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Free Will Sceptics: We’re Not So Bad.
Written by Neil Levy A number of philosophers and psychologists suggest that belief in free will – whether it is true or not – is important, because it promotes prosocial behavior. People who disbelieve in free will might become fatalists, holding that their choices make no difference to how events play out, because they’re already…
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Pain for Ethicists: What is the Affective Dimension of Pain?
This is my first post in a series highlighting current pain science that is relevant to philosophers writing about well-being and ethics. My work on this topic has been supported by the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, as well as…
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Spineless Ethics
Written by Roger Crisp Last week, at a seminar organized jointly by the Oxford Uehiro Centre and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Prof. Irina Mikhalevich presented a fascinating preview of a paper (‘Minds Without Spines: Toward a More Comprehensive Animal Ethics’) which forms part of a project she has been working on with…
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The Utilitarian’s Guide to the FIFA World Cup
By Hazem Zohny For those suspicious of sentiments like national pride, or who simply fail to feel emotionally engaged by a sporting team representing a bit of territory on the planet, the World Cup season can feel alienating. It is a global phenomenon that can be difficult to avoid, and you may rightly feel tired…
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Treating the Dead Well
Written by Stephen Rainey What happens after we die? This might be taken as an eschatological question, seeking some explanation or reassurance around the destiny of an immortal soul or some such vital element of our very being. But there is another sense that has at least as much importance. What should we do with…
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Music Streaming, Hateful Conduct and Censorship
Written by Rebecca Brown Last month, one of the largest music streaming services in the world, Spotify, announced a new ‘hate content and hateful conduct’ policy. In it, they state that “We believe in openness, diversity, tolerance and respect, and we want to promote those values through music and the creative arts.” They condemn hate…
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Gene-Editing Mosquitoes at The European Youth Event 2018
By Jonathan Pugh The below is a slightly extended version of my two 5min presentations at the European Youth Event 2018, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. I was asked to present on the following questions: What are the ethical issues surrounding gene-editing, particularly with respect to eradicating mosquitoes? Should the EU…
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Utilitarian Supervillains, Moral Enhancement, and Enforced Vegetarianism
By Hazem Zohny Bad utilitarians make for great supervillains. Take Thanos, the purple CGI nemesis the Avengers have to face this year in what feels like the gazillionth Marvel movie. In his sincere desire to reduce suffering, Thanos is trying to kill half of all life in the universe. Like all utilitarian-type supervillains, he…
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Illness and Attitude – Richard Holton’s 3rd Uehiro Lecture
By Jonathan Pugh In the final lecture of the 2018 Uehiro lecture series, Richard Holton concluded his reflections on the theme of ‘illness and the social self’ by turning to questions about how attitudes can play a role in the onset of medical disorders, with a particular focus on psycho-somatic disorders. You can…
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Should Abortion be a Matter of Referendum?
Alberto Giubilini Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities and Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford I am writing this post on the 25th of May, as the Irish abortion referendum is taking place. However, you will probably be reading it once the results are already known. I am not going to write in support of either…