Articles on Ethics
September 5, 2024
If robots could lie, would we be okay with it? A new study throws up intriguing results
Stine S. Johansen, Queensland University of Technology
Sometimes, we lie to others to protect their feelings. Maybe robots should be allowed to do the same.
August 30, 2024
Is ‘coaching’ a shortcut to mental health care? Not so fast − here are key differences
Emily Hemendinger, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
A professor of psychiatry unpacks what to consider if you’re looking for help with physical or mental health and are considering using coaching services.
August 29, 2024
Do campaign ethics still matter in the age of Donald Trump?
If campaign ethics are no longer important to politicians or voters, the U.S. and Canada will face more contested elections, greater political division and further erosion of trust in politicians.
August 29, 2024
Retirement doesn’t just raise financial concerns – it can also mean feeling unmoored and irrelevant
If you have spent 40 years of your life working 40 hours a week, retirement isn’t just a financial consideration, writes a philosopher.
August 29, 2024
The Nuremberg Code isn’t just for prosecuting Nazis − its principles have shaped medical ethics to this day
The Nuremberg Code was developed during trials for Nazi officials accused of performing inhumane experiments − but its influence has been far wider.
August 28, 2024
Americans love nature but don’t feel empowered to protect it, new research shows
New research shows that Americans have positive feelings toward nature but also detects strong undertones of longing, guilt and worry.
August 19, 2024
Astronomers have warned against colonial practices in the space industry − a philosopher of science explains how the industry could explore other planets without exploiting them
Space may be considered the final frontier, but the US was once a frontier, too. How can space industry leaders avoid repeating practices that led to colonialism in the 18th century and beyond?
August 16, 2024
Editing fetal genomes is on the horizon − a medical anthropologist explains why ethical discussions with the target communities should happen sooner rather than later
Julia Brown, University of California, San Francisco
In the absence of clear-cut regulation, who should decide on where and how a technology that could change the course of human health should be applied?
July 15, 2024
Electing a virtuous president would make immunity irrelevant, writes a political philosopher
Presidential immunity can bring with it many risks. So how can we think about the nature and limits of such immunity?
July 11, 2024
Inequality in life – and death: Newspaper obituaries have long discriminated against women
Historically, women have been less likely to be the subject of obituaries. Their obituaries tend to be shorter, with biased words and images.
June 28, 2024
How camping bans − like the one the Supreme Court just upheld − can fit into ‘hostile design’: Strategies to push out homeless people
Robert Rosenberger, Georgia Institute of Technology
Anti-camping laws are the centerpiece of the ‘hostile design’ strategies cities use to push the unhoused out of public spaces.
June 28, 2024
Paul Gauguin was a violent paedophile. Should the National Gallery of Australia be staging a major exhibition of his work?
Sasha Grishin, Australian National University
Should a public art gallery exhibit his work, highlighting the fact he was a seriously flawed human being? Or is this to quietly condone domestic violence and paedophilia? I do not know the answer.
June 23, 2024
An eerie ‘digital afterlife’ is no longer science fiction. So how do we navigate the risks?
Ways to interact with virtual versions of our deceased loved ones are now a possibility – but there’s a raft of ethical and emotional challenges involved.
June 13, 2024
Spikes, seat dividers, even ‘Baby Shark’ − camping bans like the one under review at SCOTUS are part of broader strategies that push out homeless people
Robert Rosenberger, Georgia Institute of Technology
Anti-camping laws are the centerpiece of the ‘hostile design’ strategies cities use to push the unhoused out of public spaces.
June 11, 2024
Are older adults more vulnerable to scams? What psychologists have learned about who’s most susceptible, and when
Many factors shape an individual’s risk for falling prey to deception, including where and how they are targeted.
June 10, 2024
How much do you need to know about how your spouse spends money? Maybe less than you think
A researcher explains how couples can create a sense of ‘our money’ while keeping a sense of financial autonomy.
June 7, 2024
5 reasons Supreme Court ethics questions are more common now than in the past
Are concerns about Supreme Court justices’ ethics an old problem, a new one, political gamesmanship, or something more serious? Yes to all of it.
June 6, 2024
Inside the rise and fall of one of the world’s most powerful writing groups
Christine Larson, University of Colorado Boulder
In its bankruptcy filing, the Romance Writers of America blamed ‘disputes concerning diversity, equity and inclusion’ for its membership declining by an astounding 80%.
May 31, 2024
Why is ‘moral equivalence’ such a bad thing? A political philosopher explains
Why has the ICC indictment of Israeli and Hamas leaders drawn so much fire? Understanding the notion of moral equivalence might help explain why.
May 31, 2024
All Eyes on Rafah: sharing images of war comes with a moral responsibility. What can we make of this AI-generated anomaly?
Sara Oscar, University of Technology Sydney and Cherine Fahd, University of Technology Sydney
The All Eyes on Rafah image has been criticised as being overly sanitised. How does it compare to other war images? And where is the line between performative solidarity and moral responsibility?
Related Topics
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Bioethics
- Coronavirus
- COVID-19
- Ethical question
- Medical ethics
- Morality
- Philosophy
- Religion and society
- Technology
Top contributors
- Julian Savulescu Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
- Hugh Breakey Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University
- Patrick Stokes Associate Professor of Philosophy, Deakin University
- Travis N. Rieder Director of the Master of Bioethics degree program at the Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University
- Lee McIntyre Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University
- Dominic Wilkinson Consultant Neonatologist and Professor of Ethics, University of Oxford
- Nir Eisikovits Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston
- Ian Kerridge Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney
- Paul Komesaroff Professor of Medicine, Monash University
- Nancy S. Jecker Professor of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, University of Washington
- Michael Blake Professor of Philosophy, Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington
- David Tuffley Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University
- Matthew Beard Associate Lecturer, University of Notre Dame Australia
- Keymanthri Moodley Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine and Director, The Centre for Medical Ethics & Law, Stellenbosch University
- William S. Lynn Founder of PAN Works and Research Scientist at the Marsh Institute, Clark University
