ethics

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Why a Philosopher’s Racist Email from 26 Years Ago is News Today

Influential Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom, well-known for his work on philosophical questions related to ethics, the future, and technology (existential risk, artificial intelligence, simulation), posted an apology for a blatantly racist email he sent to a listserv 26 years ago. (more…)

FTX, Moral Philosophy, Public Philosophy

Does the FTX debacle hold lessons for moral philosophers? For those interested in public philosophy? (more…)

Floridi Wins Italy’s Highest Honor

Luciano Floridi, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford, Director of the Digital Ethics Lab of the Oxford Internet Institute, and Distinguished Research Fellow of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford, as well as Professor of Philosophy and Legal Studies at the University of Bologna, has been awarded the Cavaliere di..

Over 450 Academics Sign Statement Opposing Animal Exploitation

Over 450 academics, many of whom work in moral and political philosophy, have signed onto the “Montreal Declaration on Animal Exploitation.” (more…)

Philosophy’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…)

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…)