Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Discussions

Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: Roosevelt is a young black child who is obsessed with the life and philosophies of President “Teddy” Roosevelt. He is new at the school and due to an issue with other students is forced into the “Friends Group;” a social adjustment group for students the school have deemed at-risk. While in the group he meets Teddy, an overweight boy who has been in the group for years because he pulled an X-ACTO knife in art class on a fellow student who continued to bully him about his weight. The two misfit boys develop a friendship. Roosevelt teaches Teddy how to fight, as well as imparting bits of wit and wisdom from his hero, Teddy Roosevelt. Things go awry when they are caught swimming naked in Teddy’s pool. The school rumor mill spreads that they are gay. This leads to the school forcing the two boys to fight after school. Roosevelt decides that Teddy has more to lose and is less prepared to deal with the consequences of the altercation, so he allows himself to lose the fight. As Teddy Roosevelt said, “No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body – to risk his well-being – to risk his life – in a great cause.” This story was the runner-up of the Fall 2020 After Dinner Conversation Writing Competition.

DISCUSSION: This story is one of the most expertly crafted stories we have ever discussed. It perfectly portrays the prejudice and attitudes of the early 1980’s. Of course, the interesting question in the story is the role that Teddy Roosevelt plays in influencing the main character that has lost his father. A book, and a long dead President, are serving the role of role model in his life. And, in turn, this is influencing his friendship with others. Is this a good thing? Are role models in sports, business, or history, a good thing? Some don’t want to be role models. Some are showing idealized versions of flawed real people. What role should role models have in crafting our personalities? Should we, as a society, be more careful, or put more controls in place, about the role models that have the ability to influence the opinions of children?

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Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: A a young boy is in the government waiting room waiting to be assigned a new “dream.” He strikes up a conversation with other people in the waiting room. Some of them are anxious to get new dreams implanted into their brain as they have not found success. Others don’t want to let go of the failed dream they were originally assigned because they believe, in their heart-of-hearts, it is what they were born to do. The government is indifferent to the desires of the people. Society has needs, people have innate talents, and the government, as far as they are concerned, should focus on getting people to follow the dreams they are good at, as well as the dreams that are most needed by society. This story was the winner of the Fall 2020 After Dinner Conversation Writing Competition.

DISCUSSION: Interesting story about if we should focus our attention and training on where we have natural abilities, or simply be average at the things we love? In this case, the government is choosing where people should focus, but that is not new. Historically, the wealthy would be patrons of the arts and focus on where talents should be focused. Is it selfish to want to be happy? Do we tend to be happy at the things for which we have natural ability anyway? Interesting the perspectives based on age as well. Young people often view success differently that those that are older, and why is success measured by money or quality? Also interesting the way the characters cling to dreams they have that were, at least originally, given to them by the government.

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Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: A college student lives in a society dedicated to removing prejudice and judgment. They do this, in part, by having citizens live in mobile crates. They rarely see each other in person and putting down others is sure to get you re-education training. The main character, along with her friend, escape to a nearby society that has no such restrictions. In fact, each person is put into a societal category. Our intelligent protagonist, looking forward to finally being able to shine, assumes she will be put in a higher category, but things don’t go as planned. Eventually, the government recruits her to bring down the fence that dividesthe two cultures.

DISCUSSION: Interesting story about the positive and negative place for prejudice and judgment. Which society is worse? If we had to chose, which would be pick? Is the problem with the judging society, not that they judge, but that we don’t like their criteria because it doesn’t play into our strengths? Which society would be the easier to fix? We can’t really ever expect the judging society to change as those in power rarely, if ever, are willing to give up their position of privilege without a violent revolution.

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Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: A preacher arrives on an off-world planet inhabited by 7 foot tall, multi-colored, bears, aka “Teddies.” Her mission is to run her church and, if possible, convert the local Teddies to Christianity. Over time she makes no progress and her church is at risk of being shut down by those funding it. She heads to the local Teddy church and learns that, according to their faith, God can only return when everyone alive is fulfilling their “Purpose” and, if you cannot find your purpose, you should volunteer to die so that you can re-enter the wheel of life and try again. Appalled by this doctrine, the preacher turns her focus to feeding the hungry. This is a violation of the culture as the Teddies believe that those that starve do so because it as their purpose to starve.

DISCUSSION: Really fascinating story and world building, and a wonderful springboard for a discussion about free will and choice. Is “Purpose” just another version of a Zen discussion about “the way?” Can your purpose change? Do people really have a single purpose? And yet, teachers, and others, refer to their careers as a “calling.” The wealthy have also, historically, told those without that they are hungry because it is God’s will. Is this a caste system, of sorts at work?

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Named “Top 20 Philosophy Podcast” for 2021!

STORY SUMMARY: Set in the 1600’s, a traveling man of knowledge comes into town with his young assistant and assortment of books. Various townspeople come to visit him, paying to ask questions. Why do my gums bleed? Why does is steel I forge brittle? Finally, a wealthy man comes and asks if he should allow his daughter to marry the local guard. The traveling man says yes, that love is always a thing to respect. The wealthy man comes back later with his daughter and attempts to bribe the traveling man to have him say they should call the relationship off. The traveling man refuses and, in the process, gives his assistant an important lesson about positive externalities.

DISCUSSION: Like all of our stories, this one is very well written and has the feel of being written by a very wise person, who just happens to also be a writer. It’s interesting the way each person who comes to pay for advice has a different question that allows the traveling man to expound upon a life lesson. Also, it seems like each question relates to the subtext of the thing going on in that person’s life as well. The story brings up an interesting point about the rare case of positive externalities. While they are typically associated with businesses pushing costs off to society, it can just as well be about a couple in love getting the benefit of the price paid for by their father.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: Douglas Junior and his wife both have a rare, recessive, genetic disease. They donate their blood to a lab to help them find a cure. Through a medical mix-up, Douglas Junior’s DNA is used to create his clone. 20 years later he finds out about his clone and reaches out to meet him. Things don’t go exactly as planned as Douglas Junior is a blue-collar working man, while his clone is a top-of-the-class gay student who plans to join the space program.

DISCUSSION: Interesting story that mirror some of the research done with sexual orientation differences between identical twins, as well as nature vs. nurture. Creates a springboard for good discussions about what information we would want to know about our clone. For example, are there unexplored genetic aptitudes I missed out on? Douglas seems to be very picky about which science he believes in, and which he doesn’t believe in, as so much of it is tied up how he self identifies. His clone is rightly frustrated by all the questions and says what may often be on the mind of others gay individuals, “it’s not my job to teach everyone in the world ‘Gay 101’”.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: A woman is diagnosed with a heart condition and is offered the ability to grow a new heart to replace hers. She declines based on her religious beliefs. Her husband, who has medical power of attorney, waits until she is unconscious and near death, and goes against her wishes and orders the life saving procedure. When she wakes and finds out what he has done she divorces him. Even after the divorce and going out of jail, he does not regret his choice.

DISCUSSION: This seems like a very real possibility today, or in the near future. There might not be any bad guys in this story. Mad respect to the woman for having the conviction of her faith. Respect to the man for saving his wife in support of his own ethics. Interesting how the mother, who is also religious, came to the conclusion the transplant was fine. The man clearly loved his wife, enough to save her, and lose her. Maybe he should have told her he would be unable to fulfill her wishes and to give medical power to someone else? This might be different if it was about children.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: A weak spirited loser is contacted by the government and informed he has a twin that is the head of a powerful mafia organization. The government will pay him $1 million dollars if he goes through their program to learn the mannerisms and speech of his mafia twin and replace him in the organization. As the twin learns how to act like the mafia boss, he becomes more like him until he escapes the training program with the money and a new personality.

DISCUSSION: A story about nature vs nurture, and to the extent which the way we act effects are mood, as well as who we are. The group generally agreed that changing behavior can change personality and mood. Kolby was of the opinion this process could be “hacked” to help us create better versions of ourselves. Others suggested this was already being done by celebrity product endorsements selling a lifestyle as much as the product. Ashley thought this might be a time-travel story, where they are actually creating the mob boss. Everyone thought the story was interesting as a premise, but a bit confusing how the organization could have some much information on the mob boss, but needed this twin to get information before arresting him.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: The story is from the perspective of a mother and her interest in what she believes is her daughter’s pending marriage. She has mental health issues that lead her to be temporarily institutionalized after the birth of her child. The daughter meets with mother from time to time, but provides very little information about her life. The mother continues to get worse until she is picked up by the police after an episode at a perspective wedding venue. The daughter later informs her mother that she got married without inviting her to the “small” wedding.

DISCUSSION: The core question in this story is how much do you involve, or limit, a family member in your life who suffers from mental health issues? The mother isn’t a bad person, she just struggles. Is it more humane to simply cut her out of your life so as to limit the information and stress you cause her? Is it better to only interact with her on your own terms? Would you invite your mother to your wedding if you knew she might have an episode and become the center of attention? We are split, as podcasters, in what we would do. The story both plays into and mocks Jewish stereotypes, but at its core, deals directly with how we decide of level of support for family members with mental health issues.

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Named “Top 15 Podcast” for 2020!

STORY SUMMARY: The story is a flashback of a man telling a story from the 1970’s that has always stuck with him. He is a psychology student learning about the “F Test” a test that supposedly allows you to gauge your fascist tendencies. He friend, a Vietnam Vet, disagrees with the simplicity of the test. To prove his point he talks to, and easily manipulates, a bohemian woman in the bar to change her life. The narrator watches and does nothing, but is horrified by how easily this happens. The incident ends their friendship.

DISCUSSION: The story of being a charismatic leader is all too common; they say things that “feel good” to our emotions but aren’t true. They lead us with persuasion and ask us to forgot our critical thinking skills. The vet shows the narrator how easy it is to manipulate others, including the narrator. This process of praying on the weak, or on everyone, happens every day, to almost everyone. The trick is to be aware you have these tendencies and to use logic to not allow your emotions to rule you.

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