Solutions to all of Your Moral Dilemmas | Michael Schur
Dan Harris speaks with television writer and producer Michael Schur, author of "How to Be Perfect," about navigating moral dilemmas. They discuss studying ethics, the trolley problem, white lies, effective altruism, and the importance of empathy and recognizing privilege.
Deep Dive Analysis
12 Topic Outline
Michael Schur's Journey into Ethics and Moral Philosophy
Evaluating Rules: Adherence vs. Ethical Discretion
Aristotle's Virtue Ethics and the Right Amount of Anger
The Trolley Problem: Utilitarianism, Kant, and Integrity
The Role of Gut Feelings and Natural Virtues in Morality
The Ethics of White Lies: Kant's Strictures vs. Societal Grease
The Shopping Cart Dilemma: Contractualism and Personal Responsibility
Limits of Morality: Susan Wolf's 'Moral Saints' Concept
Peter Singer and the Demands of Effective Altruism
Why Be Ethical? Intrinsic Motivation and Flourishing
Personal Reflections on Moral Progress and the 'Ovarian Lottery'
Empathy as the Glue of Society and the Role of Luck
11 Key Concepts
Virtue Ethics
A philosophical approach, championed by Aristotle, that focuses on developing good character traits (virtues) like kindness, generosity, and courage. It emphasizes practicing these qualities daily to have them in the 'exact right amount,' avoiding both deficiency and excess.
Mildness
An Aristotelian virtue concerning the regulation of anger. It's about having the right amount of anger directed at the right people for the right reasons, rather than avoiding anger entirely or succumbing to excessive rage.
Trolley Problem
A famous philosophical thought experiment where one must choose between pulling a lever to divert a runaway trolley, killing one person but saving five, or doing nothing and letting five die. It highlights the complexities of ethical decision-making, particularly the tension between utilitarian outcomes and other moral considerations.
Categorical Imperative
A central concept in Kant's philosophy, which states that one should act only according to a rule that one could at the same time will to become a universal law. It also includes the idea of treating people as an end in themselves, not merely as a means to an end.
Integrity (Bernard Williams)
A concept by philosopher Bernard Williams, referring to being a 'whole person' who cannot be compartmentalized. It suggests that one must consider whether *they* personally feel it's okay to perform an action, even if a theory suggests it leads to a good outcome, maintaining a sense of structural integrity.
Natural States of Virtue
Aristotle's idea that humans are born with an inclination toward virtues, like a child sharing a cookie. These are inherent seeds of goodness that, through practice and development, can flourish into a fully virtuous character.
Contractualism (T.M. Scanlon)
A moral theory proposing that rules for society should be determined by mutual agreement among 'reasonable people,' where everyone can veto any rule they find unacceptable. The core idea is that everyone constrains their desires to the same degree, aiming for cooperative ventures.
Moral Saints (Susan Wolf)
A concept explored by philosopher Susan Wolf, arguing that a person solely concerned with being morally perfect would have no time for hobbies, personal relationships, or non-moral interests. It suggests there's a limit to 'how much morality we can stand' before it diminishes other valuable aspects of human life.
Effective Altruism
A philosophical and social movement, popularized by Peter Singer, that advocates for using reason and evidence to determine the most effective ways to benefit others. It often involves donating to charities that maximize positive impact per dollar, and challenges individuals to give away resources beyond their basic needs.
Flourishing (Aristotle)
Aristotle's concept of the ultimate goal of human life, sometimes translated as happiness. It means 'nailing it' in terms of being exactly the right amount of generous, kind, courageous, and magnanimous, perfecting the art of being human.
Ovarian Lottery
A term coined by Warren Buffett, referring to the immense luck of being born in a certain place, time, and with certain attributes (e.g., white male in America during an economic boom). It highlights that many advantages in life are due to cosmic chance rather than personal merit.
9 Questions Answered
Schur's interest stems from a lifelong orientation toward being a rule-follower and a deep concern about right and wrong, coupled with personal experiences of making mistakes that led him to seek an understanding of *why* things are right or wrong.
Strict adherence to all rules can be a mistake; one must learn rules to understand if they are good or bad, and then decide if following them is ethically or morally correct. Society's greatest progressions often come from breaking immoral or unethical rules.
The Trolley Problem reveals that ethical decisions cannot solely be about numbers (e.g., saving more lives) because that logic can lead to horrifying conclusions like murdering an innocent person for organs. It highlights the importance of other factors like individual integrity and not using people as a means to an end.
Trusting your gut has real value because it represents the sum total of all life experiences, parental teachings, friendships, and admirations, which inform an unconscious calculation of what good people would do. We are also wired for collective thinking and born with natural states of virtue.
According to Kant, lying in any form is wrong because it violates a universal maxim of honesty and devalues human beings. However, in a complicated society, small, relatively harmless white lies can be beneficial for 'greasing the wheels' of social interaction.
While contractualism might debate it based on whether employees collect them, a more ethical approach suggests returning it. This is because it makes others' jobs easier, benefits future shoppers, and is a small act of kindness from someone who is already very fortunate, making you feel good about yourself.
There's a limit to how much morality we can stand; being a 'moral saint' who constantly calculates the best possible action would mean neglecting other valuable aspects of life like hobbies, family, and personal interests. It's important to have dimension to one's life beyond constant moral calculus.
Singer argues that once basic needs (rent, food, clothing, small savings) are met, every additional dollar earned should be donated to effective charities that help those in greater need. He believes there's no moral difference between a life 'over there' and 'over here,' and that we are obligated to prevent suffering when we can.
Being ethical should not be for external rewards like money, fame, or an afterlife, but because it is the best way to spend our limited time on Earth. The goal is 'flourishing' – perfecting the art of being human and being the best person one can be, which also leads to intrinsic feelings of happiness and purpose.
15 Actionable Insights
1. Live Ethically for Its Own Sake
Let go of external goals like money, fame, or eternal reward as primary motivators for ethical behavior. Instead, strive to be the best person you can be for the sake of being a good human, being mindful of your actions and doing good simply because it is the right thing to do.
2. Strive for Human Flourishing
Aim for “flourishing” by perfecting the art of being human, which involves consistently embodying the right amount of virtues like generosity, kindness, and courage. This internal state of being, “nailing it” in all aspects of being human, is a worthy goal in itself.
3. Cultivate Empathy by Recognizing Luck
Be aware that many aspects of your life, including personal attributes and opportunities, are the result of luck or “the ovarian lottery,” not solely your own merit. This recognition fosters empathy, helping you understand others’ perspectives and challenges, and serves as the “glue that holds everything together.”
4. Cultivate Virtues in Moderation
Practice virtues like kindness, generosity, courage, and mildness daily, aiming for the “exact right amount” – neither a deficiency nor an excess. For example, have the right amount of anger directed at the right people for the right reasons, rather than avoiding anger entirely.
5. Act with Personal Integrity
When facing ethical dilemmas, consider if you (as a whole person with structural integrity) believe it’s okay for you to perform the action, not just if a theory or numbers justify it. Avoid using people as mere means to an end, maintaining your personal sense of right and wrong.
6. Trust Your Informed Intuition
Listen to your gut feeling or sense of right and wrong, as it represents the accumulated wisdom from your life experiences, parental teachings, friendships, and admired individuals. This deep-seated intuition, the “sum total of all the stuff that you’ve been through,” holds real value in decision-making.
7. Critically Evaluate Rules
Learn and understand rules not just to follow them, but to discern if they are good or bad, and whether following them is ethically or morally correct. Continuously evaluate and update personal and societal rules, discarding those that don’t make sense and writing new ones.
8. Cultivate Innate Virtues
Recognize that humans are born with natural inclinations towards virtue, altruism, companionship, and community. Nurture these innate “seeds” through practice and conscious effort to develop them into a “flourishing jungle” of ethical behavior.
9. Practice Effective Altruism
After securing basic needs and a small emergency fund, consider donating surplus income to highly effective charities that maximize impact. Research charities to ensure your donations are used efficiently to help those in greater need, and regularly assess how to best use your time and resources to improve others’ lives.
10. Act Beyond Minimums
Don’t just do the minimum required; consider your fortunate position in life and use small actions, like returning a shopping cart, to make others’ lives a little better at virtually no cost to yourself. This approach makes people’s lives “a tiny, tiny, tiny bit better.”
11. Seek Intrinsic Reward
Engage in actions that make you feel good and boost your self-esteem, such as returning a shopping cart, because doing good intrinsically feels better. Use this internal feedback as a guide for ethical behavior, as “when I do good, I feel good.”
12. Embrace Non-Moral Dimensions
Recognize that there’s a limit to how much morality one can stand; not everything in life needs to be on a moral vector. Cultivate interests, hobbies, and leisure time, as these non-moral dimensions are valuable parts of being a human being and contribute to a well-rounded life.
13. Apply “Reasonable Person” Test
When unsure about a mundane rule or action, imagine pitching it as a rule to a group of reasonable people you respect. If any of them would veto it, reconsider your action, as this method helps determine a minimum baseline for non-bad behavior.
14. Understand Ethics’ “Why”
Don’t just rely on gut feelings about right and wrong; study ethics and philosophy to understand the underlying reasons for moral principles. This deeper understanding helps you comprehend why things are right or wrong, rather than just knowing what is right or wrong.
15. Use White Lies Judiciously
In a complicated, messy society, small and relatively harmless white lies can sometimes be beneficial for “greasing the wheels” of social interaction and avoiding unnecessary conflict or discomfort. This approach acknowledges the complexities of modern social dynamics.
7 Key Quotes
My single biggest fear in life, I realize what a nice thing this is to be able to say and how privileged I am to be able to say this. But essentially, my biggest fear in life is being anywhere and having a person in, like, a uniform and a badge come up to me and say, you're not allowed to be here.
Michael Schur
The greatest progressions of our society, of our country, of the world have come from people specifically breaking rules that were immoral or unethical. And because they knew that their understanding of the world, of a just world, was more advanced than the rule.
Michael Schur
You should treat people as an end in themselves, not a means to an end. Like, you can't use people to get what you want.
Michael Schur
There seems to be a limit to how much morality we can stand.
Michael Schur
When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.
Dan Harris
The most galling personality type is the born on third thought they had a triple. It's the people with no empathy who don't understand how fortunate they are and who think that they are standing on third base because they're awesome, not because they were born there.
Michael Schur
Empathy is essentially the glue that holds everything together and that without it, we're doomed.
Michael Schur