Philosophy & Ethics

New Counter-Terrorism Laws: Universities Worried Most

With the terrorist attacks in Paris fresh on the minds of Europeans (150X as many dead in a terrorist attack in Africa, not so much), politicians are reflecting the concerns of the public and becoming focused on how to better prevent them in the future. Fr ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Jan 16 2015 - 12:51pm

The Religious Overtones Of Natural Laws: Does The The Universe Create Reason And Morality?

Some suggest that the universe naturally produces complexity. The emergence of life in general and perhaps even rational life, with its associated technological culture, may be extremely common, argues Kelly Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy&Bio ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 23 2015 - 10:39am

If Abortion Is A Choice Then Sex Selection Abortion Should Remain Legal

Opposing this law change is not anti-feminist. shutterstock By Pam Lowe, Aston University A campaign is underway in the United Kingdom to make it illegal to abort a child based on its gender. Proponents say they are worried about women being coerced into ...

Article - The Conversation - Jan 26 2015 - 7:51pm

What Ancient Greeks Thought About The Three-Person Baby Debate

The Discovery of the Child Erichthonius by Peter Paul Rubens  By Helen King, The Open University The science and morality of creating a life with DNA from three different individuals is hot news. The UK parliament has voted in favor of allowing trials of ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 3 2015 - 5:01pm

Social Freezing: The Ethical And Medical Issues Of Egg Cryopreservation

Apple and Facebook have an odd perquisite for their employees- they will pay for their employees to place oocytes in frozen storage — social freezing, also known as cryopreservation and egg freezing. Companies may have a mercenary desire to do so, even if ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 6 2015 - 9:30am

When The Clintons’ Doctor Embraces Pseudoscience

Pudgy and recovering from heart surgery, Bill Clinton needed someone to optimize his health. Hillary Clinton knew just the man for the job, and in 2005 introduced him to Dr. Mark Hyman, whose expertise they credit for Mr. Clinton’s current svelte physique ...

Article - Alan Levinovitz - Feb 6 2015 - 10:00am

Is Immolation A Valid Punishment Under Islamic Law?

There is confusion about whether immolation is permissible under Islamic law. EPA By Jon Hoover, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts a University of Nottingham The killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by Islamic State has been e ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 6 2015 - 4:32pm

Is Using Big Data To Detect Disease Outbreaks Ethical?

Personal information taken from social media, blogs, page views and so on are used to detect disease outbreaks, however, does this violate our privacy and trust if people do not consent to it? ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 10 2015 - 9:00am

We Need Women On Boards For Many Reasons, But Ethics Isn't One

There are many good reasons for increasing gender diversity on boards: better decisions, better performance, and better representation of the consumer base. But the idea, put forward in a variety of research over the past twenty years or so, that women on ...

Article - The Conversation - Feb 19 2015 - 7:19pm

Will Brain Images And Thoughts Be Protected Under The 4th And 5th Amendments?

Credit: Jon Olav Eikenes, CC-BY-SA By: Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, Inside Science (Inside Science)- Brain imaging can already pull bits of information from the minds of willing volunteers in laboratories. What happens when police or lawyers want to use it to ...

Article - Inside Science - Feb 25 2015 - 10:07am