Can moral philosophy offer real guidance in making everyday decisions? And how should we weigh happiness, virtue, and fairness when they come into conflict?

Today’s guest is Roger Crisp, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford, Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Anne’s College, and Director of the Uehiro Oxford Institute for Practical Ethics. His work spans ethics, ancient philosophy, and the history of moral thought, bringing together the ideas of Aristotle, utilitarian thinkers, and contemporary debates about well-being.

In our conversation, we explore how philosophical traditions—from Aristotle’s focus on human flourishing to utilitarianism’s emphasis on maximizing happiness—can shape the way we think about our own lives and society’s biggest challenges. Roger explains why defining “the good life” is far from straightforward, and how even the best ethical theories run into tensions when applied to messy, real-world situations.

We talk about the role of moral reasoning in public policy, the difficulty of comparing well-being across cultures, and why certain trade-offs—between individual freedom and collective good—are so hard to resolve. This episode is an invitation to see moral philosophy not as an abstract pursuit, but as a practical tool for navigating the values and choices that define our lives.