Author: Joseph Frigault Category: Philosophy of Race, Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 996 History is marked by large-scale injustice. In the United States alone, Native Americans were violently displaced, Africans were enslaved and their descendants subject to lynchings and Jim Crow laws, and Japanese Americans were interned during World War II, among other … Continue reading Reparations for Historic Injustice
Author: Erik Van Aken Category: Phenomenology and Existentialism, Ethics Word Count: 1000 “There is only one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy." – Albert Camus It might seem flippant to remark that the essential question in philosophy is … Continue reading Camus on the Absurd: The Myth of Sisyphus
Author: Nathan Nobis Category: Ethics Word count: 1000 Sadly, there are people in very bad medical conditions who want to die. They are in pain, they are suffering, and they no longer find their quality of life to be at an acceptable level anymore. When people like this are kept alive by machines or other … Continue reading Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing
Author: Daniel Miller Categories: Ethics, Metaphysics Word Count: 1000 Sometimes ignorance is a legitimate excuse for morally wrong behavior, and sometimes it isn’t. If someone has secretly replaced my sugar with arsenic, then I’m blameless for putting arsenic in your tea.[1] But if I put arsenic in your tea because I keep arsenic and sugar … Continue reading Ignorance and Blame
Author: Travis Joseph Rodgers Category: Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 995 Criminals are punished with fines, public scorn, imprisonment, death and more. Philosophical theories of punishment ask what justifies punishment, both in general and what justifies particular punishments. Most theories appeal to punishment’s effects on the future or facts about the past. This essay … Continue reading Theories of Punishment
Author: Taylor W. Cyr Category: Ethics, Metaphysics Word Count: 1000 Consider a case of manipulation:[1] Beth is a talented student with a well-rounded life. Her professor wants her to focus all her energies on school, at the expense of Beth’s hobbies and relationships. After failing to convince Beth to spend all of her time studying, … Continue reading Manipulation and Moral Responsibility
Author: Michael Klenk Category: Ethics, Philosophy of Science Word Count: 999 We often follow what are considered basic moral rules: don’t steal, don’t lie, help others when we can. But why do we follow these rules, or any rules understood as “moral rules”? Does evolution explain why? If so, does evolution have implications for which … Continue reading Evolution and Ethics
Author: David Antonini Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Historical Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 997 When you make an agreement of some significance (e.g., to rent an apartment, or join a gym, or divorce), you typically agree to certain terms: you sign a contract. This is for your benefit, and for the other party’s benefit: everyone’s … Continue reading Social Contract Theory
Authors: Michael Milona & Katie Stockdale Categories: Ethics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, Social & Political Philosophy Word Count: 994 Hope is ubiquitous: family members express hope that we find love and happiness, politicians call for hope in response to tragedies, and optimists urge people to keep their hopes up. We also tell ourselves to maintain hope, … Continue reading Hope
Author: Ben Davies Category: Social and Political, Ethics Word Count: 999 Some people are multi-billionaires; others die because they are too poor to afford food or medications. In many countries, people are denied rights to free speech, to participate in political life, or to pursue a career, because of their gender, religion, race or other factors, … Continue reading John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’
