The Mystery of Morality | Alex O'Connor, Richard Swinburne, Jessica Frazier and Peter Singer hosted by Jack Symes

Unbelievable?

Premier Unbelievable?

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2025

⏱️ 103 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What grounds morality... and who counts? Is morality hardwired into us by evolution, shaped by culture, or guided by religion? In this live edition of the Unbelievable? Podcast recorded in London and hosted by public philosopher Jack Symes, four leading thinkers explore the origins and future of ethical thought. From the role of emotions in our moral choices to the ethics of animal rights and cross-cultural disagreements, this conversation tackles one of humanity’s most enduring questions: what does it mean to be good? Joining us are: Peter Singer: World-renowned utilitarian philosopher and animal rights advocate (Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University)Jessica Frazier: Oxford scholar of comparative religion and Indian philosophy (Fellow, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies)Richard Swinburne: Leading Christian philosopher and defender of theism (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Oxford)Alex O’Connor: Atheist thinker and host of Within Reason PodcastProduced by Theora Media x Unbelievable? x Within Reason, 00:00 Exploring the Roots of Morality 05:13 The Evolution of Moral Reasoning 11:00 The Role of Emotions in Ethics 17:33 Moral Disagreement and Its Implications 23:52 The Intersection of Ethics and Religion 30:04 Animal Rights and Moral Considerations 36:32 Cultural Perspectives on Morality 42:52 The Future of Moral Philosophy Link to related content Alex O'Connor debates Ben Shapiro https://youtu.be/yspPYcJHI3k and Richard Swinburne debates Philip Goff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmBJDc2FCY For Today's Guests: Richard Swinburne: users.ox.ac.uk/~orie0087 Jessica Frazier: theology.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-jessica-frazier Jack Symes: jacksymes.co.uk Alex O’Connor: alexoconnor.com Peter Singer: petersinger.info SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/courses • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Bible is God's big story. But where do you begin? Explore the Bible one step at a time with the Bible course new edition.
0:10.2	Taught by Andrew Ollerton, it's an eight-part course featuring Bible experts and personal stories.
0:16.3	With videos, guidebook and digital hub, it will help you feel more confident in understanding the Bible,
0:22.6	connecting with God's Word and applying it to your daily life.
0:26.6	Search the Bible Course New Edition now.
0:33.6	What is morality and where does it come from?
0:36.6	Is it woven into the fabric of the universe? What is morality? And where does it come from?
0:38.3	Is it woven into the fabric of the universe
0:41.3	or something we invent to make our instincts and emotions make sense?
0:48.3	As we decide how to treat other animals and artificial intelligence,
0:53.3	we need to understand the roots and the reach
0:58.0	of moral thought. From ancient religion to modern ethics, tonight we ask, are we any close
1:08.0	to understanding what it means to be good?
1:11.6	Ladies and gentlemen of the Royal Institution Theatre,
1:19.6	please put your hands together for your host, BBC New Generation Thicker of
1:24.6	24, Dr Jack Symes.
1:32.6	Nailed it.
1:33.5	Beautiful, beautiful.
1:36.7	Hello and welcome to the mystery of morality
1:40.2	here at the beautiful Royal Institution Theatre,
1:44.0	brought to you by our good friends at Premier Christian Radio's Unbelievable.
1:49.1	Every single time I come here, I'm just blown.
	...

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