#1136 Ronald de Sousa: Why It's OK to Be Amoral
RECORDED ON MAY 30th 2025.
Dr. Ronald de Sousa is Emeritus Professor at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Toronto. His research interests include ancient philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of sex. He is the author of several books, his latest one being Why It’s OK to Be Amoral.
In this episode, we focus on Why It’s OK to Be Amoral. We first discuss what morality is, and ethical theories such as divine command theory, virtue ethics, contractarianism, utilitarianism, and deontology. We talk about moralism, whether there are any moral truths, reasons to act, morality as fanaticism, and moral emotions. Finally, we talk about amorality, and how one can live as an amoralist.
Time Links:
Intro
What is morality?
Divine Command Theory, Virtue Ethics, Contractarianism, Utilitarianism, and Deontology
What is moralism?
Are there moral truths?
Reasons to act
Morality as fanaticism
Moral emotions
Amorality
How to live as an amoralist
Follow Dr. de Sousa’s work!
Follow Dr. de Sousa’s work:
Faculty page: https://tinyurl.com/yck24u9b
PhilPeople profile: https://tinyurl.com/ycyrntdb
Why It’s OK to Be Amoral: https://tinyurl.com/2ub52w7k