bigideas

n January 27 2009, Big Ideas regular Andrew Medworth will kick off the new year with a discussion of one of the thorniest questions in ethical philosophy. We may all agree that an act is wrong, yet still do it occasionally. The fact that we can disobey a moral code almost seems a crucial part of morality itself. So if we can disobey, why shouldn’t we? Where does morality’s authority come from? God? Social consensus? Logical reasoning? Is it built into our minds as an instinct? When deciding whether an action is moral, should we look to the Bible? To other people? To our feelings? Is there some objective standard by which we can justify things? Or are all moral or ethical codes abstractions, systems of rules we invent that we’re also at liberty to ignore? As usual, doors open at about 7:30 and we’ll kick off at 8pm. It’d be great to see you there, whether you’re a regular, a semi-regular or a newcomer. We’re lining up an exciting programme of events for the rest of 2009, and this one may just set out some issues we continue to explore in the coming months.