The Good Place: A Case Study for Conceptualizing Non-Religious Ethics and Morality in the United States

Abstract

Non-religious affiliation is rising in the United States. Non-religious people are viewed as immoral, which fuels stigmatization. I argue that the television show The Good Place challenges such assumptions by conceptualizing ethics outside a religious framework. Through an analysis of three episodes in the series, I argue that the show demonstrates the importance of having non-selfish motivations when doing good for others and the limits to a self-sacrificial approach to ethics.