Systematic Morality Seattle

First session prompt: "Can morality be objective?"

AJ will present a positive case for naturalistic objective morality: the idea that moral truths can be grounded and evaluated without requiring religion, cultural convention, or biologically evolved empathy.

We’ll explore questions like:

• Can something be objective while still depending on context?
• What can fields like nutrition and aerodynamics teach us about morality?
• Why do very different societies independently discover similar moral and legal structures?
• Can we objectively say that some moral systems work better than others?
• What happens when moral systems have to scale to billions of people—and increasingly powerful technology?

After the opening presentation, the floor is open.
Challenge the argument. Bring a counterexample. Ask a question. Or bring a completely different moral problem you think a serious moral framework should be able to address.
You do not need to agree with the premise—or know anything about Systematic Morality—to participate. Thoughtful disagreement is especially welcome.

Format

~10 minutes: prepared proposition
30–45 minutes: open Q&A and discussion
You’re welcome to participate actively or simply listen.

Audio-Recording for Publication

This session will be audio-recorded and may be published on the What’s Good? YouTube channel.

Participants are encouraged to use video during the live discussion—it helps with personal connection and communication—but participant video will not be recorded, streamed, or published.

Only discussion audio and the host’s video will be shared publicly. This allows us to bring the conversation and its ideas to a wider audience while giving participants the freedom to engage face-to-face without having their image broadcast.