Agora Podcasts

  • Welcome
  • TRUTH AND REALITY, Podcast #1, audio: Does it Matter?
    • TRUTH AND REALITY PODCAST #2, audio, Persuasion >
      • TRUTH AND REALITY, PODCAST #3, audio: Universal Truth >
        • Script #1: Does it Matter?
        • Truth and Reality Podcast #2 script: Persuasion
        • Truth and Reality Script #3—PDF
  • Education for Democracy
    • 1. Reason in Science and the Humanities
    • 2. Laboratories of the Soul
    • 3. THE ART OF DIALECTIC
  • Podcast Scripts
    • Podcast #1: Reason in Science and the Humanities
    • Podcast #2: Laboratories of the Soul
    • Podcast #3: The Art of Dialectic
    • Podcast #4: Reason and the Art of Life
  • Podcast Archives
    • Ethics in a Democracy >
      • 1. Ethics in a Democracy (30 minutes)
      • 2. Ethics and Religion, Part 1 (27 minutes)
      • 3. Ethics and Religion, Part 2 (22 minutes)
      • 4. Democracy vs. Oligarchy (26 minutes)
      • 5. Morality (26 minutes)
      • 6. Universal Moral Law (26 minutes)
      • 7. The Enlightenment (24 minutes)
      • 8. Rethinking Immanuel Kant (29 minutes)
      • 9. Minimal Morality (30 minutes)
    • World Community >
      • 1. Roots of Community (33 minutes)
      • 2. The Rise of Nationalism (32 minutes) >
        • ETHICS IN A DEMOCRACY >
          • Podcast #1: What is Democracy?
          • Truth and Reality Podcast #1, script: Does it Matter?
          • Podcast #2: Ethics and Religion, Part 1
          • Podcast #3: Ethics and Religion, Part 2
          • Podcast #4: Democracy vs. Oligarchy
          • Podcast #5: Morality
          • Podcast #6: Universal Moral Law
          • Podcast #7: The Enlightenment
          • Podcast #8: Rethinking Immanuel Kant
          • Podcast #9: Minimal Morality
      • 3. Truth, Reality, and the Growth of Empire (30 minutes)
      • 4. The Future of the American Empire (30 minutes)
      • 5. Ethical and Political Foundations of Community (33 minutes)
      • 6. The Dilemma of Nationalism (30 minutes)
      • 7. Postmodern Politics (31 minutes)
      • 8. Universal Values for a World Community (29 minutes)
      • 9. The Cosmopolitan Idea (32 minutes)
      • 10. Using the Cosmopolitan Idea (25 minutes)
      • 11. Swords and Plowshares (44 minutes)
    • Human Nature >
      • 1. Evolution and Genetics (24 minutes)
      • 2. Artificial Intelligence (23 minutes): Minds and Machines
      • 3: Artificial Intelligence
      • 4. Human Values (22 minutes)
      • 5. Managing Happiness (28 minutes)
      • 6. The Meaning of Life ((28 minutes)
      • 7. Recycling Souls (29 minutes)
      • 8. Manifesting Mind (31 minutes)
      • 9. Mind and Matter (28 minutes)
      • 10. Ideas and Human Nature (37 minutes)
    • Podcast Scripts >
      • HUMAN NATURE >
        • Podcast #1: Evolution and Genetics
        • Podcast #2: Minds and Machines
        • Podcast #3: Human Values
        • Podcast #4: Artificial Intelligence
        • Podcast #5: Managing Happiness
        • Podcast #6: The Meaning of Life
        • Podcast #7: Recycling Souls
        • Podcast #8: Manifesting Mind
        • Podcast #9: Mind and Matter
        • Podcast #10: Ideas and Human Nature
      • WORLD COMMUNITY >
        • Podcast #1: The Roots of Community
        • Podcast #2: The Rise of Nationalism in the Modern World
        • Podcast #3: Truth, Reality, and the Growth of Empire
        • Podcast #4: The Future of the American Empire
        • Podcast #5: Ethical and Political Foundations of Community
        • Podcast #6: The Dilemma of Nationalism in the Modern World
        • Podcast #7: Postmodern Politics
        • Podcast #8: Universal Values for a World Community
        • Podcast #9: The Cosmopolitan Idea
        • Podcast #10: Using the Cosmopolitan Idea
        • Podcast #11: Swords and Plowshares: A Bold Proposal
    • TEXTS AND DOCUMENTS >
      • Reason and the Art of Life, 2014
      • Why Dialogue?
      • Logical Reasoning
      • Declarations of Freedom and Human Dignity >
        • Declaration of Independence
        • Bill of Rights
        • Rights of Man and Citizens
        • Statute of Religious Freedom
        • Declaration of Sentiments
        • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
        • Rights of the Child
        • Rio Declaration on Environment
      • About Agora >
        • Contact Agora
  • Link Page
  • Welcome
  • TRUTH AND REALITY, Podcast #1, audio: Does it Matter?
    • TRUTH AND REALITY PODCAST #2, audio, Persuasion >
      • TRUTH AND REALITY, PODCAST #3, audio: Universal Truth >
        • Script #1: Does it Matter?
        • Truth and Reality Podcast #2 script: Persuasion
        • Truth and Reality Script #3—PDF
  • Education for Democracy
    • 1. Reason in Science and the Humanities
    • 2. Laboratories of the Soul
    • 3. THE ART OF DIALECTIC
  • Podcast Scripts
    • Podcast #1: Reason in Science and the Humanities
    • Podcast #2: Laboratories of the Soul
    • Podcast #3: The Art of Dialectic
    • Podcast #4: Reason and the Art of Life
  • Podcast Archives
    • Ethics in a Democracy >
      • 1. Ethics in a Democracy (30 minutes)
      • 2. Ethics and Religion, Part 1 (27 minutes)
      • 3. Ethics and Religion, Part 2 (22 minutes)
      • 4. Democracy vs. Oligarchy (26 minutes)
      • 5. Morality (26 minutes)
      • 6. Universal Moral Law (26 minutes)
      • 7. The Enlightenment (24 minutes)
      • 8. Rethinking Immanuel Kant (29 minutes)
      • 9. Minimal Morality (30 minutes)
    • World Community >
      • 1. Roots of Community (33 minutes)
      • 2. The Rise of Nationalism (32 minutes) >
        • ETHICS IN A DEMOCRACY >
          • Podcast #1: What is Democracy?
          • Truth and Reality Podcast #1, script: Does it Matter?
          • Podcast #2: Ethics and Religion, Part 1
          • Podcast #3: Ethics and Religion, Part 2
          • Podcast #4: Democracy vs. Oligarchy
          • Podcast #5: Morality
          • Podcast #6: Universal Moral Law
          • Podcast #7: The Enlightenment
          • Podcast #8: Rethinking Immanuel Kant
          • Podcast #9: Minimal Morality
      • 3. Truth, Reality, and the Growth of Empire (30 minutes)
      • 4. The Future of the American Empire (30 minutes)
      • 5. Ethical and Political Foundations of Community (33 minutes)
      • 6. The Dilemma of Nationalism (30 minutes)
      • 7. Postmodern Politics (31 minutes)
      • 8. Universal Values for a World Community (29 minutes)
      • 9. The Cosmopolitan Idea (32 minutes)
      • 10. Using the Cosmopolitan Idea (25 minutes)
      • 11. Swords and Plowshares (44 minutes)
    • Human Nature >
      • 1. Evolution and Genetics (24 minutes)
      • 2. Artificial Intelligence (23 minutes): Minds and Machines
      • 3: Artificial Intelligence
      • 4. Human Values (22 minutes)
      • 5. Managing Happiness (28 minutes)
      • 6. The Meaning of Life ((28 minutes)
      • 7. Recycling Souls (29 minutes)
      • 8. Manifesting Mind (31 minutes)
      • 9. Mind and Matter (28 minutes)
      • 10. Ideas and Human Nature (37 minutes)
    • Podcast Scripts >
      • HUMAN NATURE >
        • Podcast #1: Evolution and Genetics
        • Podcast #2: Minds and Machines
        • Podcast #3: Human Values
        • Podcast #4: Artificial Intelligence
        • Podcast #5: Managing Happiness
        • Podcast #6: The Meaning of Life
        • Podcast #7: Recycling Souls
        • Podcast #8: Manifesting Mind
        • Podcast #9: Mind and Matter
        • Podcast #10: Ideas and Human Nature
      • WORLD COMMUNITY >
        • Podcast #1: The Roots of Community
        • Podcast #2: The Rise of Nationalism in the Modern World
        • Podcast #3: Truth, Reality, and the Growth of Empire
        • Podcast #4: The Future of the American Empire
        • Podcast #5: Ethical and Political Foundations of Community
        • Podcast #6: The Dilemma of Nationalism in the Modern World
        • Podcast #7: Postmodern Politics
        • Podcast #8: Universal Values for a World Community
        • Podcast #9: The Cosmopolitan Idea
        • Podcast #10: Using the Cosmopolitan Idea
        • Podcast #11: Swords and Plowshares: A Bold Proposal
    • TEXTS AND DOCUMENTS >
      • Reason and the Art of Life, 2014
      • Why Dialogue?
      • Logical Reasoning
      • Declarations of Freedom and Human Dignity >
        • Declaration of Independence
        • Bill of Rights
        • Rights of Man and Citizens
        • Statute of Religious Freedom
        • Declaration of Sentiments
        • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
        • Rights of the Child
        • Rio Declaration on Environment
      • About Agora >
        • Contact Agora
  • Link Page
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Minimal Morality (Click title to play podcast)

Contemporary forms of democracy suffer from ethical theories that try to include too much. This series of podcasts concludes by focusing on John Stuart Mill's view of liberty that leads to a minimal view of ethics in a democracy. Although all human individuals and all human societies that seek to be moral must follow a single universal moral principle, most people try to manifest many other values in their lives. Economic, aesthetic, religious, and cognitive values all play an important role in human life, but it is a mistake to seek a utopia that incorporates all values in a single society. Mill, following Plato and Kant, urges us to reduce moral demands to what is truly mandatory and beyond that to give people the freedom to create their lives according their own best judgment. The value of peace serves as a final example of a value that can only be achieved by political means that are simultaneously faithful to the universal moral law.

This podcast includes excerpts from philosophical texts and performances published by Agora Publications. Please visit the Agora Website to view descriptions and samples of the complete works.