Surprising Ethics

Too many things, not enough time. The pressure can feel relentless. In response, should we maximise productivity and hope to feel better? Maybe not. Maybe we need breathing room: to avoid burnout, weather storms, and reduce the risks that being alive brings.

But how can we strike the right trade-off between using our energy, time and money and preserving them? For this we might need new tools. Enter Dr Adam Piovarchy, whose brand new research (co-authored with Zvi Mowshowitz and Scott Siskind) brings us a new perspective on these life decisions. 

Adam is today’s guest and accessibly explains his new idea of “slack” and how it might apply to your life. We discuss the importance of saying no, the dangers of a maximising mindset, debates pitting baby boomers against millennials/gen Z on who has it easier, competition for jobs and life chances, habits, and even how to retire well. 

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Are breakups actually *good*? Do they unlock striving, freedom, and authenticity? Or is anchoring and commitment the ideal path? Is the trend towards non-committal, undefined 'situationships' bad or good, and why? And how should we break up? Should partners have a “clean break”, or do they actually have special duties to each other even after a breakup? And can the act of breaking up with someone ever be morally problematic?

Tune in as your host Will chats to two philosophers of love and breakups, Dr Justin Clardy and Idil Çakmur. Together we revisit some of our most fundamental assumptions about whether and how to part ways.

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Being straight: a fair sexual preference or discrimination? What about not wanting to date people of certain races? Or screening dates based on height? What counts as discrimination in dating, and what is simply following your preferences? Two leading philosophers of dating have a new take. We discuss freedom of association, fetishisation, dating apps, looks-based discrimination (or “lookism”), and more. 

Warning: explicit language.

Send in voice notes for the listener special based on this episode! By 19 July 2026. Email: [email protected] Include name/pseudonym and location.

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Podcast website for contact details and more: surprisingethics.buzzsprout.com

Instagram: @surprising_ethics_podcast tinyurl.com/surprisingethics 

Are activists who fight for a good cause with a bad strategy on the hook morally? The episode begins with a striking thought experiment which suggests the answer may be ‘yes’.

The episode also asks: Are hard-line approaches to activism ineffective? What can the case study of extreme vegan activism tell us? And what are some principles for a successful activism? 

This episode includes an interview with the strategist Tobias Leenaert, a writer on activist strategies and founder of a global charity. The episode covers direct action protests, idealism, compromise, the emotions of activism, catharsis and community, kindness in communication, the methods of anti-slavery abolitionists, and Max Weber’s thoughts on how to make the world a better place.

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Podcast website for contact details and more: surprisingethics.buzzsprout.com

Instagram: @surprising_ethics_podcast tinyurl.com/surprisingethics 

What actually counts as self-defence when waging war? The 21st century has seen a pivot towards ‘preventive wars’: wars fought in anticipation of a possible future attack. The war in Iran is the latest example. What can philosophy tell us about these wars?

My conversation with Prof David Rodin, a world-leading ethicist of war, covers these questions and other topics, including the Israel-Palestine conflict; the "conspiracy paradox"; nuclear threats; the moral duty to spy; the psychology of those waging unjust wars; and non-military ways of warding off an invasion.

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Research shows it’s love – not money or social status – that can soothe the suffering many men are feeling today. But is the manosphere taking this balm away from men? It encourages men to see women as stereotypes and as commodities. This could render them incapable of romantic love with a woman, according to many philosophers of love. And if we want to turn our backs on Andrew Tate and co, is there actually a healthier alternative form of masculinity to which men and boys can turn? I asked therapist Patrick van Straaten. Our chat emphasises vulnerability, authenticity, and real connection with other human beings.

With thanks to Lucia Cucchi for her very helpful guidance on these topics.

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Many countries are considering lowering the voting age. But right now it’s 18 nearly everywhere. Why? Why not 14, 12, or even 6? Don’t teenagers and kids have interests in having a voice? Adults may on average have more experience than teenagers, but then again some 15-year-olds may be politically wiser than some 50-year-olds. Check out the surprising case for a radical reduction in the voting age with a political philosopher who has a new take on the question. We also explore broader questions about the distinctive value of childhood, age discrimination, and how society should structure freedoms for adolescents. 

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How do we craft a diet in the child’s best interests? That’s the question Rachel Fredericks and Jeremy Fischer set out to answer, leaving behind the usual arguments about climate and animals. These two ethicists combined philosophy, psychology and nutrition science and came up with an intriguing answer. Turns out, what makes a diet good for a kid is about so much more than just food. It’s about moral development, identity, ideology, and learning how to choose for yourself. We put this ideal diet to the test with a panel of six parents, to see how the authors' ethical arguments might play out in the real world.

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Are new year’s resolutions a golden opportunity for self-improvement, or do they reinforce a damaging ideology of work and “self-improvement”? And how can we best decide on a resolution?

This episode explores two philosophical challenges to the way we set new year’s resolutions. First, Bertrand Russell claims we should free ourselves from pro-work ideology, and embrace idleness and leisure. If we step back from hyperproductivity, we might want to reject new year's resolutions. Second, Kieran Setiya claims that we will never be fulfilled if the sources of meaning in our life mainly lie in projects and achievements. He suggests we should reorient our lives towards processes and the now, not completable tasks whose promise lies either in the future or the past. Combining Setiya’s ideas with work in the psychology of habit formation could lead towards a new way to set our new year’s resolutions.

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Envy is seen as a deadly sin. But not by Professor Sara Protasi, who argues that envy is often good – even *virtuous*. Envy drives progress, she claims. Feeling envious is natural. And without it, we might never leave the couch. But how can such a destructive emotion be morally good? And even if envy makes us more productive in the short term, does it corrode our happiness in the long run? 

Our conversation covers self-improvement and productivity; self-esteem, radical self-acceptance, and whether we should compare ourselves to others; love, friendship and envy; the politics of envy; inequality; and how racist attitudes may be driven by envy, focussing on racism against Asian Americans.

Give your feedback! https://tinyurl.com/feedbackformSurprisingEthics

Podcast website for contact details and more: surprisingethics.buzzsprout.com

Instagram: @surprising_ethics_podcast tinyurl.com/surprisingethics