#78 Catherine Wilson: How to Reach Morality, Egalitarianism, Affirmative Action, and Feminism
Dr. Catherine Wilson is Anniversary Professor of Philosophy at the University of York. She holds degrees in Philosophy from Yale, Oxford and Princeton and has taught in the USA, Canada, and Germany. Dr. Wilson teaches and writes in the history of modern philosophy and on early modern science and also works in the areas of ethics and aesthetics with a special interest in the evolution of morality and the science behind visual experience. She’s the author of the book Moral Animals: Ideals and Constraints in Moral Theory.
Today, the entire conversation revolves around the major topics covered in Dr. Wilson’s book, Moral Animals. We start with an exploration of the sources of morality, from primatology to science. We then move on to talk about some forms of morality, like moral realism, moral relativism, and Rawls’ veil of ignorance. And we end up with a discussion of some topics like egalitarianism, feminism, meritocracy, and income inequality.
Time Links:
The role of our evolved sentiments in morality
Morality as a set of advantage-reducing imperatives
Primatology as a basis for morality
Do other animals have morality?
Can science inform morality?
Could this be how morality evolved in humans?
What are moral rules?
Moral realism
About ideals
Moral relativism
The role of self-interest
The problem with Rawls’ veil of ignorance
Egalitarianism, affirmative action, and feminism
The role of monogamy in society
Meritocracy and motivation
The importance of income inequality
Follow Dr. Wilson’s work
Follow Dr. Wilson’s work:
Faculty page: https://www.york.ac.uk/philosophy/staff/catherine-wilson/#profile
Book Moral Animals: https://tinyurl.com/y9rbtvbl
Free ebook Metaethics from a First Person Standpoint: https://tinyurl.com/yc7e4oc2