Ethical questions of war and peace, climate change, immigration and healthcare can be overwhelming. And yet, consciously or not, we answer critical ethical questions every day as we order our coffee, pay our workers, dine with our friends and even shop online. Most of us pay little heed to the daily, mundane micro-decisions we make yet they each reflect seriously upon our ethical sensibilities and our relationship to values and beliefs larger than ourselves.
Each session of this online series, Everyday Ethics, will focus on a different question raised by The Ethicist column of the New York Times Magazine and expand the deliberation with Jewish sources - ancient and modern - that awaken, motivate and guide us to consider how that particular issue might be resolved from a Jewish perspective. Deepen your understanding of Jewish ethics as they apply in our complex world and our often complicated relationships, and make more informed and thoughtful personal choices as a result
Using a salesperson’s time to try on shoes and then buying them online
Allowing a patient to choose their doctor based on racial biases
Separating the art from the artist: listening to music or watching films made by artists accused of sexual misconduct
Filling out your elderly parent’s voter ballot on their behalf
Giving to the homeless: do we give them what we think they need or what they request?
Lying for the sake of protecting someone else
Logging on to someone else’s wifi network
Claiming the right to affirmative action
Resigning after paid parental leave
Our rights to self-endangerment
Legalizing marijuana
Bequeathing your children unequal portions of your estate
Withholding sex
Everyday Ethics can be designed as a multi-session series over a semester or throughout a year-long program. It can be offered weekly or monthly, as a virtual or in-person experience.
Use the contact form in the footer to reach out and schedule this class.