morality

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 14 – Society 2 (Power) – Part 4: What color was Jesus?

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Racism is a divide and conquer strategy that keeps people fighting each other while the true power structures remain unchallenged. The question “What color was Jesus?” isn’t about historical facts—it’s about how we’ve used symbols and narratives to justify exclusion and dominance. Racism poisons solidarity, fractures trust, and distracts from who benefits from the chaos. It teaches us to fear one another while obscuring the real sources of power. And, in doing so, it leaves everyone more vulnerable to manipulation. So we ask, who benefits when we’re divided? What happens when we stop fighting each other and begin questioning the real holders of power?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 11 – Ethics 1 (Relativism) – Part 2: Who makes the rules?

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The question of who makes the rules in a world without God is a fundamental one for ethical relativism. Without a divine lawgiver, morality must come from us – from our communities, our relationships, and our shared needs. Divine Command Theory, which insists that something is good because God commands it, falters because it leaves morality arbitrary and open to manipulation. If there’s no God making the rules, we are left to create them – not because they are divine, but because they help us coexist. Our rules arise out of necessity, and while ethical relativism might be unsettling, it also means we bear responsibility for the choices we make.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 11 – Ethics 1 (Relativism) – Part 1: Introduction – Why be good?

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Why be good? Before diving into rules and commandments, we need to ask: Why bother? Morality isn’t just about rules—it’s about how to live well. Socrates asked not, “What rules should we follow?” but “What kind of life is worth living?” Ethics, for the ancients, wasn’t about being perfect—it was about flourishing, about becoming the kind of person who functions well in the world. Living ethically isn’t about cosmic points—it’s about the kind of person you become when you repeatedly choose kindness, integrity, fairness, and care. The real reason to care about ethics isn’t abstract; it’s because we matter. The way we treat others shapes the world we wake up in, and the way we live shapes who we become.

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