6052 Is Morality About Kindness?

Freedomain with Stefan Molyneux

Stefan Molyneux

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4.6 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I examine the complexities of moral philosophy, focusing on the concept of evil and its relationship to intentional harm. I challenge simplified definitions and highlight the balance between short-term pain and long-term benefit through various examples, including medical procedures and parental discipline.

The discussion critiques the "do no harm" principle, revealing its potential to justify harmful actions for perceived greater goods. By addressing moral disputes and emphasizing the importance of objective guidelines, I advocate for clarity in moral systems. I conclude by sharing personal insights on navigating moral dilemmas, aiming to equip listeners with a framework for ethical decision-making.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, good morning, everybody.
0:01.3	Stefan Moller new from Free Domain.
0:02.7	Freedomain.com slash jane 8.
0:04.5	Pinchpunch first day of the month.
0:07.0	We are talking about August.
0:09.7	The first, 2025.
0:12.3	Hope you having a great day.
0:14.4	I wanted to tie up some loose ends in my brain,
0:17.2	and you might as well bear witness.
0:18.8	I think it'll do some good for the world.
0:20.7	But yesterday I did a show
0:23.9	where we talked about the origins of evil
0:27.0	and people were talking about evil being
0:31.7	the infliction of intentional harm.
0:35.3	The infliction of intentional harm to others. Now, it's funny, you know,
0:41.6	because I like to think of myself as a fairly rational guy, but I'm telling you, a lot of it is just
0:49.2	gut. Now, the gut doesn't prove anything, but my gut is like, that is not, that can't be right, that's not satisfying.
1:00.1	And not to compare myself, of course, to illustrious folks, but I always remember the story of Frank Sinatra.
1:08.5	And the Frank Sinatra would be like singing with a full orchestra. I don't know,
1:12.9	like 80 instruments or whatever, right? And Frank Sinatra would be able to pick out one, say,
1:21.5	bassoon that was a little off. Oh, oh, I think we've got a little stranger in there. And I've
1:27.0	always loved that story.
	...

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