What is Meta-Ethics? What separates Meta-Ethics from other branches of moral philosophy? How should we understand the nature of moral properties, ethical statements, moral judgments and moral reasons? What is moral goodness? Are there any moral facts? If so, what are they and where are they located? Are there objective, absolute moral values or is moral value relative? What are the semantics of moral language? What’s the best way to analyze or define ethical terms such as ‘good’, ‘ought’, and ‘right’. Should we be internalists or externalists about moral reasons? And how do moral attitudes motivate action?

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Do animals have rights? If so, what sort of rights are they? What are they (the animals) entitled to? Whose duty is it to respect their rights? What sort of entities are the proper bearers of rights, anyway? What’s an animal? Are all animals equal? Are the rights that animals possess similar to the rights that humans possess? If so, what is the basis for such rights? Biological life? Moral agency? Consciousness? The awareness of pain or suffering? Does nature tell us anything about how animals should be treated? Should we all become vegetarians?

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Do We Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Environment? What is the environment? What is the value and moral status of the environment? Is the value of the environment merely instrumental? Or does the environment posses some intrinsic value? Does the environment exist, primarily, for the benefit of man? What kinds of ethical obligation do humans have towards non-humans? Is it morally wrong to perform actions that are harmful to future generations?

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What is Racism? Is race a biological fact or a social construct? What constitutes racist behavior? Can anyone be a racist? Is racism still a problem?

GRS Real Philosophy Series (Episode 3)

Life in the real world often forces people to engage themselves in various philosophical enterprises, most of which involve the sorting out of various “tough questions.” This eight-part series will focus on several important philosophical issues related to some of those tough questions.

Is there a moral difference between killing and letting die? Do individuals have a right to die? What constitutes death? What role should the state play, if any, in answering these sorts of questions?

GRS Real Philosophy Series (Episode 1)

Life in the real world often forces people to engage themselves in various philosophical enterprises, most of which involve the sorting out of various “tough questions.” This eight-part series will focus on several important philosophical issues related to some of those tough questions.

What is ethics? What sorts of issues do ethicists consider? What’s the distinction, if any, between ‘ethics’ and ‘morality’? How should we determine right and wrong? What are the various ethical theories that have been developed by philosophers? Are values intrinsic or extrinsic? Should morality be legislated? Do we have a duty to help others?

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