ethics
TagPhilosophy’s Happiness Literature: More of It, More Empirical (guest post)
In the following guest post, Michael Prinzing (Yale) discusses trends in philosophical discussions of happiness and well-being. (more…)
Measuring Consensus and Disagreement in Ethics
A pair of philosophers are studying consensus and disagreement among philosophers on ethical issues, as well as consensus and disagreement on such issues between philosophers and the general public. (more…)
Deontology Is Compatible with Act-Consequentialism (guest post)
“It’s standard to divide the moral landscape into deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics, thereby assuming that these three are mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive. I, like some others, find this deeply problematic…” (more…)
Philosophers On The Russian Attack On Ukraine
On February 24th, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine, starting with missile strikes on several locations, including Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and since then has continued its attack via air and ground warfare, despite near universal international condemnation of its actions. (more…)
Service-Learning in Philosophy Courses
“Moral problems, like global and local food insecurity, aren’t just abstract problems; they are practical problems with practical solutions. It’s important not just to present students with the problems, but also to empower them with real-world actions they can perform to help alleviate these problems.” (more…)
What Is This AI Bot’s Moral Philosophy?
Delphi is an AI ethics bot, or, as its creators put it, “a research prototype designed to model people’s moral judgments on a variety of everyday situations.” Visitors can ask Delphi moral questions, and Delphi will provide you with answers. (more…)
In Which We Overthink “Frightening”
Halloween is coming up, a holiday about delighting in frightening, about fear and frivolity, about terrors and treats. In past years, Daily Nous has offered some opportunities for philosophers to have fun with Halloween. This year, let’s ruin it… (more…)
Philosophy of Well-Being: A “Dysfunctional” Situation?
A “responsible definition of wellbeing,” says Anna Alexandrova (Cambridge), “needs to be appropriate to the goals of the project—epistemically accessible, reasonably simple, in other words fit for purpose… Philosophers of wellbeing in the analytic tradition think very differently.” (more…)
Philosophy Professor Claims To Be Threatened With Dismissal for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine
Julie Ponesse, a philosophy professor at Western University’s Huron College, says in a video that she is facing “imminent dismissal” by the university for her refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. (more…)
Deontologists, Utilitarians, and Predictability
Non-philosophers tend to view utilitarians as less moral and deontologists as more moral. The reason for this, according to recent research, is that deontologists are more “predictable.” (more…)
Long-Running Ethics Blog Seeks New Editors
PEA Soup, a blog about “philosophy, ethics, and academia” that has been running for 17 years, is in need of new leadership. (more…)
What Do Philosophers Think About Human Extinction?
It’s a near certainty that humanity will come to an end, but what form this end might take, and when it might happen, are of course unknown. What should we think about the end of humanity and its various variables? What do we think? (more…)
Peter Singer On His New Yorker Interview
In a recent interview in The New Yorker, Daniel Gross asked philosopher Peter Singer (Princeton) a question about race and who he chooses to cite and engage with in his work. (more…)
NSF Bill Emphasizes Ethics, Includes Ethics Grants
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has introduced a bill for the funding of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that includes a noticeable emphasis on ethics in science. (more…)
How Should Philosophers Talk to Journalists?
“Whenever a journalist interviews me about whether a certain practice is morally right or wrong I always feel like I disappoint…” (more…)
Philosophers On Space Exploration
Last week, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed its rover, Perserverance, on Mars. It is the latest in a series of human efforts now spanning six decades to physically explore and travel to parts of the the universe beyond our terrestrial home. Scientific and engineering matters tend to dominate public discussion of these efforts, yet..
Ethics Case Studies Collection Continues to Grow
Looking for free, concise, and current ethics case studies? (more…)
New Ethics Blog
Public Ethics is a new philosophy blog providing “expert analysis of ethical issues in the news.” (more…)
Philosophers On Access to Medicine
Three philosophers discuss some of the moral and political questions involved in providing access to medicine and medical care in this edition of Philosophers On. (more…)
Unextractable Insights of Literature and the Arts
“There appears to be no room within ethics for humanistic thinking or artistic expression as such, and this represents a massive and practically catastrophic contraction of ethics.” (more…)
Philosophers 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…)