Exploitation, broadly, is the act of Person A taking unfair advantage of Person B – usually made possible from B’s vulnerability (2022:1). Whilst cases of non-consensual and/or disadvantaging exploitation seem uncontroversially wrong, cases of mutually-beneficial exploitation (MBE) are harder to evaluate. Traditionally, theorists have held the requirement of
The question of which states should bear the burdens of tackling climate change, and by how much, is hotly contested. The Beneficiary Pays Principle (BPP) proposes that costs be shared among states who benefit from the activities that cause climate change. By contrast, the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) proposes an
Moral responsibility deals with how one can be held culpable for their actions. The question of whether acting on false moral beliefs can diminish one’s moral responsibility was considered by Gideon Rosen (2004), who argued for complete exculpation whenever one is unaware of their error. Using the case of
Virtue ethics is a moral theory which, unlike its deontological and consequentialist counterparts, places virtue at its centre. Virtues, as Rosalind Hursthouse and Glen Pettigrove (2023) explain, are an “excellent trait of character” – such as honesty or altruism (2023:1). Whilst any moral theory can make space for virtues, consequences,
The question of the moral, procreative duties of parents is an issue hotly debated in bioethics. Whilst traditional accounts have defended the importance of minimising incidence of disease or developmental conditions in foetuses, I argue that these fail to justify their means sufficiently. Further, it appears that the duty of
Microaggressions – as first coined by Pierce (1974) – explain subtle but commonplace ‘put-downs’, targeted based on someone’s real (or perceived) membership of a social group. These acts remain distinct from overt discrimination, by the fact that the perpetrator need not intentionally cause offense. McTernan (2018) argues that these microaggressions are
The issue of what our obligations are, and where they come from, regarding future people, is hotly debated. Theorists such as Parfit (1987) and De George (1981) have posited an inevitably limited set of moral obligations towards unborn, future people, on account of the ‘Non-Identity Problem’ (NIP). By contrast, Shiffrin
The Paradox of Supererogation is a paradox of kindness: if we have the most reason to do the most moral things, then how can we ever do more than we are required to? That is, are we really obligated to do the most good in our actions - and if not, why?
The epistemology of morality is a philosophical field in its own right. Nestled at its core is the question of where our sense of right and wrong originates. Specifically, can we definitively rule out evolution as the basis of our moral beliefs?
The commodification argument is a compelling case against the sale of human body parts. But does it fall short of establishing necessary immorality, and what explains our intuitive distaste for this practice?
In The Atrocity Paradigm, Claudia Card (2002) presents a theory of evil which breaks from previous accounts, by reframing the debate on victims of evil. For Card, evil involves culpable wrongdoing, intolerable harm, and reasonable foreseeability.
Hannah Arendt’s ‘banality of evil’, written after the trial of Adolf Eichmann in 1961, describes how ordinary people can thoughtlessly engage in acts of evil. Whilst Arendt’s original account falters, when incorporating intention, the core account of evil is defensible.
Law
How have sanctions affected global business, how have law firms responded, and what are the trends for future sanctions regimes?
Polemic
The issue of how art is - and how it ought to be - judged is central to debates of the artworld. Kendall Walton attempts to end this debate with his notion of 'Aesthetic Contextualism'. How convincing is this account of artistic interpretation?
Current Affairs
The 4th and 5th enlargements of the European Union have had wide-ranging effects on its identity and policy, yet there is still much debate over the extent these changes in comparison.
Polemic
The question of whether justice is truly a selfless virtue – motivated only by the concern for others, rather than oneself – is a debate that has troubled philosophers for centuries.
Finance
Money and the state has evolved dramatically over time. In the digital era, rising prominence of cryptocurrencies looks to upend the balance. With problems of speculation and price volatility, stablecoins seek a reliable means of payment, whilst retaining the promise of blockchain.
Current Affairs
The issue of whether Russia will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine is one of an increasingly pressing relevance. It is easy to forget that – after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 – Ukraine was the 3rd largest nuclear power in the world and held a third of former Soviet
Finance
Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision has regulators globally up in arms. Pending final verdicts, why is the deal so controversial?
Current Affairs
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sees the world as more dangerous and unstable. But just seeing conflict only tells us half the story - what matters is what comes next.
Polemic
In the contemporary international system, the issue of migration is central in the debate about the nation-state and its particular responsibilities. Do states have a moral obligation to uphold freedom of movement, and if so, why?
Finance
Musk's acquisition of Twitter posed to create a revolutionary new platform. With Twitter crumbling, and fresh doubts over Tesla, what went so wrong?
Finance
NFTs are on the bleeding-edge of 'Crypto' financial technology. But what are the financial and legal implications, and how can consumers and businesses be protected?