The Virtues of Love and Morality

Original Air Date Wednesday, November 09, 2022

What navigates your internal moral compass? Do you subscribe to a religion or belief in supernatural power to guide you? Or do you allow innate love, compassion, and empathy to steer you toward a better earthly experience for all?

To examine the moral weight of religious obedience, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two professors about their books that address the virtues of love and morality.

Prolific author Dr. Stephen G. Post discusses the virtue of love and unpacks the Eight Pathways of Positive Achievement and Goodness from his book, Give and Live Better.

Executive Director of the Humanist Global Charity, Phil Zuckerman explains the virtue of morality and the research behind his book, What it Means to be Moral: Why Religion is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life.

Tune in:

Lisa Cypers Kamen · The Virtues of Love and Morality with Dr. Stephen G. Post & Phil Zuckerman PhD

Meet Our Guests:

Stephen Post is a researcher, public speaker, professor, and best-selling author who has taught at the University of Chicago Medical School, Fordham University-Marymount, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Known for his research and public speaking on how giving can enhance the health and happiness of the giver, how empathy and compassionate care contribute to patient outcomes, and ethical issues surrounding the care of dementia patients.

Book: Give and Live Better: Eight Pathways to the Positive Achievement of Goodness

Dr. Stephen Post — The Virtue of Love:

Our ability to love is based on the compassion we have for others. {2:09}
Medical love isn’t something we think about but it exists in the medical community. {5:10}
Dr. Post explains why he created The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and wrote a book for The Templeton Foundation. {6:37}
Dr. Post describes his book, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer’s Disease. {11:46}
The Eight Pathways of Positive Achievement and Goodness. {14:36}
Spirituality fills in the gaps of human love. {23:29}

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Phil Zuckerman is a Professor of Sociology and Secular Studies at Pitzer College. The author of many books on secularism, he is an Editor at OnlySky and the Executive Director of Humanist Global Charity.

Book: What it Means to be Moral: Why Religion is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life

Phil Zuckerman Ph.D. — The Virtue of Morality:

Dr. Zuckerman describes why he believes non-religious people tend to be more moral than their religious counterparts. {28:21}
The more secular people are the most supportive when it comes to those in need in war-torn areas. {31:26}
Dr. Zuckerman explains the role of fear in religion. {35:53}
Ways the average person can cultivate morality beyond their immediate clan. {37:26}
The role of critical thinking in the context of empathy, compassion, and morality. {44:20}
Religious fanaticism breeds successfully in poverty and inequality. {48:50}
A Humanist community is religious-like but it doesn’t rely on a supernatural belief to solve problems. {51:26}

Follow Phil Zuckerman Ph.D.:

Shareables:

“Flow is incredibly powerful because it gets us beyond chronological time.” @StephenGPost on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “The whole point of spiritual technique and meditation is to try to stay in that space.” @StephenGPost on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Religious morality is ultimately based on obedience.” @phil_zuckerman on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Good deeds always lead to more good deeds.” @phil_zuckerman on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

Grab More Joy Below:

Are We Happy Yet? Eight Keys to Unlocking a Joyful Life — A boot camp manual for greater emotional fitness. Happiness waits for no one and sometimes we all need support. What is getting in the way of your happiness right now?

H–Factor: Where is Your Heart? — Lisa’s documentary film explores the journey of human happiness. Emotions are contagious and happiness is a universally desired state. We tend to forget we all have the freedom to be happy or the liberty to be miserable each day.