Matthew Foust, John Carroll University
Utilitarian moral theories purport to be in favor of maximizing the well-being of all concerned. In accordance with this principle, several of an agent’s values must receive protection while practicing any form of utilitarianism, considering protection of human rights to be conducive to human well-being. Autonomy would seem t…
Mahesh Ananth, Bowling Green State University
Casuistry or case-based analysis is one of the methodologies employed by bioethicists and clinicians to address the many complex medical decisions that most people must face at one time or another in their lives. Casuists declare firmly that the only way to resolve the complex issues in medical settings is to focus simply on the act…
Moral Taint in the context of 21st Century Ethics
“Taint is best understood as determined not only by what we do but also who we choose to be.
Given that this society has become increasingly globalized, it is not surprising that recently more consideration has been given to the idea of collective responsibility. Every individua…
Elisabeth Burke, University of New South Wales
This essay examines the relevance of ethics within a theatre production of Dante’s Inferno. Following a very brief overview of the structure, context and dramaturgy of the production I then elaborate some behind-the-scene stories that emerged during the period of the production. Each story is followed by a reflection on t…
Lee Peck, Ohio University
Are there facts about how we should act? Can we test moral claims just as scientists test whether there is truth to a theory? Gilbert Harman believes there is “a real problem of testability in ethics, a problem that can be formulated without making mistakes about testability in science” (1986). Moral facts have no explanatory role, he says,…