Episode 12.85: A Problem With Ethics

Summary by Claude 3.5 Sonnet

The speaker discusses abandoning a book on ethics they started writing 40-50 years ago due to the challenge of justifying why one ethical theory should be preferred over another. They explore the difficulty of grounding ethical beliefs in absolute truth or external authorities, using examples like abortion debates and religious doctrines.

The concept of alienation, as understood by Marx, is explained as the tension between idealized values projected onto deities and human behavior, leading to feelings of unworthiness. The speaker criticizes how institutions like churches exploit this sense of alienation.

Ultimately, the speaker advocates for a pragmatic approach to ethics, rejecting the search for absolute, objective principles. Instead, they propose focusing on what conduct and values are most likely to optimize society and individual lives. This approach acknowledges the imperfection of human judgment and the need to balance various criteria when making ethical decisions.

The speaker concludes by critiquing the tendency to base beliefs on external authorities to avoid personal responsibility, describing this as an example of Sartre's concept of bad faith.