# William Gass, The Case Of The Obliging Stranger - The Case and Moral Theories - Sadler's Lectures

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sadler-s-lectures-233636/william-gass-the-case-of-the-obliging-stranger-the-case-and-moral-theories-sadler-s-lectures.md
Podcast: [Sadler's Lectures](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sadler-s-lectures-233636)
Published: 2026-05-19T16:19:03+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/gregorybsadler/william-gass-the-case-of-the
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2310210548-gregorybsadler-william-gass-the-case-of-the.mp3
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Duration seconds: 928

## Resource

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century philosopher and novelist William Gass' article "The Case Of The Obliging Stranger", which begins with a case that runs: "Imagine I approach a stranger on the street and say to him, "If you please, sir, I desire to perform an experiment with your aid." The stranger is obliging, and I lead him away. In a dark place conveniently by, I strike his head with the broad of an axe and cart him home. I place him, buttered and trussed, in an ample electric oven. The thermostat reads 4500 F. Thereupon I go off to play poker with friends and forget all about the obliging stranger in the stove. When I return, I realize I have overbaked my specimen, and the experiment, alas, is ruined. Something has been done wrong. Or something wrong has been done" It focuses specifically on Gass' contentions that moral theories and moral philosophers who don't condemn what was done to the stranger are vicious, and that the wrong is not really clarified well by introducing moral theories and principles. He examines several different ways that people develop, articulate, and argue for their moral theories, and notes that they aren't entirely off-base or useless, but that they often get in the way with what he calls "clear cases". To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

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## Transcript

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