how would YOU solve a moral dilemma?

[@oliSUNvia]

anyone else feel like they talk excruciatingly slow on camera? that's my way of asking you to watch this in 1.5x speed.

[@itchylol742]

no. i will watch at 1.0x speed and you can't stop me

[@Joshua787]

I use a chrome extension that plays 8x to get through your vids

[@DISCONSOLATION]

@@Joshua787 DAMN

[@Ghostthehumanist]

I actually moved it down to 0.5x. However, I do not invite anyone else to do that. I'm weird. Edit: Great content, btw. Edit2: Also, it didn't sound weird at normal speed at all. Just seems like you're clear and thorough, and you consider all audiences when you talk.

[@eric7985]

as a BP debater yes

[@LateefA519]

I would absolutely love a 2 hour deep dive with pure theory even if the video only got 200k views, half of them would be from me.

[@d3adm3mori3s9]

And the other half from me

[@maryamasomewhathuman.7870]

Same

[@Flower-fy1kv]

Same 2 🖤.

[@Dataq6629]

Dilema: -do 2h vid, hype peeps & bore a few -dont do vid, let us all fall prey to 1m newscycles and 5s tiktoks Discuss. (fr, ye if you feel like it)

[@junesdaughter]

please I need that so bad

[@dylanpursley7768]

The improving imagination section of this video hit me like a bus. I had always thought I had good imagination. When you mentioned diversifying the media we consume, however, I saw that maybe it wasn't as good as I thought. I have always had a strange hero/ego complex that dealt with needing to be already talented at everything. When thinking of all of the books I have read, it turns out that the "chosen one" motif is almost always there. It never crossed my mine that perhaps this complex I have was a result of book preferences! Yet it really makes sense as those books usually shaped the way I saw myself and the world. Thank you so much Olivia. This was a fantastic video, and please always go into theory!

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

There is an actual word for this that is pretty fundamental in the art world: Taste. You might've heard the term "in bad taste", right? That can mean anything, but basically, taste is your inspiration, your own art, thoughts, methods. It dictates what you look for and look at, what you take from it, and how you present it forward.

[@rabidL3M0NS]

The only alternative to identifying with the heroic spirit is to identify with the spirit of the adversary. If you identify with neither then you are nothing but a rope in a tug of war.

[@vaporeonice3146]

When I saw the poll I kind of groaned…I often find discussions of moral dilemmas really tedious. But this video was such a BANGER, and a lot of the points discussed actually highlight why I tend to avoid talking about moral dilemmas. Amazing job!!

[@NojajaTheBest]

Yeah exactly, even from theory focused channels the focus is almost never on meta ethics. This video is such a breath of fresh air compared to most of the other ethics-focused videos on youtube.

[@franki1990]

When you don't address metaethics, you're just being blinded by some bullshit and conservative morality

[@momos_wife]

couldn’t have said it better

[@Spobbles69420]

@@franki1990define conservative morality

[@wanyekest6969]

Philosophy’s a child’s game.

[@pariwhoop4935]

This is such a fresh take, probably not for those in academic study of philosophical concepts and ethics, but for someone who doesn’t really study it, it is. It really made me think about the question in general. Wonderful video. I am sure I would watch a 3 hour long version, so please make it a series. Nice brookies btw

[@0verWay]

Some moral dilemmas are unsolvable by simply choosing A or B. Some dilemmas are like unbeatable games: “the only winning move is not to play.” Ignorance and non-knowledge can often times be the factor that determine the best outcome, because they offer angles, that someone with knowledge and morals, whichever they may be, couldn't see or would be biased against.

[@sebrussell]

Conversely, not choosing is a choice. With the Trolley Problem(s), for example, the choice is quite literally between action and inaction, not choosing is effectively the same as choosing. And as much as we might laugh off more extreme moral dilemmas as silly, we engage in lower stakes dilemmas every day. Whether to give money to a homeless person (if so, how much, and if you feel you only have enough for one person and see multiple homeless people, how do you decide who deserves the money), whether to let someone else on the train before you (or multiple people), whether to interfere in an argument between coworkers, etc. In most all such scenarios, we have imperfect information. Which homeless person is most in need, what will they use the money on; will waiting for the next train have a greater impact on that other person than you, could one of you have a better chance to also get on if forced to rush for the next carriage; is one of your coworkers in the wrong, which one, will you be able to diffuse the situation or will your involvement make things worse, would waiting for more information on the topic of the argument better allow you to end the argument, or if you wait, will hurtful words be said that cannot be unsaid? Even after the fact, you can almost never know with absolute certainty whether you made the best choice.

[@Literature4343]

Because realistically there are or there can be so many possibilities (outside of the status quo, as discussed in the video), I think all moral problems are solvable and none of them are "dilemmas" in the sense that we as a collective society if not species should be able to determine at least the worst outcome(s) to be avoided. Now for me the real dilemma is this: If that makes sense for many possible outcomes (or solution or course of action, however one puts it), how come it doesn't make sense for 2? Is it really that the problem itself is "unsolvable", or just that we are nowhere near knowing HOW to solve it?

[@thodoriss3068]

Personally, i believe the exact opposite. The only ''wrong'' choice is not choosing because it essentially means that you would rather hurt anyone than take the burden of helping someone. All these choices have pros and cons, all of them involve things we can't really calculate. So in my opinion any choice is the correct choice, as long as it sits well with you personally.

[@billnyedarussianspy1921]

not playing or not making a choice is just simple way of protecting your perception of how good you are, for example someone can get a better understanding of his values and principles by acting on them and seeing how beneficial they are either to him or to others depending on who you value most but not participating only strengthen bias moral value which leads to hypocrisy.

[@0verWay]

@billnyedarussianspy1921 it depends. If you are faced with a direct choice and its corresponding consequences, then your angle can be debated. However, there are instances where not having to choose due to no knowledge or (un)willing ignorance is the best outcome. Take the God question as example: if you never knew or found out God existed, as in: nobody ever told you, would he still punish or reward you the same way as someone who did? Or would you be spared the whole process? Pascal's wager, as an anti-thesis, discusses the best possible outcomes for someone once they DO know about the debate of God's existance.

[@akmhd]

Thank you for this video. It genuinely makes me feel validated. Throughout my life I've been labelled as indecisive, slow, unpredictable, thinking way too much etc. They're right about indecisiveness not being the right answer when it comes to certain aspects of life, but sometimes it's nice to think a lot and be indecisive. Like you've mentioned in the video at some point, sometimes the right answer to a moral dilemma is to not choose at all or create multiple solutions for the dilemma.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

I think the reason indecisiveness is seen as such a big "ick" (yeah I know, but that word just fits well here) is because it doesn't give you anything to show for it. Like, you never hear a story where a person tells how they DIDN'T do something. Or if you do, it's a poor story that makes people ask "what's the point of the story? It's boring."

[@akmhd]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 Sorry for the late reply, YT notifications are whack for some reason. But yeah it could also be an innate human nature to attach a reason to anything in life in order to maintain a semblance of structure in our lives. Maybe it's our hunter gatherer instincts protecting ourselves from harm. Take hardships for instance. We subconsciously tell ourselves that we went through some traumatic event (one that could also be out of our control) because of a particular reason. Maybe it's to show yourself and the people around you that you've become stronger, wiser, mature etc. Any excuse to convince yourself that there was a good reason why you went through that event, otherwise it's just good ol' nihilism. Same concept can apply to storytelling like you've mentioned. There will always be a point to the story even if the character was decisive yet they made shitty decisions. Something that I've felt for a long time is that stories are very binary. It's either A or B. Everything else can be chalked up to, "it's complicated". Which probably creates an illusion in our lives where when we're faced with a problem, there are only 2 solutions and you have to be decisive. I hope something out of this rant made sense 😅

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

​@@akmhd Good thoughts. Indecisiveness has indeed been a biological and survival factor, where it could dictate between the weak and strong, dead and alive. But of course, it's not like "not choosing" is a bad, invalid option 100% of the time. Otherwise, it would be gospel, philosophers would've figured it out and every single one would say it's their #1 value/virtue. Yet it rarely is. In fact, you could say the most sigma philosophy of cynicism involves indecisiveness just to "stick it" to people (read about Diogenes) Your example of the binary choice in stories is actually onto something, but you should expand your perspective. It's not only that we might think there's only 2 choices, but really, "choose vs. don't choose" is a binary choice as well. If you have 2 choices, but choose a 3rd, you are still technically making a "binary choice" at some level. Deciding not to choose is a decision. It might not be a "choice" that's laid infront, but neither is pulling your pants down and taking a shit right then and there, yet that choice is open to you. So what's the real problem here? It's the restrictive feeling that a binary choice gives you, right? Most people view a binary choice as "bad". Ever wondered why? Yeah, few actually do. Some might say it's "lack of freedom" or just generally "lack of choice", which is sort of funny as the "freedom of choice" should be the only thing that matters, not the amount of choices. The variety is another illusion that would create that "it's complicated", making the choice feel more "free" and "complex" than it really has any rights to be. Because then, you could say it's a binary choice between "the right and the fluff". And if you introduce the "no choice" as a 3rd/n+1 choice, it basically just asks you to reshuffle the choices to delay the decision because at some point you more than likely have to pick something. It's like going to a restaurant, looking at the menu, not liking anything and saying "I won't have anything, thank you." Does this mean you will never return and never have these choices in front of you again? Will you come back later to see if the menu has changed? Will you suffer through choosing something random because a cute date took you there to eat? Everything is a binary choice depending how you look at it. It's not inheritently bad nor restrictive. We humans just like sets of 3: Yes, No, & Maybe. The 3rd one typically is either an escape route or a safety net. But it also makes one passive. And you should really take a deep dive into why being passive is not really a good virtue to have unless applies in very specific ways (being a good listener, not talking over, etc.) You could bring another modern example of gender here, where people don't identify or deliberately dismiss the gender binary. Same arguments there: Too restrictive, lack of freedom, etc. But a popular choice is then to pick something else, right? Something new that has less baggage or is more "tailor made" for me, yet I have to build it up from scratch. And building a gender from scratch is almost impossible, as it's a social construct; you can't influence people's minds enough alone. So one would like to ask: Why didn't I just pick the closest and tailor that one for me? What made me decide that it's impossible for a person like me to be either one of the choices? 99% of the time it's lack of confidence in oneself, not seeing anyone quite like you out there representing, to use as a rolemodel/example/guide. Hence why something like the gender-stuff going on now will be automatically solved by getting rid of gender norms and toxic masculinity/femininity. Then people will be able to see more diverse men/women and have to confidence to be more unique versions of those. And you can't really get rid of/melt the gender binary as we are ruled by our biology, so we can always be classified into 2 seperate boxes by science, so it will always keep emanating from it to influence our understanding of gender, always warping it back to 2. We just choose to see these boxes as suffocating. We do the same with race, nationality, age, etc. So it's not a sustainable hill to die on. And as you can see, there's again a binary choice: "Gender binary vs. something else". And even here, there are people who choose "neither" and become agender. Which again is more of a philosophical decision to "stick it" to the system/choices offered. But it's always a binary choice and indecisiveness only leads to a higher level binary choice. You can only choose 1 thing at a time. So really, your indecisiveness might stem from your subconciouss disdain for only being able to choose 1 option at a time, not that you have limited choices. Fear of missing out on the other option, lack of confidence if your choice is the better one for you, etc.

[@akmhd]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 Sorry that I'm 1 month late. Yeah, you're right, I should be expanding my perspective even more. I think you have a good point about the gender argument, it was something that I was contemplating about a year ago. Toxic masculinity/femininity is a huge hurdle to be overcome before deciding whether you want to be non-binary or be one specific gender since you'll be making the decision out of the desire to be yourself. The decision to be non-binary could be taken out of fear or to stick it to the more prevalent binary option, but I would like to draw another picture as well: Since human beings have an innate fear of the unknown/abstract concepts it is a lot more easier to put a label such as "Non-Binary" to put the larger part of society at ease. It could be a combination of all three or you could be bang on with your reasoning. I watched ContraPoints and she said that as a trans woman, she had to act very feminine in order for society to accept her as a woman. So it would be so much more interesting to explore non-binary as a concept if we get rid of toxic masculinity/femininity. Perhaps we can gain more clarity with gender dysphoria as well. The binary-ception concept is also a very interesting concept, it's something that I have to think more about as well. I tried to come up with different scenarios that can possibly debunk it but so far no luck. A lot of complicated situations can simply be binary within binary within binary etc. decisions. It's interesting that we are a complicated species yet so simple and, dare I say, primitive in our way of thinking.

[@hibabelmezouar2880]

I had this crazy dream once about a zombie apocalypse. I was chilling at home alone, and suddenly, my family showed up, but I couldn't tell if they were zombies or not. So, I panicked and decided to lock all the doors. The weird thing is, I felt super down for the whole week after that dream, like this overwhelming guilt was eating at me. It wasn't until I had a similar dream with a different ending that things started to make sense. But honestly, I still don't know what I'd do in a real zombie apocalypse scenario.

[@mustanggox]

woah that’s so interesting tbh, do u remember the second dream?

[@jamesjohnXII]

Probably kill zombies

[@feral_orc]

I had a dream when I was ~10 years old where my family got turned into zombies and I was chased through the town by Godzilla. I blew all their heads off with a pistol and got eaten by Godzilla after he tore the roof off the house I was hiding in.

[@hibabelmezouar2880]

@@mustanggox yes in the second dream i saved my family

[@opossumboyo]

Any time a “real” apocalypse is brought up I just go back to On the Beach. Given how the last few years have gone it seems so much nicer to just take things into your own hands than to actually fight back against what would almost certainly be an insurmountable problem. I’d rather die quietly with my cat than struggle for months with whatever miserable group I end up with, only to have the same thing happen because of a tiny infection or bad weather or something.

[@kylehankins5988]

The use of simplified thought experiments is that you can progressively make them more realistic to pinpoint at precisely what point the persons moral decisions change. this can help reveal the underlying principles at play. Like for example if you hold the position that torture is always wrong then you wouldn't torture Tim but if instead your position hinges on the fact that you think its merely ineffective for the brutality required then you would only change after the scenario became more realistic.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

It think "realistic" is a wrong word to use here. Maybe "more exact" is better. And the ultimate goal is to find the motivation behind their views and values. Like if you really want to figure out person's views on torture, you would first offer several different people, from Tim to Hitler to supermodel to a guy who said 1 rude thing. Then you would probably ask the forms of torture they'd deem "fitting punishment" for whatever "crime" they perceive the person has done. The interesting part is that typically people are more willing and "open" to do physical torture, but more of emotional torture or a combination of the 2 (like rape) becomes super taboo as then the torture becomes more and more "villainous" and unjustifiable. Also, people are more complacent with the suffering of "ugly" people, so they might be more jaded towards less attractive people, choosing to ignore their suffering while treating the attractive people more softly, perhaps feeling more empathy towards them.

[@mitcharendt2253]

I once read a holocaust survivor's memoir, Clara's War. She recounts that one of her cousins was suffocated accidentally as a baby while they hid form the SS. He was revived but what sticks with me is how impossible it is to judge some circumstances

[@Arcessitor]

Ah I too love creative fiction writings.

[@nofacenocase4328]

​@@Arcessitoryou came for oppenheimer didn't you

[@mitcharendt2253]

​@@ArcessitorI really hope you're not implying what I think you are...

[@neo-el2cn]

@@Arcessitor If you are implying that the Shoa is not real, then you should visist german and polish KZs, talk to survivors and read some of the works published on the matter. If you can still claim that the Shoa is not real after that then all hope is simply lost for you. The Holocaust is undeniably real.

[@bornanagaming3329]

Not everythings black, white or grey for that matter

[@bimpadimp]

thinking that torture is effective and also the ONLY way to get information out of someone is so insane i can't believe there are people who unironically believe it

[@bluefoolish]

( English is my second language so I'm sorry if some phrases of mine sound awkward lol ) I found this video really interesting, just as usual! I've been accompanying your channel for almost a year, and I just wanted to leave a comment for the first time to show you my gratitude for the content brought to us with such great work put into it! I was about to freak out when you mentioned Paulo Freire lol, his works were the driving force behind my interest in education and sociology, and it's always refreshing to see brazilian intellectuals in english spoken videos! Love your work! The knowledge you spread is of substantial value ❤

[@freepointsgals609]

I'm not sure if she is capable of comprehending how down I am for 2hrs of pure theory. Taking Real Analysis was not only a contributor of a time of my life characterized by despair, but it's also my favorite class I've ever taken. I love theory so much that even when it conditions me to expect failure in everything I do, living without it is unthinkable in my mind. If she ever uploads a video like the one she described at the end of the video, I can guarantee that will watch it attentively in its entirety if I'm able to.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Theory is cool and all, but it starts to melt and dismantle in practice. I find pure theory too addictive as it incentivices you to be pedantic and come up with questions that really don't matter or end up leading to nowhere or end up circling back and you end up wasting your precious time on Earth. It's kinda like building a computer on a breadboard.

[@umiyob7777]

I think you are both right.

[@JOOOOOANNEZZZ]

Oh my, when I was much younger, I did feel more assertive about moral situations and moral stories, then I was confronted with contextual facts that I wasn't aware of and felt like an arrogant fool for a few times; then I guess I got into the disorganized 'unlimted moral imagination' phase that I can't never side with either side of any moral discussion. This is so helpful and insightful, I'm gonna live a better life after this video.

[@leonardproductions418]

Very good. I thought the part where you talked about the kindergartener failing due to not be able to obtain a crayon was crazy. Opened my eyes to knowing that we are not really capable of imaging a scenario truly. Great vid BTW :)

[@koibubbles3302]

Yes, lots of school projects require purchasing some kind of item and while I thought it was slightly annoying I never really thought about how bad that can be for people who can’t afford those items.

[@Alexis-mw3ph]

I’m surprised I sat down for a 35min video and even took notes. I really liked the way you organised personal experiences, scientific findings and philosophical ideas into a coherent piece that made me think about my ethical tendencies and the lack of my imagination. I enjoy thought experiments to break up and reconsider certain views but it is truly difficult to draw wisdom from them since they merely exist in a vacuum. really enjoying these longer videos, hope you keep going with them :)

[@connorhealy3562]

I saw a TikTok the other day of a little Irish toddler who presented a moral dilemma to his mom like this: “You’re driving a car, and in the middle of the road, you see an old man and a baby. What do you hit?” After a few seconds of thought, the mom says “The old man.” The toddler then gets all shocked and upset responding with “Why!?” And the mom replies “He lived his life.” To which the toddler responds, “I would hit the brakes.” THAT is the energy I want to be bringing to moral dilemmas. EDIT: I wrote this mainly as a joke. I know logically we can’t approach all problems like this, I just find it hilarious that a little kid presented with this problem will go “How is the trolley problem real? Just didn’t kill people bro lol?”

[@ahkwaheart]

hella funny but kind of defeats the purpose 😭

[@bugjams]

But not all moral dilemmas have solutions like that. It's naive to think they do. Don't get me wrong - we need logical optimists who will spend all their energy to try and look for ideal solutions. But if none can be found then we need people who can be pragmatic and make the hard decision to save the highest number of lives possible.

[@candylove49]

@@bugjamsAbsolutely! Hard decisions have to be made at times. Not every situation has a “brake”.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

@@bugjamsMoral dilemmas are stupid. People don't sit and think about such things; they react and make decisions. They don't go "Hold on, let me consult my stupid ass fuck and contrived 'thought experiment' regarding moral dilemma There is a reason why many philosophers think that moral dilemma thought experiments are not just useless and pointless, but actively detrimental to good philosophy

[@asukalangleysoryu8449]

if my brakes were truly broken or something, i would drive the car off the road instead of hitting someone.

[@roberthornack1692]

Well done Olivia, its refreshing hearing a thoughtfilled, imaginative person.

[@people2chronically-online]

Psychological debates require lack of critical thinking

[@shallowphoenix]

You could make a 2 hour video discussing the thought processes people have when putting away a shopping cart, and I’d be hooked the whole time and learn something new.

[@mahsaarman3954]

Absolutely banger of a video. I had to rewatch some parts several times to grasp it, would love a 2 hour deep dive.

[@yulingzheng8841]

I feel like your video quality has been going up with every episode, which is impressive since your first video is already amazing

[@skdeelk]

Honestly blown away by how consistently fantastic your videos are. Thanks for the amazing content!

[@jacobthompson9413]

Great video Olivia! I appreciated you not only debunking the usefulness of "pop psychology moral dilemmas", but also offering a course of action to help improve moral imagination. I've already been trying to diversify the art I consume, but this definitely gives me more motivation!

[@marcuskeum8500]

I’ve always had Chris’s kind of attitude when dealing with problematic friends. No one’s ever explained to me what you told your friend Chris and hearing it made a lot of sense. Great video as always!

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

When you being responsible is the only option someone else has, it becomes an obligation. Whether to accept or deny that obligation, that is the real moral question. And there it becomes the tired "greater good vs. individual freedom" argument...

[@sidewinder9107]

i feel like in most of these dilemmas i'd just freeze up and do nothing.i know the point of them isn't to always be appliceable to real life but i still find it hard to evaluate each outcome when i know that in that situation, the biggest contributing factors to the outcome would be whether i had it in me to kill the baby, whether it even occured to me to kill my own baby, and whether i felt i could do anything at all.

[@angelad230]

Honestly, I think the weirdest thing about that scenario is the idea that you could violently kill a baby without it crying. The only way to quietly kill a baby is to accidentally put it in its crib the wrong way or feed it honey when it's less than one year old.

[@keno5456]

@@angelad230yeah I was wondering how you would kill a baby without making more sound. Some of the responses were dumb tho. Saying you’d jump the guy by using the baby as bait. If it were that easy it wouldn’t be much of a dilema

[@jamesjohnXII]

​@@angelad230knife

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

That's kind of the "hidden 3rd choice" you basically have with any kind of "binary choice": Not choose at all. It's default bad as as inaction also upholds the misery. But it can be good if the misery requires participation to even exist.

[@people2chronically-online]

Fix that

[@Twigtailthewarriorcat]

as a trans man who kinda cis-passes (and has a gf, so people tend to assume i'm straight), i've had the experience where i would have this type of conversation as in min 20:28 with cishet men -who i wasn't out of the closet with-, and whenever i tried to tell them something that in my girlhood, as i experienced it, was completely obvious, they would call me gay or girlie or crybaby. it's weird but i'm actually very grateful for having the chance of seeing the world from both views thanks to my identity

[@krushkannon]

i just had to answer the nuclear bombing question for a college level history class, and it's framed as such as a simple question but it's genuinely not. the way you broke it down is super cool to hear and helps put the "why?" into perspective

[@ReasonableRadio]

I'd listen to a 2+h version of something like this. You're great at explaining theory and it's a good format to listen to while doing nom-mental tasks like walking and cleaning

[@aquamarine_escapist]

Huge help in improving one's imagination and empathy is one of the reasons why I think long roleplay games like dnd should be more widespread

[@zy5756]

As a writer, I've been struggling to find good motivations for antagonists. I find that many moral dilemmas that create good antagonists are actually quite shallow and easy to work yourself out of. This video helped me realize that I may be biased against those scenarios from my personal POV. Not only that, focusing on the distortion of moral imagination itself can actually become an interesting point of contention between characters, especially if it helps audiences see their own restricted thinking.

[@c4tac133]

seriously, none of your videos disappoint, watched this one thoroughly to understand b/c it was so interesting and insightful❤❤ keep up the good work

[@Krustysmurf]

Please never stop uploading these videos make my month every times

[@alejandrabarahona5042]

Am i the only one who thinks olivia should write a book? Like at this point i'd buy anything written by her lol her essays are soooo good

[@plushcanvas8652]

Nope I don’t read books

[@thedontpanic]

@@plushcanvas8652 L

[@ahouyearno]

@plushcanvas if you don’t read books you’re missing out.

[@plushcanvas8652]

@@ahouyearno i only read the ones with pictures

[@hueyPneutron]

​@@plushcanvas8652can u say that again with emojis? im not understanding

[@WhenIsItUs]

Thanks so much! Probably my favorite video next to the home sacer discussion. The ability to imagine the lives of those less fortunate is probably the most important many of us lack, but the world isn't the horrible place media makes it to be. It's people like you who keep it going!

[@slange64]

I listened carefully. I would probably have to listen to it again at least once to understand completely, and study your references to grok fully. I was bugged by some of the things you said however that's my trip and I appreciate the reflection. Thank you. I appreciate what you're doing.

[@grichard1585]

She should talk about "The Tolerance Paradox" (or the paradox of tolerance)

[@hannahmiriam]

thank you for making more philosophy/ethics focused videos!!! it’s really helpful for my alevels :)))

[@chantaldani2174]

this really helped me make a little more sense of what we talk about in my ethics class, I really enjoyed the way you structured the video so that it didn't get boring :)

[@Jlukecampos]

It's a silly little thing but, the owl in knowledge example reminds of how the pursuit of objectivity is seen as the pinnacle of reason. However, I think emotional investment and emotional stakes in a topic actually strengthens your understanding and observation of a topic.

[@ГеоргиГеоргиев-с3г]

There is no such thing as objective reason, because reason is done to objects, in order to have objective reason you will need perfect facts that you wouldn't assume like what if reality isn't real then your "objective reason" will be reasonable only inside our realty but unreasonable outside it. Like how could you be certain you are not a brain in a jar fed electricity to make you feel real if the outcome is 100% the same as if it isn't you technically only need the bits with consciousness inside, everything else could have never existed. "I think therefore i am" every piece outside of "think" is therefore not necessarily you.

[@c4tac133]

true, because emotion often sways reason which motivates people to do certain things. It’s important to consider the specifics of a situation because they directly affect the way the person involved feels.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Is there are word that resides in between "objective" and "subjective"? Like, could we say someone's subjective position is objective in that particular situation?

[@ГеоргиГеоргиев-с3г]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 a position is a different thing, that could not be objective or subjective because like taste it depends solely on the preference of the speaker. On the other question it's like saying is there a middle part between a piece and a whole, yes there is and it is a bigger piece and you can say it is a whole piece but you still would need more to make it whole, and there shouldn't be a word for it. "Objective"-in relation to others, an ideal representation "the object","as seen by the object at infinity". "subjective"- in relation to a case sample, to a specific object or a group, "as seen by the majority here on earth". Would be hard to find a middle ground between such concepts of a thing. The closest is an "Objective viewpoint" which tries to encompass every view point.

[@Calpsotoma]

They did the Baby Problem on MASH back in the 70s and made it heartbreaking. Whatever happens, people think about it too abstractly to actually deal with the outcomes. That episode just laid the actual outcomes out and how awful it was for everyone involved.

[@Tagraff]

In the context of the allegory of the cave, I often contemplate the journey of the prisoner who breaks free and ventures outside. This journey typically begins as a quest for personal freedom and understanding. The cave symbolizes ignorance, and the shadows on the wall represent our initial, limited perceptions of the world. Breaking free from the chains of conformity to explore the outside world is an act of self-discovery and liberation. However, as one starts to embrace the newfound reality outside the cave, a moral perspective often begins to take shape. This perspective evolves as the individual reflects on their own past entrapment within the cave. They realize that their pursuit of freedom and enlightenment was, in essence, a quest for truth and a desire to escape a world of illusion and ignorance. As this journey progresses, the individual may encounter others still within the cave, unaware of the reality beyond. At this juncture, the moral dimension of the journey comes into focus. There's a profound ethical dilemma: whether to continue the solitary journey towards self-fulfillment or to return to the cave and attempt to free others from their chains. The decision to aid others in escaping the cave is not without challenges. Some within the cave may resist, clinging to the familiar shadows they've known all their lives. Others may actively oppose efforts to disrupt their world of illusion. This is where the moral dilemma becomes prominent, as the individual must grapple with questions of responsibility, sacrifice, and the greater good. In this complex journey, the pursuit of personal freedom and enlightenment ultimately becomes intertwined with the moral imperative to share this newfound knowledge and help others break free from their chains of ignorance. The choice to act altruistically or to pursue individual enlightenment raises profound ethical questions, defining the moral character of the one who once walked in darkness and now carries the torch of enlightenment.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Honestly though, I'm still surprised how we still (poorly) argue about the "greater good vs. individual want". 99% of the time, the greater good is the morally better option. We are social creatures. All our greatest achievements are a group effort. Yeeeeeet we still want to come up with scenarios where the individual freedom is more important. It's typically delivered as a strawman, where the implication of NOT allowing the individual freedom means that NOBODY has that freedom thus it hurts the greater good. And then it becomes an allegory to fascism and yadi yadi yadi... The real crux of the question is how moral is the individuals freedom to refuse to sacrifice themselves. I think discussing that more would be the next step.

[@thisthatrealmercuriusserpent]

this video changed my life, thank you so much oli...

[@it_beann]

your videos actually have me thinking about things that I otherwise would not have, thank you for that. more educational than my entire 5 years of college/university!

[@alinka9884]

this video genuinely interested me and i would ADORE and LOVE a two hour long video from you???

[@idkwho9785]

Once again a deeply thought provoking essay.

[@devastatheseeker9967]

The trolley problem is great to make jokes. My favourite one is that the lever just makes the trolley faster.

[@loops8274]

I was literally having a lot of these exact thoiughts the other day and was struggling to articulate some of them. This is a great video at the perfect time (for me personally, which I personally imagine was the point of this video being released at all, because my imagination is fundamentally limited by my own perspective)

[@zeeshanhazari]

I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE A 2 HOUR LONG VIDEO, I've seen longer stuff over topics, yes ik most people won't, but enough would, anime theory or analysis gets 200-500k vids being 1hr+ , you're supporters would totally watch it

[@ZionSiva]

Another really excellent video. Other than diving into as much diverse art/stories as possible, I really recommend writing fiction as a way to turbocharge moral imagination. Especially when writing relationships, to write anything even remotely decent one really needs to dive into other people's skin, even in pretty uncomfortable way. You actually made me think that most philosophers should tackle writing good fiction as much as focusing on theory.

[@PureAsbestos]

33:35 worth noting that the "nuclear power" shown in this clip (nuclear energy production) is not at all the same as the "nuclear power" of a nation (their stockpile of nuclear armaments). The former is a surprisingly safe and efficient way to generate electricity. The latter could wipe out humanity.

[@Jimmitry.U.Repstock]

I watched this while playing Baldur's Gate 3. It helped me come to the best conclusion for the dilemmas in the game. Always choose "chaos".

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

And the world was better for it. Right? RIGHT?!

[@brosckii]

Found this video on the explore page and looked interesting, I watched this entire video and loved the entire thing. One of the best knowledgeable videos i have watched in a long time. Will 100% be consuming the rest of content on this channel. V happy to be here

[@immyc4483]

As an ex ethics and philosophy student, I love this kind of video and it is interesting to me just as it is! Maybe in future you could analyse this subject along with more pop culture as examples of this - could make it more entertaining for other who are not usually into these ethics? Either way, I’ll be watching!

[@themightyspartan1012]

Do you have a job base of philosophy and ethics?

[@ianmason8435]

Great video! The beginning felt a little slow and the theory was feeling a bit elementary, but as it progressed, I found myself drawn into the narrative. By the conclusion, not only had I gained a clear understanding of the content, but I was also deeply moved by your insightful exploration of particularism and moral imagination. Your nuanced portrayal of these concepts resonated with me, particularly the way you illustrated the idea of moral imagination as something to embrace in everyday discourse. Your perspective sheds light on the myriad of ways we can approach moral decision-making, emphasizing the importance of context and individual circumstances. In a related vein, I'm reminded of the understanding that people with neurodiverse viewpoints (especially autistic/ADD) bring to the table. Their unique ways of perceiving the world can sometimes offer fresh insights into ethical dilemmas, challenging the rest of us to think beyond our typical frameworks. Your video, in a sense, serves as a testament to the beauty of diverse perspectives in ethical thought.

[@nitumoni6622]

If only Olivia made that 2hr long video essay on ethics which involves a lot of theories, your video essays are always so interesting and makes me think, I would be down to however long of a video essay you want to make! I hope my fellow subscribers do too! 🥺

[@unfortunatelyevil1767]

Listen, I don't rewatch The Good Place all the time to *avoid* moral and ethical theory! Your method of explaining is also very good and engaging; I would much rather a semester of 8h videos of yours than sitting through most professors I had~ (The one difference is that the gov't allows me to rack up 6 figures of debt to go to for-profit universities... but there is no student loan equivalent for spending 6 figures on various Patreons~)

[@Arcessitor]

Why not just kill the murderer instead of your baby? Sounds like a thought experiment for cowards.

[@tbd9634]

Based

[@tumansibiri]

I'm also indecisive person, this knowledge about my own psyche allows me to not take additional burden and choose something I've tried before or relay responsibility to my trusted friend. This minimizes the amount of anxiety I build up and allows my friend to make a good gesture or allows me to show trust to my friend.

[@Miiso212]

Thank you for your content, Olivia! Although I often get lost somewhere in the middle of the things that you say (I probably have to rewatch to wrap my head around it...) but, they really mean a lot!

[@bensonabernathy4664]

0:36 My first thought was, "Why can't we all team up as a family to kill/stop the murderer?"

[@icostaticrebound6007]

As a lad myself I just assume people who say bigoted things won’t change their minds even if I share similarities with them. Tbh this has been the case for most of my life, as people never want to admit they’re wrong on anything, and they get offended when you point it out rather than grateful for expanding their horizon

[@TheInfectous]

changing ones mind is a slow process, you won't change their mind, what you will do, is be one of the many instances that will creep into their mind regarding their behavior and the more negative instances they get in response to their behavior, the more likely they are to change their mind. for myself, I just give a sardonic exasperation expression and let whatever they said hang for a bit. directly calling shit out will just have them otherize you and disregard the interaction but by giving silent disapproval they'll apply the respect they currently have for you and the note you disapprove of that sort of thing. Unless the infraction is very severe I honestly think it's more effective to match their level, a direct confrontation is a pretty serious step up in reply to what is only implications. Likewise when playing video games for example when someone is on mic saying "why are you playing video games and not in the kitchen or whatever" you don't want to seriously confront them because their perception is they're not saying anything that serious, it's a video game, they're just saying random shit. The effective response is just nonchalantly saying "you're weird." It absolutely is important that we as men do this though because women and the groups being looked down upon are already otherized by the people committing these infractions, it doesn't matter if they respond in kind or signal that they're part of the group because what they say is going to be disregarded no matter what.

[@morganahowll1940]

I appreciate that it's not as simple as telling someone they're wrong and they miraculously change their mind, but it's still important. If you're told once every few months by someone you know that you "shouldn't say that", you might not take it seriously. But if you shorten that interval, to every month, or even more frequently, people start to feel far more challenged. Sure, they may dig their heels into the sand, but if you're close to them at all, it likely will weigh upon their minds. At some point, it's entirely possible they'll start to understand and enquire, even if the road there appears externally to house zero progress.

[@SlyNine]

Bigotry is being intolerant of other people's views. If you think it means agreeing with other people's views then you're not talking about bigotry.

[@kookoo9235]

@@SlyNine seems to me that people who use the term "bigotry" these days use it that way almost exclusively. "Either agree with me or you are a bigot" is actually something that i've seen on occasion. The word has been bastardized to same extent as terms such as "racism" and "phobia".

[@mustanggox]

@@kookoo9235idk about that, OP used the word correctly, and I disagree that it has been bastardized.

[@miguelifsuzano7244]

In my highschool philosophy class the teacher proposed we re-enact the trial of Socrates but with our own prosecution and defense, I was the only advocate who managed to convince that sentencing Socrates to death was moral and necessary, it felt wild

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

What was your argument?

[@miguelifsuzano7244]

@@jesustyronechrist2330 that he was not a philosopher for not respecting the formalities of the title, making him just a subversive man that could spark revolt on an already invaded Athens

[@sumedhabagchi5433]

I love your videos so much much !!!! You always pick such interesting topics!

[@daahorse1652]

Everyone thinks being “sigma” is about mindset when in reality it’s about the embodiment aspect of it. Some people may think it’s the same when it’s really all about “how much are you willing to preach your morals” and “how far will you go to prove you have morals”?

[@michalsevecek5417]

Hey Olivia, I would like to thank you for your videos. You showed me how fun and interesting philosophy can truly be. I was accepted to study at university and because you inspired me I chose philosophy for my bachelor's degree. Thank you for your amazing videos and keep up the good work ❤

[@oliSUNvia]

that’s so amazing i hope you enjoy your program! congrats for getting in

[@voxsvoxs4261]

Good job, I hope you have a great time and learn alot.

[@fionawolter4367]

this was such a well-done and refreshing video. i first listened to it a few days ago and then came back today to take notes. i have always had a bone to pick with reducing countless possibilities to a few options, and i felt so validated listening to all of your commentary on it. thank you

[@TehEquator]

As a religion teacher, this really motivated me to try to implement activities to help my students grow their moral imagination, thank you!

[@pauliwhirl3536]

Truly fantastic video! As someone who feels theyve come to grips with a lot of fundamental philosophy, I really appreciate the spotlight you shine on some more specific theories and philosophers. Hope those brookies were as good as they looked! :)

[@maxkho00]

I think moral imagination is pretty useless since it can never be comprehensive or really even come close to comprehensiveness, and as such we can never even know if being more morally imaginative makes our ethical judgement more or less likely to be informed. In fact, I would argue that, since our imagination is largely driven by our biases, exercising it will most often only reinforce our biases, and thus only drive us away from impartiality. My proposition is that, in ambiguous situations (such as the trolley problem), any solution within the range of ambiguity should be deemed acceptable, and judgement should be left exclusively to the parties involved. There is no reason to bother resolving these extremely niche dilemmas when most real-world problems have clearly preferable courses of action, or at least courses of action which are clearly less preferable.

[@MrBrickTrades]

This is one of my favorite videos from you, well done!

[@drbeganyi]

This was fascinating! I'd totally watch the 2hr version.

[@pyraoticd3694]

im doing a presentation for my bio-ethics class on metaethics and informed risk taking/blasphemy and this video was extremely helpful. instant subscribe

[@VAVORiAL]

Get rid of the baby. More peace, more quiet, less responsibilities. I see this as an absolute win.

[@Lilblubirdie]

😂💀💀💀💀

[@BigLettuce07]

Real

[@ei-on4eb]

thats evil

[@Liz_360]

😭

[@POWWizard323]

"Kids who have never seen peace and kids who have never seen war have different values. Those who stand at the top determine what's right and what's wrong."

[@Bruh-ye7dg]

Morality is a skill issue

[@ArcheryLuna]

Based

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

Based

[@jazdigance6403]

2:26 "you and you and you" little bit surreal to actually be addressed by a recording of a person with hundreds of thousands of viewers 10:22 "mentioning Oppenheimer is how we get devil's advocates to listen, so it's for the greater good" I see what you did there! I recently finished reading a book called A Canticle For Leibowitz, which was all about the legacy of nuclear war and written by a former aircraft gunner who participated in the accidental bombing of civilians in a suspected German outpost. While I'd already reached my opinion on nukes, reading it really helped to clarify in my mind just how disastrous their employment would be. I don't know about Soviet policy but I'm aware Western/Anglosphere media likes to tout them as having brought world peace through mutually assured destruction. All it seems to have done is shift the goalpost for what scale a war should be, which the great peacebringers across the Atlantic responded to by inventing (or popularising) proxy wars. The attitude is really "If you tear down my house I'll tear down yours and it'll end in rubble, so let's go fight in someone else's garden". *They're still fighting*. No one wants to disarm their nukes first because they don't truly trust everybody else not to take advantage of their display of good faith, and this void of trust is why mass armament was a mistake to begin with. 22:52 This whole thing about how people will make rush judgements using the moral framework they've developed up to that point and the information on hand, leading to judgement that's as flexible as the information and as rigid as the framework, has landed me in hot water with friends and acquaintances before. I've made some shitty decisions and mistakes in the past, and been judged by others in a way I find to be unfair when a therapist or my best friend has helped balance out the context. As a result, I place the line between "questionable" and "bad" in an unconventional place, and provide what many people I speak to see as too much leeway when discussing news of the actions of mutual friends or Hollywood celebrities. It's even led to a situation where somebody I lived with was constantly stressing me out with their behaviour and between my outbursts of vented frustration, I'd kinda wrestle internally over how I shouldn't hate them (or even that they weren't truly responsible) because there were factors I wasn't considering. If you flip the flowchart of my thinking process for this, you might understand the comment I made that was used near the start of the video, too. I'm aware that en masse people will see "smothered baby to evade killer" in a headline and respond with a flurry of things like "there were two killers" or "should have offered their life for the baby". It would take the time and patience they might not want to spend, to hear the would-be victim describe the absolute carnage they'd have done anything to get away from, or to listen to an explanation of how people will pretty much do anything when the situation becomes life-or-death. That's why I'd take their time and patience into the evaluation of whether someone should smother the baby; imagine going through hell on earth and then getting forced to relive it every day via harassment in your inbox, punished for an impossible choice.

[@lobo_melancolico]

It's really important to me, as a Brazilian, to see Paulo Freire being quoted in foreigner videos like this. Lots of people in my country don't give the recognition that he deserves. That beind said, it was an amazing video, thank you and keep up the good work you always do.

[@PedroTorres-ky2yx]

Your pfp + opinion on Paulo Freire = enough said.

[@dav5051]

I didnt expect to see Paulo Freire cited!! Brazilians (like me) watching this are probably happy to see him cited on an foreigner channel on youtube! You should totally do an 2h video about pure theory, your diction is so nice that I would easily watch the video. :^)

[@srkbhayo]

I feel like I gain few IQ points and become smarter after watching your videos. Is it just me ?

[@-zorkaz-5493]

Yes. (But one does become wiser.)

[@madscientist.]

This comment illegally under liked

[@howlrichard1028]

Yes, only you. The chosen one.

[@nhazulmelo9268]

Nothing but opinions................Noooothing............but........... Opinions

[@xa_nder]

useless comment

[@nhazulmelo9268]

@@xa_nder you wouldn't understand child. "Nothing but opinions to a loatsome dungeater"

[@xa_nder]

@@nhazulmelo9268 this is so corny, you’re embarrassing yourself

[@nhazulmelo9268]

@@xa_nderChild hoooo child "Common sense is like deodorant"

[@xa_nder]

@@nhazulmelo9268 ironic

[@LeoDaV]

Thank you for creating this type of content. I find it so valuable, every time you upload it’s an automatic click as already know it’s going to be excellent and that, I’ll learn something new

[@brookie2563]

YES A NEW OLISUNIVA POST! I always look forward to these 🎉🎉

[@calmkat9032]

12:00 Considering a certain goal to be the main point we strive for, and that turning ethics into something scientific, is a great point. I used to consider the maximization of human happiness to be the objective truth of the goal of ethics. While I personally like this, I've realized recently that I was limiting my moral imagination, specifically after I discovered something called, "non-cognitivism," where moral truths that are ALWAYS true don't exist (or, in a stronger case, that calling a moral statement a 'fact' is meaningless).

[@nimayravi9162]

I absolutely loved this video! I'm about to finish my Masters in Social Work and I'm currently taking an ethics course. You made it much easier to understand concepts explained in class and introduced new concepts I had never heard of! I really hope you're able to make a few more videos on ethics if you have time! Good luck with your channel!

[@juku_juku]

Essentially, the imagined solution to a moral dilemma is defined and affixed by one's personal bias. This is not only limited to the imagined solution, but the perceived dilemma itself. Just like how Olivia has a bias against men, and her only satisfiable imagined solution is forcing Chris to "talk" to his friend about whatever she wishes. Olivia saw no other path to her individualistic image of the world, apart from one where Chris confronts his friend because "the world would be a better place if men talked to their problematic buddies." I've heard this narrative, and I'm tired of it. Olivia's bias doesn't allow her to see that her vision of the world is unrealistic. She didn't take into account that men have strict rules to uphold when in camaraderie with other men (this dynamic, obviously different from how women interact with one another), and that Chris could've lied about his relationship with his friend due to them not being as close as she perceived. In Olivia's world, the idea of not serving the self is "revolutionary" to a man. While in reality, a dogmatic faction of women coerce men into having these discussions to better serve their own agendas. If Chris's friend is bad, more than likely, all Chris can do is leave the friendship. Olivia perceives that "only a man can change Chris's friend's mind," but whom is he infatuated with? Women. Chris's friend is autonomous, he has to want to change. The only thing that can change this dynamic is a societal emphasis on protections men need in society; men whom are gender conscious. However, Olivia doesn't want this. In Olivia's mind; men are what is wrong with the world. Just like to a capitalist, communism is what's wrong with the world. Just like to a religious zealot, heathenism is what's wrong with the world. However, if one tries to understand what makes the man, communist, and heathen believe or behave the way they do, success is much more likely. It's simple empathy, which Olivia lacks for the entire male gender for some reason. Have patience, and try to expand your concept of what is right and wrong, rather than working from a fixed point, Olivia.

[@pikmina]

as a brazilian i LOVE when i hear the youtubers i love talking about paulo freire ❤ i mean, talking nice, academic things etc. not calling him a commie and trying to end the conversation as happens here in brazil a lot of the time

[@yassmineayachi8264]

thank you so much , you are one of the few youtubers that i really find so intresting in there way of explaining the subject of the video .

[@yoyoyuqi1320]

21:37 is one of my fav parts sm

[@angrytroutfish696]

It’s crazy that in these moral dilemmas we just accept the extreme conditions that are set. Then those justifications can be used to OK torture in much less extreme circumstances. I really liked when you brought up the point about the owl that really helped me to see what you were talking about. there’s information that’s obvious that if we don’t consider it can you change our whole view. It all reminds me of a riddle I like to ask people. With as few coins as possible, how do you get to 19 cents.

[@davidtvavila5743]

Great video, I was just watching a video about moral ethics the other day, and this opens up the door to even more different ideas I didn't know were there.

[@newphonewhodis5707]

absolutely love your videos, they always show new aspects to consider in my life and decision making processes

[@pangolimazul6055]

Paulo Freire is a very underapreciated writer. If you ever decide to talk more about education he would make a perfect starting point

[@birdwaveracing9]

Years ago I might have thought there was a pragmatic answer. As a father the serial killer can come try their luck.

[@ndoman]

i like the mention that Hiroshima was not a simple trolley problem and much more context and analysis is necessary for that issue

[@jpurser55]

I really enjoyed this video. I often exercise thoughts and scenarios in my head without really understanding what I'm actually doing. Hearing you break it down and give context to my own thought processes is really helpful. thank you

[@principal-videojuegos6666]

well i am bit late to this, but your channel is the most interesting media source that i found today and in past weeks in youtube. If you did a 2 hour video, i would for sure watch it multiple times. It has been more than 6 years since in engaged in a moral discussion with myself and i am feeling quite pleased right now.

[@DOMinatorxXx42]

If a person knows and understands natural law, there is no moral dilemma a person can not answer or get through correctly.

[@dani.mp4777]

that's why i like to listen to podcasts and watch movies and read/listen to books, it helps me see perspectives i never would've thought of otherwise

[@3rose]

This was great, definitely always appreciate when anyone gives me the excuse to consume more diverse art/media/books! "I'm just trying to exercise and expand my moral imagination!" 10/10 justification, thank you! xD

[@niknamed5827]

The rock to mountain analogy was so cool to hear because I always had a similar one that would make me think. When I was eating fries from McDonald’s I thought “at what point would I call this container full.” I used this analogy in two ways tho as I viewed it as a representation that every fry (like the rocks) needed to be there to be full. This established a weird thing where it helped me value each individual even if I only knew them as a collective. On the other side the answer is completely subjective and helped me a lot when I was younger to better understand the idea of subjectivity and helped me learn that their are very few absolutes in this world. Sorry long comment but it was really cool to hear a thought that was similar to what I thought about when I was a kid