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: Towar…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreTreating 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 i…
Read MoreMusic 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 resp…
Read MoreGene-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…
Read MoreUtilitarian 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 …
Read MoreIllness 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 …
Read MoreShould 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…
Read MoreAddiction, Desire, and The Polluted Environment – Richard Holton’s 2nd Uehiro Lecture
By Jonathan Pugh In the second of his three Uehiro lectures on the theme of ‘illness and the social self’, Richard Holton turned to the moral questions raised by addiction. In the first half of the lecture, he outlined an account of …
Read MoreCoffee with Colleagues: Caffeine is a “Social” Enhancer
By Nadira Faber The coffee you are having with your colleagues at a business meeting does more than keep you awake. Many of us know that caffeine can help with alertness and working memory – the first systematic study on caffeine and …
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