Are You a Good Person?

Most people wonder, at some point, whether they are truly good. But what does goodness even mean, and why is it so hard to define? In this opening lecture, Lee Braver lays out the roadmap for a course exploring the most influential answers Western philosophy has offered. He begins with Socrates, who insisted that we stop accepting inherited moral traditions and instead apply reason to questions of right and wrong. From there, the course covers three major ethical systems and examines the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The journey ends with Sartre, who challenges whether reason can solve ethical questions at all. By the end, viewers will understand the strongest arguments for and against these approaches and will have the tools to examine their own moral commitments with greater clarity.