ethics
TagPhilosophers On GPT-3 (updated with replies by GPT-3)
Nine philosophers explore the various issues and questions raised by the newly released language model, GPT-3, in this edition of Philosophers On, guest edited by Annette Zimmermann. (more…)
New Journal: AI and Ethics
A new interdisciplinary academic journal, AI and Ethics, aims to “promote informed debate and discussion of the ethical, regulatory, and policy implications that arise from the development of AI.” (more…)
The Ethics of Social Distancing (and Why It Doesn’t Rule Out Protesting) (guest post by Travis N. Rieder)
“When I began writing this essay, public health-minded folks were arguing that social distancing is morally required, and expressing dismay at the pictures of partiers and beach-goers that surfaced after Memorial Day weekend. Just a couple weeks later, however, attention had shifted to the nationwide demonstrations against racism and police brutality, which was supp..
Statues, Monuments, & Philosophy
Recent protests against racism have included or prompted the removal of statues and monuments honoring historical figures associated with racist actions and views around the United States and elsewhere around the world. (more…)
Why Ethicists Advising in Crises Should Take a SEAT (guest post by Per Sandin)
“For academic philosophers, being solution-oriented can be a challenge.”
Philosophy & Public Policy: Lessons from COVID-19 (guest post by James Wilson)
“Ethical advice will not make a difference to practice, unless it is received by the right people at the right time.” (more…)
Philosophers: “Learn to listen rather than talk”
“What is the first thing philosophers have to change about their ideas, or their ways of presenting them, when putting on their public policy hat?” (more…)
A Collection of Stories for Teaching Ethics
Luc Bovens, professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, has created a website that gathers together and organizes various “short stories in world literature by both classical and contemporary writers” that may be useful in teaching a range of questions in ethics and social and political philosophy. (more…)
Ottawa University’s Business School Receives $500,000 for Ethics Professorship
The Angell Snyder School of Business at Ottawa University, a private, Christian college in Kansas, has received a $500,000 grant to fund a new professorship in ethics. (more…)
APA Publishes “Good Practices Guide”
The American Philosophical Association (APA) has published its Good Practices Guide, “a set of recommendations to help philosophers create and maintain an academic community based on mutual respect, fairness, inclusivity, and a commitment to scholarship and learning.”
Philosophers Win €17.9 Million Grant for Study of the Ethics of Disruptive Technologies
A project on the ethics of socially disruptive technologies, led by Philip Brey, professor of philosophy of technology at the Department of Philosophy at the University of Twente and scientific director of the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology, has received a €17.9 million (approximately $19.6 million) grant from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Scien..
Moral Philosophy Courses Can Change Students’ Behavior
The share of meal plan expenditures on meat by students who took part in a philosophy class on the ethics of eating animals declined from 52% to 45%, with “no evidence that meat-eating rates went back up during the two months data was monitored,” according to a recent study whose authors believe it provides evidence for the claim that “ethics classes can influence s..
Oxford Receives $189 Million Gift to Support the Humanities
Oxford University announced it has received a £150 million (approximately $189 million) “transformational investment in the way Oxford teaches, researches, and shares the Humanities.” (more…)
Philosophers On the Ethics and Politics of Abortion
This year, nine U.S. states have passed legislation that bans early abortions in an attempt to provoke a challenge to the abortion rights protected by the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision. (more…)
San Francisco State U. to Launch Grad Certificate in AI Ethics
San Francisco State University has developed a graduate program in artificial intelligence (AI) ethics. (more…)
The Philosophy and Politics of Early Abortion in the U.S.
The past months have seen successful legislative efforts in several states to criminalize early abortion. Emboldened by Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court, abortion opponents are hoping that the new legislation, once challenged in court, will force a reconsideration of Roe v. Wade, in which the Court ruled that “during the first trimester, government..
Crash Course: Consequentialism & Deontology in Contemporary Normative Ethics
We’re going to try to solicit recommendations for a “crash course” on an aspect of contemporary ethics. (more…)
A White Paper on Publication Ethics in Philosophy
A project that “seeks to foster greater awareness among humanities scholars and editors about ethical issues in publishing, with a focus on the discipline of philosophy” (previously) last week published a white paper with its initial findings and recommendations. (more…)
Keller Wins Journal of Applied Philosophy Prize
The Journal of Applied Philosophy has announced the winner of its 2018 essay prize.
New Ethics Research Center Opening in Cameroon
The Ethics and Public Policy Laboratory (EthicsLab) is a new research center at the Catholic University of Central Africa that is officially launching this week. (more…)
It’s Complicated
I’ve been criticized for saying that the issue behind the attempt of some students at Oxford to stop having John Finnis teach required courses* is “morally and practically complicated.” How strong a criticism is this? (more…)
Who’s Down With QPPs? (Questionable Publication Practices) (guest post by Mark Alfano)
The following is a guest post* by Mark Alfano (Australian Catholic University & Delft University of Technology).
Bringing Ethics Into Computer Science at Harvard
Computer scientists and philosophers are working together at Harvard to bring ethics into computer science courses. (more…)
Philosopher Involved in Hoax Investigated by University
An institutional review board (IRB) at Portland State University has found that Peter Boghossian, an assistant professor of philosophy at the school, ought to have obtained IRB approval before conducting a project of submitting hoax articles to academic journals. (more…)
Multi-Million Dollar Funding for Philosopher-Led Project on Machine Intelligence
Seth Lazar, associate professor of philosophy at Australian National University (ANU), is leading an interdisciplinary project on machine intelligence that just received a funding commitment from its university of AUD$1.65 million (US$1.17 million) per year for up to five years. (more…)
Digital Maps of Spinoza’s Ethics
John Bagby, a PhD student in philosophy at Boston College, has created multiple visualizations of the argumentative structure of Spinoza’s Ethics and put them online for the philosophical community. (more…)
An Ethics Bowl Inside San Quentin State Prison
In February, in the chapel of San Quentin State Prison, seven philosophy undergraduates from the University of California, Santa Cruz faced off against a group of prison inmates—in an ethics discussion. (more…)
Philosophers Appointed To High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence
The European Commission (EC), which proposes and administers European Union (EU) law and policy, has created a new High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, the aim of which is to advise on the crafting and implementation of the EU’s strategy on artificial intelligence. (more…)