Dr. Kurt Gray
2016-09-09

Minds and Morality with Dr. Kurt Gray

Why are humanoid robots creepy? Why do ghosts always have unfinished business? Do all animals have a mind? Does our consciousness persist beyond our physical bodies? Might cryonics help us live forever?! These are some of the great mysteries of the human condition we address with Dr. Kurt Gray. It’s a fun and interesting philosophical episode, where we consider a range of topics related to having a mind and moral responsibility. Fair warning – this episode contains some adult content as we engage in some quirky and interesting moral considerations.

Click to download the episode directly (right click, then click save as)
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher.

“Kurt Gray’s investigates the mysterious inner lives of animals, machines, and human beings. His research finds that minds are a matter of perception—how else can we make sense of people treating their cats like humans, and treating homeless people like objects? Such “mind perception” is immensely important because entities seen to have minds are afforded moral standing while those without minds are merely “things.” Mind perception can help explain why people believe in God, debates about gay marriage, and how good deeds make us stronger. Mind perception also forms the essence of morality, as judgments about right and wrong seem to hinge upon whether people see harm to other minds.” Blurb taken from kurtjgray.com

Listen Now

About the guest

Dr. Kurt Gray

Podcast Guest

Kurt Gray is an American social psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. His research focuses on moral psychology, mind perception, and bridging moral divides, and he is the co-author of The Mind Club and the author of Outraged.

Keep exploring

11 years of
human possibility

478 episodes exploring creativity, intelligence, well-being, and what it means to be fully human. The archive is yours to explore.

Browse All Episodes ← Back to Site