**Full audiobook edition now available at YouTube**

Hi, I’m Matt Deaton, aka Professor Matt. I'm an adjunct online ethics professor, but you may know me from YouTube hits including “Sandel’s Justice Chapter 2: Utilitarianism” (recorded in front of the White House) or “Ethics in a Nutshell Chapter 5: The Four Dominant Ethical Theories” (recorded floating down a river) or possibly from EthicsBowl.org. Thanks for checking out my concise and more laid back than most ethics intro.

As you may already know, philosophical ethics can be confusing, boring, and stuffier than it needs to be. Let’s fix that.

Check out YouTube.com/MattDeatonPhD to preview my style and see complementary videos for every chapter. If I’m too laid back for your tastes, no worries—more complicated ethics intros abound. But if I’m resonating, here are some of the questions Ethics in a Nutshell answers.

What’s philosophy? The reason-based attempt to answer life’s big non-empirical questions.

What’s ethics? The reason-based attempt to answer questions about what we morally ought to do.

What are philosophers (including ethicists) like? Spock. Yes, the one from Star Trek with the pointy ears. Devoted to the rational pursuit of truth, but humble, and willing to change his mind when given good reason (and with great hair)—Spock would have made a fine philosopher. Love him.

Can philosophical ethics and religion peacefully coexist? Of course! Your uncle or pastor may have told you different. But surely a creator would want us to use these big brains to think through all sorts of questions, including questions about what we morally ought to do.

Don’t forget about the lecture vids. There are also various teaching resources at EthicsinaNutshell.org (sample essay and exam questions, editable syllabi for high school and college classes). And feel free to shoot me questions—either via the public “Ask Matt” interface at EthicsinaNuthell.org or the private contact form at MattDeaton.com