In-person meetup: moral values

Join us for a discussion on moral values. This is a free-form discussion group where we go around and share our opinions.

The source of ethics is one of the oldest philosophical questions. In a time of increasingly political polarization, our neighbors can differ substantially in value systems and what we want society to look like.

Academically, there are three (or four) major theories of ethics: consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, and contractualism. But the average person's value system is determined by their life experiences and is often more nuanced. Additionally, sometimes people can share the same values but due to access to different information, can reach different conclusions.

Although we normally shy away from politics in this group, politics will inevitably come up this session; please give everyone an opportunity to finish their thoughts before responding.

Questions to consider:
- Are we as a nation in a "crisis of values" at the moment?
- How do we turn ethical beliefs into action?
- Do you think your values are guided more by theories or by experience? Were there any pivotal moments in your life that shaped your values?
- Is it necessary everyone share the same values to progress as a society?