Ethics Archives

What Is Post-Truth? The Politics of Falsehood

What is post-truth? And when exactly did we transition to the post-truth era? The phenomenon of post-truth has a long history, but there isn’t really an accepted definition of the term. So, what exactly is post-truth? Essentially, it refers to a political phenomenon where political issues are framed in such a way so as to appeal to people’s emotions. According to Yuval Harari, people have always lived in the era of post-truth. Keep reading for the answer to the question “what is post-truth?”

What Does It Mean to Be a Stoic Person?

What does it mean to be a Stoic? What makes a Stoic different from an average person? Stoicism is an ancient Greek personal ethics philosophy that teaches the development of emotional self-control and mental toughness as a means of overcoming life’s trials and tribulations. But what does it mean to be a Stoic person? What personal qualities do Stoics embody? Keep reading for the answer to the question: what does it mean to be a Stoic.

Morality in a Secular Society: Is There Such a Thing?

What is secularism? What do people in a secular society think of morality? Secularism is the principle of separation of civic and political affairs from religious institutions. In a secular society, human affairs are conducted based on naturalistic considerations, but that doesn’t mean that there is no morality. In secularism, morality is considered to be a common human trait, regardless of faith or religious background. Keep reading to learn about morality in a secular society.

Be Compassionate Like a Buddhist Bodhisattva

What is a bodhisattva in Buddhism? How can you work to rid yourself of feelings of otherness? Why is it so important to expand your group? In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is someone who could enter Nirvana, but chooses to stay on Earth and help others reach it instead. While it would be difficult for most of us to start making sacrifices for others, we can still work to be more compassionate and to eliminate the lines between “us” and “them.” Continue on to learn more about bodhisattvas and selflessness.

Religion and Morality: Can You Be Good Without God?

What is the connection between religion and morality? Is the belief in God necessary for morality and social order? Holy books such as the Bible and Quran try to draw the connection between morality and religion by conflating the cosmic God and the lawgiver God. But humans don’t need divine law or the threat of hell in order to act morally. Morality is baked into the DNA of humans and all social animals. Keep reading for more about morality and religion.

Technology & Inequality: Transcending Biology

How does technology affect inequality? What can future technology give to the wealthy and take away from the poor? With the rise of technology, the inequality gap is becoming wider. There’s even speculation that advances in tech will eventually create a useless class, just like mass industrialization created the working class. Making matters worse, developments in biotech could enable wealthy elites to become biologically superior and turn into a separate species. Keep reading to learn how advances in technology contribute to inequality going forward.

The 21st-Century Problems: The Looming Challenges

What are the biggest problems of the 21st century? Why can’t these problems be solved with nationalist politics? According to Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli public intellectual and author of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, the biggest problems of the 21st century are all global in nature, and therefore, they require an international response. They are three of them: 1) the nuclear threat, 2) the climate change, and 3) the dual rise of bio- and info-tech. Keep reading to learn about the three major 21st-century problems, according to Yuval Noah Harari.

Culturism: Is It the New Racism?

What is culturism? How does it relate to racism? Culturism is a form of discrimination on the grounds of cultural norms. Since science has debunked all the myths about the biological superiority of one race over another, culturism has become more common than racism. Keep reading to learn about the shift from racism to culturism.

Survival in Auschwitz: Lale’s Scrape with Death

What happened after Lale’s smuggling business in Auschwitz was discovered? How did Lale manage survival in the Auschwitz punishment block? Did he give up his smuggling for good after the close call? Survival in Auschwitz was no small feat in Morris’ historical fiction novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Lale thought he had a good smuggling business going until one day his stash was discovered. He somehow managed to survive thanks to his inside connections. Keep reading to learn about Lale’s survival in Auschwitz.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Jakub Saves Lale

Who is Jakub in The Tattooist of Auschwitz? How does Jakub’s act of defiance save Lale and the women? In The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Jakub is a large, strong man who Lale snuck food to. Jakub is tasked with torturing names out of Lale but only fakes the torture because he doesn’t want more innocent people to get hurt on his account. Continue on for The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Jakub and Lale’s encounter.