Episode 41 - Morality

Philosophy student Jenna and Generation X-er Ben are talking about the word morality this week, but before they get started on this thought provoking topic… they have a “warmup chat” with Norah.  After the official show introduction Ben and Jenna dive in to the discussion… and it goes to some unexpected places.  Video games mentioned include the GTA franchise, Call of Duty, Dante’s Inferno, the Mass Effect franchise, Fallout 3, and Detroit: Become Human. 00:00:21 - The Ben, Jenna, and Norah with the (depressing?) morality warmup 00:01:40 - Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, ferries, and Staten Island  00:06:00 - Morality threshold, scorecards, a literal “Hail Mary”, and moral friction 00:09:23 - Morels, the Dead Milkmen, and Jenna is bringing the theory  00:12:03 - The official start of the show, “only hot girls get IBS,” and Jenna’s college courses  00:16:10 - The other side of coin, and looking at things from the marginalized viewpoint  00:19:05 - People’s ignorance about feminism, and the shared human experience 00:22:23 - Truth, emotions, and being open to different perspectives 00:24:45 - Religion’s impact on morality, “grey areas,” and s’mores    00:28:35 - A disagreement about chocolate, marshmallows, and crispy rice treats 00:31:00 - Jenna does not like Abraham Lincoln in copper form, and Ben’s strip club story 00:34:20 - The “nudie bucket,” and the morality of the sex / service industry  00:37:01 - The difference between ethics and morals, and further discussion about sex work 00:42:00 - Nel Noddings and the ethics of care, unconscious bias, and the Bechdel test 00:48:15 - Ben’s oil scenario, and the “fluidity” of people’s morals  00:51:36 - Jenna wants to play Dungeons and Dragons, and Ben explains some D&D nuances  00:55:02 - Alignment and the “black and white” nature of morality mechanics in games 01:02:29 - Jenna reflects on law, chaos, and being a member of the LBGTQ+ community   01:05:00 - Ben’s Fallout 3 scenario, game narrative, choice, and Detroit: Become Human 01:12:11 - Jenna is a s’mores advocate and has hope for the future 01:13:42 - Ben closes the show with a Blue Thunder quote