The Ethicist

Advice on life’s trickiest situations and moral dilemmas from the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah. Sign up for the Ethicist newsletter, for Times subscribers only.

As a White Man, Can I Date Women of Color to Advance My Antiracism?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on interracial dating as a sociopolitical strategy.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
My Partner Cheated and Said It ‘Didn’t Mean Anything.’ How Should I Feel?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on how to handle emotional manipulation from an unfaithful lover.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Is It OK to Read a Newspaper Online When I’ve Stopped Paying for It?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether it’s fair to peek behind a publication’s paywall if you’re no longer a subscriber.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Does My Wife Need to Know About My Porn Habit?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on self-pleasuring secrets and the pressures of living up to one’s sexual orientation.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
I’m H.I.V.-Positive but Undetectable. Do Casual Sex Partners Need to Know?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on medical disclosure and marital malaise.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Is It OK That I’m Withholding Sex Until My Husband Sorts Out His Invoices?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on quid pro quo and navigating serious medical changes in a marriage.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
I Have Erectile Dysfunction. Do I Have to Disclose This Before Sex?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on awkward admissions and whether to make restitution for participating in transactional relationships.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
I’m Happily Married. I Just Want to Sleep With Another Man Before I Die.
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on the fear of missing out and “carnal reciprocity.”
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Should I Renounce a Religious Group That’s Taken a Bad Turn?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to remain a part of a religious organization that’s behaving in an unenlightened manner.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
Can Accepting Money for Volunteering Be the Right Thing to Do?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on the wages of charitable work.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah