Ethics and Chill

Jean-Luc Picard: Starship captain, diplomat, flautist, archaeologist, lover of Gilbert and Sullivan, devotee of Shakespeare, and drinker of Earl Grey tea. Picard is the quintessential “Star Trek” captain, a paragon of Humanist virtues. As this beloved character returns to TV in Netflix’s new show “Picard,” James speaks with “Star Trek” uber-fan and space-lover LaShana Lewis about the virtues he embodies. Make it so!

Dungeons and Dragons is the archetypal roleplaying game, the progenitor of much nerd culture - and right now it’s having a resurgence. But embedded in the rules and world of D and D is a troubling approach to race which some suggest is racist. James is joined by Corey Clapp - former co-host of the Gay Gods of Gaming podcast - to deliver a verdict on the racial dynamics of Dungeons and Dragons.

“The Witcher” has become a phenomenon. The character was born in the short stories of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, popularized in a video game series from CD Projekt Red, and is now fully mainstream with his own Netflix show. The world of “The Witcher” is dark, morally complex, and compromised. But it is not nihilistic. What moral messages can we learn from this fascinating fantasy universe?

What do you do when you discover that your favorite author, movie director, or game designer is a terrible person? Should that change how we interact with their art, or does it simply not matter? This week James is joined by Callie Wright, creator of the Queersplaining podcast and huge pop-culture fan, to talk through this complex ethical question. They discuss all the problems that accompany problematic creators, charting a course through treacherous ethical terrain with humor and grace. CN: This episode has references to sexual harassment and abuse claims made against prominent creators. Find Callie’s podcast at www.Queersplaining.com

What does it mean to treat a nonreligious book like “Harry Potter” as “sacred,” and what can we learn when we do? This week James interviews Vanessa Zoltan, one of the co-creators of the incredibly popular podcast “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.” They discuss what it means for something to be “sacred,” and how we can glean deep insight into ourselves from secular texts.

If mysterious robed figures turned up at your door and told you your infant child had special powers – but needed to leave you behind and never see you again if they were to safely use them – how would you feel? This is what the Jedi do, and we discuss that this week. Also, James shares his top 5 most ethically-interesting shows streaming now!

What are the philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith, and do those philosophies make sense? Are the Jedi perhaps the bad guys? James interviews Star Wars author Dan Wallace to find out.