Common Sense Ethics
Follow Common Sense Ethics:
  • Blog
  • About
  • Books & Book Reviews
  • Parenting Resources
  • Personal Growth Resources
  • Contact Me

Freedom and Flourishing: Why We Need Both for a Good Life

5/5/2021

0 Comments

 
Freedom enables individuals to flourish in different ways, allows for growth of opportunities, and supports personal development by enabling individuals to exercise wise and well-informed self-direction.

My guest, economist Winton Bates, argues in a new book that Western freedom was more or less a happy accident of history. Loose it, and we may not get it back again.

​We discuss the future of freedom, progress, personal growth, and a lot more in his new book, Freedom, Progress, and Human Flourishing.*

Support Common Sense Ethics to see even more videos like this: https://www.patreon.com/commonsenseet...
​https://ko-fi.com/commonsenseethics​


*Affiliate link, I may earn a small commission. 
0 Comments

Virtue Begins at Home With Intentional Family Culture

4/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Brendan Malone, of Left Foot Media, a father of 5, gives wonderful tips on how to teach and model virtue to our children at home. One way to do this is to create an intentional family culture based on our specific moral values, that will act as a counterweight to the negative aspects of the culture that we find ourselves in.

How do we teach our children virtue? This issue was being discussed in a similar context back as far as the Enlightenment by thinkers like Locke and Rousseau. Rousseau thought that a parent's primary role is to be a buffer between their child and culture, rather than simply being an agent of the dominant culture. Rousseau described the insular and affectionate family that educated its own children as “the best counterpoison for bad morals.”

Support Common Sense Ethics to see even more videos like this:
https://www.patreon.com/commonsenseet...​
https://ko-fi.com/commonsenseethics​​

Brendan's Channels:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdou...​
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp0w​...

0 Comments

How to Tell Right From Wrong: 3 Rules For Every Situation

3/12/2021

3 Comments

 
Picture
Really you ask? Is it possible to tell right from wrong and to easily figure out how best to treat other people in every situation? Yes it is, and I'm about to show you how.

It turns out that there are 3 important rules we can always use to do right by others: the Silver Rule, the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule. These 3 rules are applicable regardless of our politics, religion or culture. These moral rules also have broad support across cultures and throughout history. Let's discuss the Silver, Golden, and Platinum Rules, and how they can easily be applied to tell right from wrong when it comes to our choices and actions.


Read More
3 Comments

What the Game of Thrones Ending Really Means

6/2/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture
Some tyrants come as liberators. That is the final twist in Game of Thrones, a show known for it's shocking plot twists. This is what George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is ultimately about; what war really does to people, the difficultly of just rule, the inability to overcome personal moral failings, and the cyclical nature of tyranny.  
​
Game of Thrones, the show based on the Song of Ice and Fire novels, is a bit more about putting spectacle over story. But Queen Daenerys as the final villain, rather than Cersei or the Night King, is George R. R. Martin's surprise ending, make no mistake about it. Viewers were naturally horrified to watch a sympathetic character turn bad, but that's the whole point! We were tricked in order to get us to understand the cruelty and horror of war by watching a character we knew and maybe liked become a tyrant. 

This isn't just my hot take on it, either. George R. R. Martin was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. He acknowledges that the perception of war as something glorious is a problem. Though not a radical pacifist, he states in this interesting clip that his goal with A Song of Ice and Fire, is to show the true cost of war.

Violence under the guise of "breaking the wheel," promoting democracy, human rights, and most other justifications is still abominable. That is why we should be looking for non-violent solutions to problems rather than perpetually glorifying war and violent conflict. 


Read More
4 Comments

Parents! Cut Yourselves a Break

2/16/2019

0 Comments

 
Welcome Holly Hamilton-Bleakley, a philosophy professor and mother of six, to my YouTube channel! Holly is the author of the wonderful blog, Philosophy For Parents.
Here she shares wisdom gleaned from 20 years of motherhood and her extensive knowledge of philosophy. 

​We discuss:
  • The difficulty of becoming a parent for the first time.
  • How to best handle the challenges of parenthood. 
  • The strengths and virtues necessary for being a good parent.
  • How to slow down and cut yourself a break when you have little kids. 
  • Dealing with the feelings of impermanence that parenting brings.  
  • How the issue of raising children is ignored by most Western philosophers, and more.
​
You may also like:
Creating Your Ideal Family Culture
Fearless Parent: How to Raise Kids Using Stoic Philosophy 
Apply the Antidote: Teaching Kids to Deal With Problems 
0 Comments

Video: The Best Philosophy Books For Beginning Readers

5/17/2018

0 Comments

 
Which philosophy books are the best for people just starting out? Dr. Greg Sadler and I talk about his recent list of the 10 Best Philosophy Books for Beginners, which is now one of the most popular posts on this site. 

We dicuss:
  • Which thinkers are average people most interested in?
  • The practical philosophy movement and popular philosophies like modern Stoicism and Aristotelianism that are currently being applied in people's lives. 
  • Philosophy's relevance: the disconnect between academic versus applied philosophy, poor outreach among academic philosophers and the public.  
  • Women philosophers - Greg's love of Mary Wollstonecraft, and why some people argue that Aynd Rand is not a philosopher.
  • Avoiding agenda-driven histories of philosophy and the importance of reading primary texts. 
  • Poor pedagogy in introduction to philosophy classes - the difficulty of teaching, good versus bad teachers.
  • Existentialism: reading books of philosophy as a teenager and then again as an adult. What appeals to people? 
  • Interesting tidbits about Anselm's On the Fall of the Devil and many other books. 
​
If you like these types of videos please subscribe to my Youtube Channel. 
0 Comments

The 10 Best Philosophy Books For Beginners

5/7/2018

15 Comments

 
Picture
Today's guest post is written by my friend Greg Sadler. Greg was a philosophy professor earlier in his career, and still teaches upon request for traditional academic institutions.  Over the last decade, he transitioned to doing philosophy in more public and practically oriented ways. He is the president of a philosophical consulting, coaching, and tutoring company, ReasonIO.  He is also the editor of Stoicism Today.  His main YouTube channel contains over 1,300 videos, and has had nearly 5 million views.  His personal blog is Orexis Dianoētikē.  He lives with his wife and partner, Andi Sciacca, in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This is actually a difficult question – which philosophical texts are best for beginners? But it’s also one that I get asked pretty regularly.  I typically suggest starting with Plato, and occasionally delve a bit deeper into the topic, but admittedly haven’t devoted the thought and attention it really deserves to give a proper answer.  So when Leah brought it up as a matter that might be addressed, and suggested we record a conversation on her YouTube channel about it – which you can watch here – I thought writing a bit first might help me sort out my thoughts on the topic.

Read More
15 Comments

The Happiness Triangle: Stoic Secret for Peace of Mind Video

3/18/2018

7 Comments

 
What 3 things are necessary for happiness? Leah Goldrick of http://commonsenseethics.com interviews Jonas Salzgeber of http://njlifehacks.com about how to become a tower of strength through Stoic philosophy. (Please note that if you have difficulty hearing the audio, click the "CC," button on the lower right of the Youtube screen to enable subtitles). 

We dicuss:
​
  • Doing your best/focusing on the process of growth and developing virtue, rather than the outcome.
  • Is self-compassion missing from Stoic philosophy?
  • How much do externals/prefered indifferents matter? Is Aristotle correct that we need some externals to be happy or are the Stoics correct that only virtue is necessary for happiness?
  • Is the Sage a realistic role model?
  • What is eudamonia?
  • Jonas' new book
7 Comments

Wise Advice on Human Flourishing in 10 Terrific Quotes

5/1/2017

5 Comments

 
Picture
This guest post was first published at Freedom and Flourishing by my friend Winton Bates, who curated the following wise advice based on his vast knowledge and life experience: 

The quotes selected for this post are related specifically to individual flourishing or personal development. I will follow this up later with a selection of quotes relating to the social conditions that favour human flourishing.

Rather than selecting the most inspirational quotes I can think of, I have selected quotes that seem to support what I hope is a coherent set of propositions about human flourishing.


Read More
5 Comments

Fake it Until You Make It: Aristotle on Becoming A Better Person

4/1/2017

4 Comments

 
Picture
The word hexis in ancient Greek means an active condition of moral virtue. Hexis is a kind of striving or working to overcome our passive habituation by strength of character. To become good, Aristotle essentially thought that you need to "fake it 'till you make it." 

Hexis, or character, is defined as one's virtues or vices - not just any habit but something that affects when we feel pleasure or pain. Since moral virtue involves pleasure or pain, it is to our advantage to choose only those actions which don't cause us pain. We become well habituated by performing virtuous actions over time. These virtuous actions become real virtue when we start to choose them deliberately - when we are motivated by internal good. 


Recently my friend Dr. Greg Sadler launched the first in a series of new 45-minute webinars and in-depth online seminars developed and hosted by ReasonIO. His March webinar - which I participated in - introduces the basics of Aristotle's ethics. The video provides a short overview for those like me, who want to learn more about virtue ethics but don't have a ton of time to read. It's up on YouTube and I have embedded it below:


Read More
4 Comments
<<Previous

    Growing in Goodness

    Welcome! If you like what you see here please subscribe:

    Don't Miss A Post!

    Sign up to receive updates and special announcements!

    Thank You For Subscribing to Common Sense Ethics!

    You have successfully joined my email list. 

    .
    Picture

    About Me:

    Thank you for your interest in Common Sense Ethics! I'm Leah, a librarian, editor and freelance writer with a background in history and philosophy.
    ​

    Most Popular Blog Posts:

    5 Things That You Need to be Happy According to Cicero

    Read These 5 Books for a Deeper Understanding of Politics

    Hope, Courage and Gratitude During Covid-19

    How the Left/Right Political Spectrum Deceives Us 
    ​
    Would You Risk Your Life For Philosophy?

    38 Life Lessons in 38 Years

    Why is Politics so Divisive?

    ​The Secret to Building a Close Family

    Why You Should Create Your Own Culture to Be Happier

    How to Make Yourself Immune to Propaganda

    ​The 10 Best Philosophy Books For Beginners

    The 13 Types of Modern Stoics...Which One Are You?

    4 Pieces of Stoic Wisdom for Dealing With Negative News Media

    How to be a Badass According to Cicero

    5 Ways to Avoid Being Manipulated and Dumbed Down by the Media

    Quick Guide: Understanding and Applying Stoic Ethics in Modern Life

    The Secret to Happiness: Stoic Gratitude and the Art of Living

    What Everyone Needs to Know About Violence and Self Defense

    Download My Stoic Printables For Tough Days:

    Picture

    Watch Common Sense Ethics On YouTube:


    Support CSE:

    Picture
    Picture
    Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com


    Topics:

    All
    According To Cicero Series
    Alasdair Macintyre
    Albert Einstein
    Anger
    Antiauthoritarianism
    Applied Philosophy
    Aristotle
    Assertiveness
    Book Reviews
    Books And Reading
    Buddhism
    Carl Jung
    Cause And Effect
    Character Flaws
    Cicero
    Classical Education
    Cognitive Bias
    Consequence Based Ethics
    Cosmology
    Covert Manipulation
    Critical Thinking
    Culture
    Cynicism
    Death
    Descartes
    Destructive Behavior
    Economics
    Edmund Burke
    Education
    Egalitarianism
    Emotions
    Epictetus
    Ethical Objectivism
    Family
    Fortitude
    Francis-bacon
    Freedom
    Free Speech
    George-r-r-martin
    George-r-r-martin
    God
    Golden Rule
    Good Character
    Government
    Gratitude
    Happiness
    Heraclitus
    History
    Immanuel Kant
    Individual Rights
    Information Literacy
    Inner Life
    Integrity
    Introspection
    Intuition
    Iron Law Of Oligarchy
    Jaques Ellul
    John Locke
    John Stuart Mill
    Jules Evans
    Karma
    Left-right Brain Balance
    Left-right Political Spectrum
    Liberal Democracy
    Literature
    Logic
    Marcus Aurelius
    Marriage
    Marx
    Mastering Emotion
    Media
    Metaethics
    Mindfullness
    Modern Stoicism
    Moral Relativism
    Moral Universalism
    Mortality
    Movies
    Musonius Rufus
    Musonius-rufus
    Natural Law
    Natural Rights
    Negative Freedom
    Negative-rights
    Neoplatonism
    Non Aggression
    Normative Ethics
    Normative-ethics
    Objectivismsubjectivism
    Oligarchy
    Parenting
    Personal Development
    Philosophy For Beginners
    Pierre Hadot
    Plato
    Politics
    Propaganda
    Psychology
    Pythagoreanism
    Relaxed Mental State
    Responsibility
    Rhetoric
    Right Vs. Wrong Actions
    Robert Nozik
    Roger Scruton
    Self Defense
    Self Discipline
    Seneca
    Simple Living
    Socrates
    Socratic Method
    Stoicism
    Stoic Meditation
    Stoic Virtues
    Television
    The Shadow
    Thomas Hobbes
    Traditionalism
    Trivium
    Utilitarianism
    Videos
    Violence
    Virtue Ethics
    War

    Archives:

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    ​Book of the Month: 

    Picture


    ​Personal Growth Resources:

    Picture
    Use this in-depth questionnaire to learn more about your faults and subconscious motivations.


    Understanding and Applying Stoic Ethics In Modern Life:

    Picture


    ​Follow Common Sense Ethics on Pinterest:

    Picture


    ​Join the Stoic Parents Facebook Group:

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.