Examining Ethics

About Examining Ethics

Examining Ethics is an ethics podcast produced by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. Everybody wrestles with questions about ethics. Some of those questions are easy to figure out. Should I murder someone? No! But other questions are more difficult to answer. Examining Ethics doesn’t provide answers to these ethical dilemmas, but instead leaves listeners with tools and ideas from some of the biggest names in moral philosophy and ethics. Academic philosophy and ethics can sometimes be difficult to understand, and our accessible, open-minded content bridges the gap between scholars and everyone else. Examining Ethics is hosted and produced by Christiane Wisehart.

Publisher

Prindle Institute

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Aug 2015

Latest episode

14 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

99 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Erik Kenyon: Philosophy at the Gym

   When you picture philosophy, you probably picture dusty books, not a weight room full of teenagers. In the latest episode, Alex talks with philosopher Erik Kenyon (Friends Academy) about his book Philosophy at the Gymnasium, which traces how Greek moral philosophy grew directly out of athletic training. In Athens, the gym wasn't just a place to build strength. It was a hub for civic and moral education, where competition, discipline, and the pursuit of virtue went hand in hand. The conversation asks what sports culture can still teach us about moral growth, and what it might mean to train for virtue the way we train for a heavy lift.

2. 

   1 Jul 2026

   Jake Monaghan: Just Policing

   Policing sits at the center of some of our most heated debates about justice, power, and public safety. In the first episode of Season 11, Alex talks with philosopher Jake Monaghan (University of Southern California) about his new book Just Policing. Monaghan makes the case that policing, done right, is not just permissible but morally necessary, even as he confronts its very real capacity for harm and abuse. Drawing on his research into the political philosophy of cities and his hands-on work with police reform and reentry programs, he pushes back against calls to abolish or radically defund police, while still taking seriously the demand for accountability, restraint, and reform.

3. 

   2 Jun 2025

   Barry Lam: The Case for Discretion

   Philosopher Barry Lam discusses his book, which argues that fewer rules and more discretion can lead to fairer outcomes, while Alex explores the risks of bias and the need for accountability in this interview.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

16,347

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

4.8 / 5

15 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

15

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

51

Contact Examining Ethics

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.