Human Flourishing: Ethics in Work and Everyday Life

What is a good life and how can we live it? How can we find happiness, fulfillment, and flourishing? Throughout history, great thinkers have considered these questions under the umbrella of ethics. In this seminar, we will delve into the three foundational schools of thought—utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics—and explore their relevance to everyday life, including work, friendships, and loving relationships. Come ready to ask tough questions, engage in meaningful discussions, and challenge yourself and others. Along the way, connect with like-minded individuals as we seek to answer one of life’s most essential questions: “What good shall I do this day?”

Deontology: ‘I’m unhappy. That’s OK, my will is good.’

Is my primary ethical obligation to ensure that my will is good? Am I sometimes faced with a choice between acting ethically and seeking my own happiness? Does morality then sometimes require sacrificing something of my own happiness?

Reading: Section 1 of The Groundwork to the Metaphysics of Morals, 4:393–4:405.

Join the Morningside Institute for a conversation with Dan Addison exploring Kant’s accounts of the principle of morality and of what the moral worth of an action consists in. This dinner series on ethics in work and everyday life will take place over dinner from 6 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. at IESE’s New York campus (165 W. 57th Street). A registration fee of $10 offsets the cost of dinner.