and the flourishing of humans and animals00:31:19 Kant: Autonomy and human dignity00:37:57 Deontological arguments00:42:16 Mary Anne Warren on personhood 00:50:21 The Christian argumentNext episode: The ethics of exporting deadly drugs for US executions.Accented Philosophy - Every Tuesday.

Who Owns Space?In this episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss the ownership of resources in space. Is space the new frontier of colonialism? Is it likely that we will explore space peacefully and in a civilised way, or are we about to repeat the mistakes of the past? And who owns the night sky? From the Tragedy of the Commons to whether we need to ditch capitalism in order to become a space-faring civilisation.Come along for an hour-long dose of your Daily Philosophy and understand the arguments surrounding the exploration and exploitation of space.Brought to you by https://daily-philosophy.com.Music: Nightlife by Michael Kobrin, from: https://pixabay.com/music.00:01:10 Parallel to history of colonisation00:03:34 Space treaties, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, Bogota declaration, Artemis accords00:05:46 Is space still in the State of Nature?00:07:13 Social contract theories00:07:26 Aristotle00:09:03 Thomas Hobbes00:10:31 John Locke’s theory of property rights00:14:03 Perpetuating earthly inequality in space00:16:05 Space resources are not necessarily unlimited00:17:10 G. Hardin, Tragedy of the Commons00:18:02 Starlink satellites and the night sky00:19:13 The utilitarian argument for Starlink’s internet00:20:20 Does nature have intrinsic value?00:22:53 Who is “we” when we talk of space? Relativism and access00:26:13 Can the UN regulate access to space?00:29:44 Rousseau and the “general will”00:32:45 Tragedy of the Commons, part 2: solutions?00:36:38 Why do we want to go to space?00:38:05 Exploration or exploitation?00:40:29 Is capitalism to blame?00:45:01 Local regulation, global effects00:47:48 Should we divide up space?00:49:45 What drives us to explore space?00:51:44 Panspermia hypothesisPhilosophers and theories mentioned:00:07:26 Aristotle00:09:03 Thomas Hobbes00:10:31 John Locke’s theory of property rights00:17:10 G. Hardin, Tragedy of the Commons00:29:44 Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the “general will”Next episode: Should we create genetic hybrids of humans and other species? Accented Philosophy -- Every Tuesday.

The Ethics and Politics of Drug LegalisationIn this episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss whether we should legalise (or de-criminalise?) the use of recreational drugs. What are the arguments in favour of and against legalising drugs? What about coffee and tobacco? And is there perhaps a value in exploring altered states of mind?Come along for an hour-long dose of your daily philosophy and understand the arguments surrounding drugs legalisation.Brought to you by https://daily-philosophy.com. Music: Nightlife by Michael Kobrin, from: https://pixabay.com/music.00:01:03 Examples of drug legalisation00:03:17 Netherlands: drug tourism and organised crime00:08:46 Different forms of legalisation00:12:15 Consequentialism: Benefits of legalising drugs?00:15:05 Downsides of legalising drugs00:16:02 Social determinism: are we free to choose?00:20:20 US opioid epidemic00:21:46 Libertarian argument against drug regulation00:23:25 The role of state regulation00:24:56 Sugar, coffee and tobacco00:27:35 Are drug users free to choose?00:29:11 Autonomy and second order volitions00:33:27 Positive freedom00:34:45 Can we avoid state involvement?00:38:00 Parallels to abortion00:38:59 Safe drug taking infrastructure00:39:32 Does the state need to support BASE jumping?00:42:40 Will outlawing drugs drive down consumption?00:45:48 Alcohol, tobacco and other legal drugs00:48:15 Do we have a duty to stay healthy?00:49:00 The normative force of widespread practices00:54:58 Are there benefits to drug use?00:55:42 Drugs as exploration of inner spaces00:56:56 Good Friday experiment00:59:07 Griffiths experiment00:01:02 Should we have access to hidden inner worlds?01:03:30 Are drug experiences anti-social?01:06:58 ConclusionsPhilosophers and theories mentioned:00:12:15 Consequentialism: https://daily-philosophy.com/classic-utilitarianism/00:16:02 Social determinism00:21:46 Libertarian argument00:29:11 Autonomy, Harry Frankfurt and second order volitions00:31:37 Charles Taylor: Hierarchy of desires00:31:52 Isaiah Berlin: Negative freedom00:48:43 Virtue ethics: https://daily-philosophy.com/how-to-live-an-aristotelian-life/00:55:42 Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Ernest Hemingway00:56:20 Shamanism, entheogens00:56:56 Good Friday experiment (1963)00:59:07 Roland R Griffiths01:06:30 Utilitarianism: https://daily-philosophy.com/classic-utilitarianism/

The Ethics of Vaccination PassportsIn this first episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss the ethics of vaccination passports. Is it morally right for the state to require citizens to vaccinate or is it discriminating against those who don't want to get vaccinated? Come along for an hour-long dose of your daily philosophy and understand the arguments surrounding vaccination ethics. Brought to you by daily-philosophy.com.Music: Nightlife by Michael Kobrin, from: pixabay.com/music00:00:38 Israel’s “Green pass” and other countries’ plans00:02:42 Opposition to vaccination passports00:03:00 WHO recommendation against vaccination passports00:05:50 Comparison to mandatory education00:09:15 Vaccinations and freedom00:10:10 Positive and negative freedom00:10:40 Thomas Hobbes and the Social Contract00:15:41 The role of the state for human flourishing00:17:15 Individualist vs collectivist cultures00:19:55 Confucianism, Aristotle, Utilitarianism00:21:16 Personal autonomy vs society00:25:00 Autonomy, drug addiction and second-order wishes00:27:20 Paternalism of the state and car seat belts00:32:50 Are vaccines beneficial?00:33:50 Trust in the government00:40:10 Libertarianism00:41:49 A duty to benefit others?00:42:30 Kant’s Categorical Imperative00:46:10 Which restrictions to life can be justified?00:48:00 What makes a human life worth living?00:54:10 Do we need to respect every preference someone has?00:57:12 Is democracy justifiable?01:03:13 Conclusions and Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approachPhilosophers and theories mentioned:00:10:40 Thomas Hobbes00:11:00 Social contract in vaccination ethics00:19:55 Confucianism00:20:25 Aristotle00:20:39 Utilitarianism00:21:16 Kant on autonomy00:42:30 Kant’s Categorical Imperative00:43:28 Dignity00:59:03 Plato (427-347 BC)01:04:07 Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities theory