Author: Jonathan Spelman Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 1000 Is it better for there to be many people, all of whom have a relatively low quality of life, or for there to be only a few people, all of whom have a relatively high quality of life? Imagine that you are a … Continue reading The Repugnant Conclusion
Author: Ryan Jenkins Category: Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 1000 War is a profoundly destructive institution, yet most of us still believe there are good wars. Authors as far back as Cicero, and in various cultural traditions,1 have sought to answer this question: When is a war just? The just war tradition (or just … Continue reading Just War Theory
Author: Jason Wyckoff Category: Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 1000 What is the relationship between being rational and producing good results? One might think that rational people, acting rationally on good information, will always produce good outcomes for themselves, and maybe for others too. But consider William Poundstone’s description of a widely discussed case: “Two … Continue reading The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Author: Annaleigh Curtis Category: Philosophy of Sex and Gender, Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 990 Editor's Note: This essay is the first in a two-part series authored by Annaleigh on the topic of philosophical feminism. The second essay can be viewed here. In both academic and non-academic discussions of feminism, there is sometimes a lack of appreciation for … Continue reading Feminism Part 1: The Sameness Approach
Author: Ryan Jenkins Category: Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 1000 Most people think it’s obvious that we have a right to procreate and raise children. In fact, many people think reproductive rights are among the most important rights we have. After all, reproductive rights protect some of the most intimate acts between adults … Continue reading Licensing Parents
