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Ethics Untangled

Jim Baxter

Ethics Untangled is a series of conversations about the ethical issues that affect all of us, with academics who have spent some time thinking about them. 


Ethics Untangled is also the long-form online presence of IDEA, edited by Danielle Bromwich and Luke Brunning, where we make room for longer interviews, staff and student profiles, articles and other forms of content.


Both are brought to you by IDEA, the Ethics Centre, a specialist unit for teaching, research, training and consultancy in Applied Ethics at the University of Leeds. IDEA offers Masters programmes in Healthcare Ethics and Applied and Professional Ethics, research degrees and consultancy services.


The Ethics Untangled podcast is edited by Mark Smith at Leeds Media Services. 
Music is by Kate Wood.

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  • 20 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 44 min
  • English

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  • September 21 · 48 min

    67. Is structural injustice a thing? With Sonny Kim

    Send us Fan Mail The idea of structural injustice - broadly, injustice that results from social structures rather than from the wrongdoing of individuals - is something that has a lot of currency nowadays, but it presents a bit of an ethical puzzle. Basically the puzzle is this: if it doesn't involve wrongdoing by anyone, then in what way is it injustice, but if it does involve wrongdoing by people, in what way is it structural? Sonny Kim is a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. In this conversation, he lays out the dilemma a bit more clearly than I've just done, and tells me how he thinks it can be resolved, making sense of the idea of structural injustice and showing where responsibility for it lies. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • September 7 · 47 min

    66. Should we be worried about voice synthesis? With Matilde Nanni

    Send us Fan Mail One of the many technological advances that have been made in recent years is the ability of computers to synthesise people's voices to a very high standard. Voice synthesis can produce new, entirely synthetic voices, but it can also reproduce the voices of real people, to the point where it's difficult if not impossible to tell the synthetic voice apart from the real one. Matilde Nanni, who is based at the University of Inland Norway in Lillehammer, thinks voice donors, i.e. people whose voices are used to train voice synthesis software, can sometimes be harmed through this process in ways we should be concerned about. Here are a few links to recent papers on the topic recommended by Matilde: Berkowitz, A. E., & Sweeney, M. E. (2025). Look Who’s Talking: Voice cloning as tension point between identity and data. Philosophy & Technology, 38(4), 131. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-025-00965-7 Berkowitz, A. E., & Sweeney, M. E. (2026). Simulating Voice and the Simulacra of Voice Clones. Philosophy & Technology, 39(1), 4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-025-01027-8 Leuenberger, M. (2025). The role of the voice for identity and implications for voice cloning technology. Philosophy & Technology, 38(4), 175. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-025-00969-3 Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • July 20 · 42 min

    65. Is it wrong to procreate when there are children who need adoptive parents? With Giuli Cavaliere

    Send us Fan Mail There are many children in the world who either do not have parents, or do not have parents who can look after them, and who would benefit greatly from being placed with adoptive families. Some ethicists have argued that this state of affairs means that procreation is impermissible - we should not bring more children into the world when there are children we could adopt instead. In this conversation I talk to Giuli Cavaliere, Lecturer in Engaged Philosophy at University College London, who has written about this question, and also about the related question of whether states should fund assisted procreation, again when adoption exists as an alternative. Giuli recommends this paper for an opposing view to hers: Rulli, Tina (2016). Preferring a Genetically-Related Child. Journal of Moral Philosophy 13 (6):669-698. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • July 6 · 47 min

    64. Should we dispose of bodies in a more environmentally friendly way? With Sarah Carter-Walshaw

    Send us Fan Mail Content warning: This episode contains frank discussion of death and of various forms of body disposal, which some might find distressing. Sarah Carter-Walshaw, Lecturer in Applied and Inter-Disciplinary Ethics at IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, has been thinking about the ethics of what happens to us after we die. The problem is that the current most popular methods of body disposal - cremation and burial, aren't very environmentally friendly. The good news is that other, greener methods are available. The bad news is that, so far at least, these haven’t really caught on. In this conversation we discuss why not, as well as the ethical question of whether we have an obligation to consider these forms of body disposal for ourselves. Sarah is holding a virtual workshop on body disposal ethics at IDEA: The Ethics Centre, University of Leeds on 9 July 2026. Register for free here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/4RXPASJpiW. Further Reading: Balonier, AK, Parsons, E, & Patterson, A. The unnaturalness of natural burials: dispossessing the dispossessed. Mortality. 24(2), pp.212–230 Booth, R. 2023. The Guardian: 'Boil in the bag’ environmentally friendly funerals arrive in the UK. Darwall, Stephen. 2017. “What Are Moral Reasons?” The Amherst Lecture in Philosophy 12: 1–24. Dembosky, A. 2024. NPR: The ultimate green burial? Human composting lets you replenish the earth after death. Mason, A. 2023. What’s Wrong with Lookism? Personal Appearance, Discrimination, and Disadvantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.​ Rieder, TN & Bernstein, J. 2020. The Case of ‘Contributory Ethics’: Or How to Think about Individual Morality in a Time of Global Problems. Ethics, Policy & Environment. 23(3), pp.299-319. ​ Schafer, C (2012) Corpses, conflict and insignificance? A critical analysis of post-mortem practices. Mortality. 17(4), pp.305-321. ​ Schwenkenbecher, A. 2014. Is there an obligation to reduce one’s individual carbon footprint? Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy. 17(2), pp.168-188. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • June 15 · 44 min

    63. Should we stop keeping pets? With Angie Pepper and Richard Healey

    Send us Fan Mail Is it ever morally acceptable to keep pets? While most of us take pet-keeping for granted and think of it as a source of affection, companionship, and care, it is possible to see it very differently. Angie Pepper and Richard Healey argue that pet-keeping is not simply a private choice, but a socio-political institution that raises deep questions about power, control, and harm. In our conversation, I ask them to explain and defend their view that keeping pets is morally impermissible, and to explore what alternatives might look like for our relationships with animals. A short, accessible version of Angie and Richard's paper is here: https://iai.tv/articles/the-unjust-power-dynamics-of-pet-ownership-auid-3518 Another of their papers is here: Healey, Richard, and Angie Pepper. "Interspecies justice: agency, self-determination, and assent", Philosophical Studies 178.4 (2021): 1223-1243. Work with an opposing view: Cochrane, Alasdair (2009). Do animals have an interest in liberty? Political Studies, 57(3), 660–679. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2008.00742.x Cochrane, Alasdair (2014). Born in chains? The ethics of animal domestication. In Lori Gruen (Ed.), The Ethics of Captivity (156–173). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A general intro to the ethics of pet keeping (also with an opposing view): Palmer, Clare and T. J. Kasperbauer (2022). Companion animals. In Benjamin Hale, Andrew Light and Lydia Lawhon (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Environmental Ethics (343–354). London: Routledge. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • June 1 · 54 min

    62. Can organisations be trustworthy? With Matt Clark

    Send us Fan Mail Can organisations themselves be trustworthy, or is trustworthiness only a quality of individuals? This question matters for how we think about public institutions, businesses, and charities – and about the responsibilities they bear when people rely on them. Philosopher Matt Clark joins me to unpack what trustworthiness means, what kind of control and awareness an organisation would need in order to count as trustworthy, and why values matter in this context. Along the way, we discuss examples such as the Metropolitan Police and sketch what a genuinely trustworthy organisation might look like. Here's what Matt suggested for further reading: Katherine Hawley. 2017. 'Trustworthy Groups & Organisations.' In P. Faulkner & T. W. Simpson (eds.), The Philosophy of Trust (Oxford University Press) https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198732549.003.0014 Matt Bennett. 'Trusting Groups.' Philosophical Psychology, 37:1, 196-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2023.2179478 C. Thi Nguyen. 2022. 'Trust as an Unquestioning Attitude.' In Tamar Szabó Gendler (ed.), Oxford Studies in Epistemology, Vol. 7 (Oxford University Press) https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192868978.003.0007 Hawley expresses scepticism about the possibility of trust in groups, Bennett provides a different argument to Matt's on why trusting groups is acceptable, and Nguyen is referenced by Matt in the podcast as having a different view of trust. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • May 18 · 43 min

    61. Do we really react emotionally to AI? With Rebecca Wallbank

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re asking whether people can really have genuine emotional reactions to artificial intelligence. Many of us already feel things towards AIs – whether that’s frustration with a chatbot, affection for a companion robot, or even comfort in talking to a virtual assistant – but should we take these emotions seriously? Philosopher Rebecca Wallbank joins me to explore what counts as a ‘genuine’ emotion, whether our responses to AI differ from our responses to fiction, and what it means to say that these emotions might be profound. Together, we’ll consider whether there’s anything irrational about these reactions, and what their significance might be for our emotional lives in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Here's Rebecca's paper on the topic: https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/59762/chapter-abstract/508607528?redirectedFrom=fulltext Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • May 4 · 48 min

    60. How should long covid change how we think about disability? With Élaina Gauthier-Mamaril

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re looking at the ethics of long COVID and the ways it is reshaping how we think about disability, care, and community. Long COVID has left millions of people living with chronic symptoms, often without adequate medical or state support. Philosopher Élaina Gauthier-Mamaril joins me to talk about her project, which uses podcasting not only to share stories but also as a disability-centred research method, archiving the knowledge and resilience of disabled communities. We’ll explore ideas such as “disability doulas”, the legacy of HIV activism, and what needs to change in how we respond to disability in the wake of COVID. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • April 20 · 50 min

    59. How should we care for people living with dementia? With Matilda Carter

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I'm talking to Matilda Carter, a lecturer in Applied Ethics at IDEA The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, about the ethics of dementia care, and asking what justice requires for people living with dementia. In her book, Relating to People Living with Dementia as Equals, Matilda argues that the way we think of and treat people living with dementia raises issues concerning power, stigma, and the structures of care. Drawing on a relational conception of justice, Matilda examines how domination and oppression can shape the lives of people with dementia, and why we should recognise their capacity to live authentically. We’ll also discuss advance directives, secure care, and what a more just system of dementia care might look like. Some further reading and other links recommended by Matilda: Self-advocacy books: Christine Bryden, Will I Still Be Me? Kate Swaffer, What the Hell Happened to My Brain? Wendy Mitchell, Somebody I Used to Know Richard Taylor, Alzheimer’s From the Inside Out Critical Dementia Studies (an edited collection that includes some chapters by self-advocates) Organisations supporting self-advocacy work: Dementia Alliance International Alzheimer’s Disease International Sources discussed in the interview: Ronald Dworkin, Life’s Dominion Iris Marion Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference Andrew Firlik, “Margo’s Logo” Rebecca Dresser, “Dworkin on Dementia” Agnieszka Jaworska, “Respecting the Margins of Agency” Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • April 6 · 54 min

    58. Do we need to rethink competence to consent? With Danielle Bromwich

    Send us Fan Mail In medical ethics, competence (sometimes called decision-making capacity) refers to a person’s ability to make informed choices about their own healthcare. It is a central concept because respect for patient autonomy depends on the patient being able to understand, evaluate, and communicate decisions about treatment. Danielle Bromwich is a medical ethicist at the University of Leeds. In a paper co-written with Joseph Millum from the University of St Andrews, she argues that the way medical ethics has treated competence has been mistaken, that ethicists have been conflating two distinct concepts, and that this confusion has the potential to lead to bad decisions being made about patient care. We also explore the implications her account has for other domains in which we give and refuse consent, such as sexual relations. The paper we discuss in this episode is available here. Danielle and Joseph have also written a book about consent, which is available here. There will be a further episode of Ethics Untangled featuring Danielle soon in which we talk about the book and the ethics of consent more broadly. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • March 16 · 42 min

    57. Does AI mean we need to change our concept of moral responsibility? With Enrico Galvagni and Fabio Tollon

    Send us Fan Mail People who think and write about the ethics of artificial intelligence sometimes talk about a 'responsibility gap'. The thought is that there are instances of harm resulting from the use of AI systems where it's difficult or impossible to know who or what should be held responsible. Some have further argued that the existence of this gap shows that our current concept of moral responsibility is not fit for purpose, and that we need to change it through a process which philosophers sometimes call 'conceptual engineering'. Enrico Galvagni and Fabio Tollon, both based at the University of Edinburgh, have an interesting contribution to make to this debate - they do think we need to engage in conceptual engineering, but they are interested in whether, and how, the concept of moral responsibility can be preserved, rather than changed. Enrico and Fabio's paper on the topic is here: Engineering responsibility in the age of AI: amelioration or preservation? Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • March 2 · 38 min

    56. Does drill rap cause violence? With Tareeq Jalloh

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re diving into the ethics of drill rap - a genre that has been celebrated for its creativity and authenticity but also heavily criticised for its alleged links to violence. Drill is often portrayed as uniquely dangerous, and some have called for it to be censored. Philosopher, and Beacon Junior Research Fellow at University College Oxford, Tareeq Jalloh, joins me to get underneath the discourse around drill. We discuss what the evidence shows about drill's supposed role as a cause of violence, as well as the wider social and racial dimensions of the controversy. Together, we’ll ask what’s really at stake when society debates the ethics of drill. Tareeq's paper on the subject is here: T. Jalloh, “ Does Drill Rap Cause Violence, and, Even if it Does, Should it Be Censored?,” Philosophy & Public Affairs (2026): 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1111/papa.70015. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • February 16 · 38 min

    55. Should pornography be authentic? With Rosa Vince

    Send us Fan Mail Content note: This episode discusses pornography in an academic context, focusing on ethical and philosophical arguments. Feminist critiques of pornography have a long history and take many different forms. One influential line of critique focuses on claims about authenticity and the suggestion that certain forms of representation may be ethically problematic, particularly for women. In response, some producers and commentators have argued for the value of ‘authentic’ pornography, appealing to a mixture of ethical and aesthetic considerations and sometimes blurring the distinction between the two. In this episode, Rosa Vince, a philosopher based at IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, examines these arguments and explains why they find the ethical case for authenticity in pornography unconvincing. The discussion explores questions about representation, discrimination and harm. Some further reading recommended by Rosa: Willis, Ellen. 2014. “Feminism Moralism and Pornography.” In The Essential Ellen Willis, edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz, 94–101. University Of Minnesota Press. Taormino, Tristan. 2013. “Calling the Shots: Feminist Porn in Theory and Practice” in The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure edited by Tristan Taormino, Celine Parreñas Shimizu, Constance Penley, Mireille Miller-Young. The Feminist Press Rooster, Hello. 2021. “From Victim to Activist: The Road to Ethical Porn” in We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival, edited by Natalie West with Tina Horn. Feminist Press. 148–154. Mac, Juno, Hello Rooster, Misha Mayfair, and Lina Bembe. 2019. “Aesthetics vs Ethics: Expanding Definitions of Feminist Porn.” In A Decriminalised Future: Sex Workers’ Festival of Resistance. Recording available at: https://decriminalisedfutures.org/aesthetics-vs-ethics-expanding-definitions-of-feminist-porn Macleod, P J. 2021.“How feminists pick porn: Troubling the link between ‘authenticity’ and production ethics” in Sexualities Volume 24, Issue 4. Gallant, Chanelle. 2017. “Why I Started The Feminist Porn Awards 10 Years Ago” Huffpost. Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-i-started-the-feminist-porn-awards-ten-years-ago_b_587559afe4b0f8a725448343 Crutcher, Emily E. 2015. ““She’s Totally Faking it!”: The Politics of Authentic Female Pleasure in Pornography” in New Views on Pornography: Sexuality, Politics, and the Law ed. Lynn Comella and Shira Tarrant. Praeger. Pp.319-334 Berg, Heather. “Porn Work, Feminist Critique, and the Market for Authenticity.” Signs, Spring 2017, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Spring 2017), pp. 669-692 Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • February 2 · 39 min

    54. Do we need more time? With Lisa Herzog

    Send us Fan Mail Lisa Herzog is Professor of Philosophy at the Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The subject of this conversation is time, not in the abstract but how much of it we have, and what we might choose to do with it. We start by discussing whether people in general are lacking in free time. And then we move on to why it might be important to try to give people more time, not just for their own health and happiness, but also because of the costs to society and democracy of people being too time-poor. At the end, we get onto some specific policy measures that might help. The conversation is based on a chapter of Lisa's latest book, which you can get here. Some links to further reading as mentioned in the conversation: Diminished Democracy: From Membership to Management in American Civic Life by Theda Skocpol. Anderson, E. (2025). Local Knowledge in Institutional Epistemology1. Australasian Philosophical Review, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/24740500.2024.2422551 Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • January 19 · 44 min

    53. How should social media platforms regulate AI-generated content? With Jeffrey Howard

    Send us Fan Mail AI-generated content is a familiar and increasingly prevalent feature of social media. Users post text, video, audio and images which have been created by AI, sometimes being clear that this is what they're doing, sometimes not. This isn’t always a problem, but some ways of using AI-generated content do raise significant dangers. So do social media platforms need to have policies in place specifically to deal with this form of content? Jeffrey Howard is professor of political philosophy and public policy at University College London. In a paper co-authored with Sarah Fisher and Beatriz Kira, he argues that policies that target AI-generated content specifically aren't necessary or helpful. It was great to get the chance to talk to him about why he thinks this, and how platforms should moderate this type of content without shutting down valuable free speech. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • January 5 · 37 min

    52. Should we all be activists? With Josh Hobbs

    Send us Fan Mail Josh Hobbs is back in this episode for his second appearance. Again the subject is political. This time we're discussing whether we should all be activists. More specifically, does the existence of global structural injustice give us a responsibility to respond to those injustices, and should that response take the form of activism? Josh thinks there are reasons to think not everyone could or should be an activist, and introduces some other ways in which people can contribute, including something he calls 'scaffolding activism'. Here's Josh's article on the topic: Between activism and apathy: global structural injustice and ordinary citizens Further reading: With Power Comes Responsibility: The Politics of Structural Injustice — Maeve McKeown What is My Role in Changing the System? A New Model of Responsibility for Structural Injustice The Politics of Politeness: Citizenship, Civility, and the Democracy of Everyday Life | Oxford Academic Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • Dec 15, 2025 · 41 min

    51. What can a shallow pond teach us about ethics? With David Edmonds

    Send us Fan Mail Imagine this: You’re walking past a shallow pond and spot a toddler thrashing around in the water, in obvious danger of drowning. You look around for her parents, but nobody is there. You’re the only person who can save her and you must act immediately. But as you approach the pond you remember that you’re wearing your most expensive shoes. Wading into the water will ruin them - and might make you late for a meeting. Should you let the child drown? The philosopher Peter Singer published this thought experiment in 1972, arguing that allowing people in the developing world to die, when we could easily help them by giving money to charity, is as morally reprehensible as saving our shoes instead of the drowning child. Can this possibly be true? In Death in a Shallow Pond, David Edmonds tells the remarkable story of Singer and his controversial idea, tracing how it radically changed the way many think about poverty - but also how it has provoked scathing criticisms. David Edmonds is a brilliant philosophical and biographical writer, not to mention an OG philosophy podcaster - if you haven't checked out any of Philosophy Bites's nearly 400 episodes then you definitely should - and ex-BBC broadcaster. His latest book is about the fascinating history of a philosophical thought experiment, from its origins in the work of Peter Singer through its influence on the Effective Altruism movement. In this conversation we focus on some of the philosophical questions surrounding this thought experiment: is it, as Singer claims, analogous to our own position with regard to distant others, and does it have the practical implications that he and the Effective Altruists have taken it to have? Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • Dec 1, 2025 · 39 min

    50. What can comics such as Heartstopper teach us about ethics? With Simon Meisch

    Send us Fan Mail A really interesting conversation with Simon Meisch this week. Simon is a Senior Lecturer for Applied Ethics at the Ethics Centre of the University of Tubingen, and until recently was also a visiting scholar here at IDEA. It's an unusual episode of the podcast in that we aren't talking about a specific ethical issue. Instead, we talk about a particular way of highlighting ethical issues and encouraging discussion of them. That's through engaging with serial narratives, including comic books and TV series. We focused on one particular comic book series, which has been adapted for TV, which is Heartstopper. Aside from enlightening me about that series, Simon makes a convincing case that this is a good way to get at a range of ethical issues, in a way that is complex, subtle and grounded in recognisable situations. Here's the Heartstopper webcomic. Here's Simon's webpage. And here are some other relevant links recommended by Simon: Ben Argon: Philosophy Comics Tim Smyth: Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels Scott McCloud: Understanding Comics Aaron Meskin: The Philosophy of Comics Aaron Meskin: Teaching & Learning Guide for: The Philosophy of Comics Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • Nov 17, 2025 · 45 min

    49. Are We Deceiving Future Generations About Environmental Crises? With Catriona McKinnon

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode I talk to Professor Catriona McKinnon, a political philosopher based at the University of Exeter. The topic is the various environmental crises facing humanity today. Obviously lots to discuss there, but Catriona wants to highlight one issue in particular, which is the way one generation can, with or without knowing it, conceal information from future generations about the depth and nature of a crisis. This an issue of intergenerational justice, and its one that Catriona thinks deserves more attention. Some links: RENEW: Renewing biodiversity through a people-in-nature approach https://renewbiodiversity.org.uk/ Catriona's University of Exeter site: https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/32795-Catriona-McKinnon Catriona’s book Climate Change and Political Theory https://www.waterstones.com/book/climate-change-and-political-theory/catriona-mckinnon/9781509521661 A lecture by Catriona on postericide Endangering Humanity: An International Crime: https://youtu.be/htQwrrURVOQ?si=DA17u9hBR6qn-iQm. Her book on postericide will be published in 2026 by MIT Press. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

  • Nov 3, 2025 · 42 min

    48. How should you act as an in-house lawyer? With Sharon Bridglalsingh

    Send us Fan Mail For the last year and a half, Jim Baxter and the consulting team at IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, have been working with the Law Society of England and Wales on a project looking at the ethics of in-house law. That project has involved talking to lots of lawyers who are both passionate and insightful about the job and the ethical challenges it presents. None more so than Sharon Bridglalsingh, Director of Law and Governance at Milton Keynes City Council. Sharon was kind enough to come on the podcast and share some of her insights in this wide-ranging conversation. The In-House Ethics Framework which IDEA produced for the Law Society is here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/in-house/in-house-ethics-framework/. Ethics Untangled is produced by IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds. As well as the podcast, Ethics Untangled is also the name for the long-form online presence of IDEA. Bluesky: @ethicsuntangled.bluesky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idea_leeds/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideacetl LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idea-ethics-centre/

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