Martin Heidegger On Günther Anders And Technology: On Ray Kurzweil, Fritz Lang, And Transhumanism,
2012
Fordham University
Martin Heidegger On Günther Anders And Technology: On Ray Kurzweil, Fritz Lang, And Transhumanism, Babette Babich
Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections
No abstract provided.
Values And Beliefs: A Pragmatist Critique Of Moral Nihilism,
2012
Macalester College
Values And Beliefs: A Pragmatist Critique Of Moral Nihilism, J.P. Weismuller
Philosophy Honors Projects
Moral nihilism maintains that value judgments cannot be justified. In this paper I argue against two prominent nihilistic theories: error theory and expressivism. First I present a meta-valuation thesis, which holds that it would be more valuable if at least some value judgments were justified. Second I argue for a value-justification thesis, which holds that the greater value of value-justifying theories warrants a rejection of nihilistic theories. This latter thesis requires a pragmatist premise: justified beliefs are the most valuable of possible beliefs. With this premise and a critique of meta-ethical theory choice, I argue that meta-ethical justification proceeds …
Taking The “Pest” Out Of Pest Control: Humaneness And Wildlife Damage Management,
2012
The Humane Society of the United States
Taking The “Pest” Out Of Pest Control: Humaneness And Wildlife Damage Management, John Hadidian
Attitudes Towards Animals Collection
Humans have been in the pest control business for a long time. At least 3 major foci of pest control activity currently can be found in governmental and private sectors, with private services focused on both traditional commensal rodent work as well as the more recent control of “nuisance” wildlife in cities and towns. Beyond the traditional approaches and techniques historically employed, animal damage managers are increasingly faced with the challenge of addressing the social context within which their work occurs. An ever-increasing variety of stakeholders have brought new concerns, new thinking, and new approaches to the table in a …
Libertas Philosophandi And Freedom Of Mind In Spinoza’S Tractatus Theologico-Politicus,
2012
Rollins College
Libertas Philosophandi And Freedom Of Mind In Spinoza’S Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, J. Thomas Cook
Faculty Publications
Isaiah Berlin famously distinguished between “negative” and “positive” liberty, arguing that in practice the two are often in tension with each other. This paper uses Berlin’s distinction to analyze Spinoza’s discussion of freedom in the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. Libertas philosophandi is Spinoza’s shorthand for freedom of thought and expression – an important element in traditional liberal (“negative”) freedom. The TTP (as its subtitle announces) is devoted in great part to defending the value and importance of permitting such freedom in the state. But as commentators have often noted, Spinoza is reluctant to extend this liberty to the clerics of his …
The Three-Fold Significance Of The Blaming Emotions,
2012
Northern Michigan University
The Three-Fold Significance Of The Blaming Emotions, Zac Cogley
Publication
Much of the philosophical work on moral responsibility assumes that we should understand people’s moral responsibility for the actions they take in terms of the appropriateness of the blaming emotions—resentment, anger, and indignation. However, current theorizing about the blaming emotions is often psychologically uninformed. Drawing on work in empirical psychology, I have recently argued that anger serves three functions in human psychology: appraisal, motivation, and communication. In this project, I propose to extend that analysis to the entire class of blaming emotions. I will show that theorizing about moral responsibility is myopic if it focuses on one of the functions …
The Structural Injustice Of Forced Migration And The Failings Of Normative Theory,
2012
Loyola University Chicago
The Structural Injustice Of Forced Migration And The Failings Of Normative Theory, David Ingram
Philosophy: Faculty Publications and Other Works
I propose to criticize two strands of argument - contractarian and utilitarian – that liberals have put forth in defense of economic coercion, based on the notion of justifiable paternalism. To illustrate my argument, I appeal to the example of forced labor migration, driven by the exigencies of market forces. In particular, I argue that the forced migration of a special subset of unemployed workers lacking other means of subsistence (economic refugees) cannot be redeemed paternalistically as freedom or welfare enhancing in the long run. I further argue that contractarian and utilitarian approaches are normatively incapable of appreciating this fact …
Aldo Leopold’S Concept Of Land Health: Implications For Sound Public Health Policy,
2012
Gettysburg College
Aldo Leopold’S Concept Of Land Health: Implications For Sound Public Health Policy, Paul Carrick
Philosophy Faculty Publications
I show that the late American ecologist and philosopher Aldo Leopold's concept of 'land health,' connects his holistic understanding of man and nature to core principles of public health policy at the center of today's global health concerns, e.g., world hunger, pandemics, sanitation.
Aesthetics And Art Of Friendship,
2012
Bucknell University
Aesthetics And Art Of Friendship, Sheila Lintott
Faculty Contributions to Books
In the spirit of exploring fresh perspectives, I offer this investigation into the aesthetic aspects of personal relationships with a focus on friendship.1 Glossing the aesthetic aspects of friendship, as we too often do, impoverishes our understanding of the value and meaning of friendships, relationships which give shape and content to our lives, which animate our lives or, as Nancy Sherman (1993) puts it, relationships which structure the good life. The friendships we forge and those we forgo, the loves we cultivate and those we lose, these varying and variable relations broaden (or impoverish) our experiences, intensify (or diminish) our …
Ethics And Critical Thinking,
2012
University of Richmond
Ethics And Critical Thinking, Jonathan B. Wight
Economics Faculty Publications
This chapter seeks to demonstrate that investigations in positive economics rely on ethical perspectives and practices, and further, that critical thinking requires a wider ethical viewpoint than normative economics generally permits. Positive economics generally relies, for example, on the unsung virtues of the investigator who demonstrates honesty and transparency in the search for truth. Ethical failures in this regard are not uncommon (DeMartino, 2011). But another unstated ethical perspective appears in the worldview from which a researcher sets out to model behavior. Modelers almost always assume that rationality requires that an economic actor undertake an action in pursuit of a …
Consuming Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests: The Role Of Genetic Literacy And Knowledge Calibration,
2012
Old Dominion University
Consuming Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests: The Role Of Genetic Literacy And Knowledge Calibration, Yvette E. Pearson, Yuping Liu-Thompkins
Philosophy Faculty Publications
As direct-to-consumer marketing of medical genetic tests grows in popularity, there is an increasing need to better understand the ethical and public policy implications of such products. The complexity of genetic tests raises serious concerns about whether consumers possess the knowledge to make sound decisions about their use. This research examines the effects of educational intervention and feedback on consumers' genetic literacy and calibration -- the gap between consumers' actual knowledge and how much they think they know. The authors find that consumers' genetic knowledge was generally low and that people tended to underestimate their knowledge level. Furthermore, consumers' perceived …
Questioning Our Principles: Anthropological Contributions To Ethical Dilemmas In Clinical Practice,
2012
Southern Methodist University
Questioning Our Principles: Anthropological Contributions To Ethical Dilemmas In Clinical Practice, Carolyn Sargent, Carolyn Smith-Morris
Occasional Papers
No abstract provided.
Play Fair With Recidivists,
2012
University of Richmond
Play Fair With Recidivists, Richard Dagger
Political Science Faculty Publications
Retributivists thus face a difficult challenge. Either we must go against the social grain, and perhaps our own intuitions, by insisting that a criminal offense carry the same penalty or punishment no matter how many previous convictions an offender has accrued; or we must find a way to justify the recidivist premium. I shall take the second route here by arguing that recidivism itself is a kind of criminal offense. In developing this argument, I shall rely on Youngjae Lee's insightful analysis of "recidivism as omission." I shall complement his analysis, however, by grounding it in a conception of criminal …
Voting Rights And Wrongs: Philosophical Justification For Universal Suffrage,
2012
Claremont McKenna College
Voting Rights And Wrongs: Philosophical Justification For Universal Suffrage, Michelle Brody
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis analyzes Jason Brennan's paper "The Right to a Competent Electorate," then critiques his argument in favor of restricting voting rights to those deemed competent. I consider the practical and ethical implications of testing for competence, then conclude, contrary to Brennan, that granting all citizens voting rights is more just than restricting the voting population.
Is There A Right To Healthcare? An Analysis From The Perspective Of Liberty And Libertarianism,
2012
Claremont McKenna College
Is There A Right To Healthcare? An Analysis From The Perspective Of Liberty And Libertarianism, Sarah R. Robinson
CMC Senior Theses
Despite already having the most expensive healthcare system in the world, the U.S. is facing rapidly rising costs, a growing population not covered by health insurance, and outcomes that are no better, and frequently worse, than those seen in the majority of developed nations with universal healthcare. Popular justifications of keeping the state out of healthcare appeal to protecting individual liberty; those who assert that there is a universal right to healthcare usually fail to address this claim. This paper describes the kinds of obligations in healthcare that are consistent with, if not demanded by, theories of justice that emphasize …
The Implications Of Migration Theory For Distributive Justice,
2012
Portland State University
The Implications Of Migration Theory For Distributive Justice, Alexander Sager
Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations
This paper explores the implications of empirical theories of migration for normative accounts of migration and distributive justice. It examines neo-classical economics, world-systems theory, dual labor market theory, and feminist approaches to migration and contends that neo-classical economic theory in isolation provides an inadequate understanding of migration. Other theories provide a fuller account of how national and global economic, political, and social institutions cause and shape migration flows by actively affecting people's opportunity sets in source countries and by admitting people according to social categories such as class and gender. These empirical theories reveal the causal impact of institutions regulating …
Structure And Agency: An Analysis Of The Impact Of Structure On Group Agents,
2012
University of South Florida
Structure And Agency: An Analysis Of The Impact Of Structure On Group Agents, Elizabeth Kaye Victor
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Different kinds of collectives help to coordinate between individuals and social groups to solve distribution problems, supply goods and services, and enable individuals to live fulfilling lives. Collectives, as part of the process of socialization, contribute to the normalization of behaviors, and consequently, structure our ability to be self-reflective autonomous agents. Contemporary philosophy of action models characterize collective action as the product of individuals who have the proper motivations to perform cooperative activities (bottom-up); or they begin with the social-level phenomena and explain this in terms of individual actions and the mental states that motivate them (top-down). One general goal …
Moral Friction, Moral Phenomenology, And The Improviser,
2012
University of South Florida
Moral Friction, Moral Phenomenology, And The Improviser, Benjamin Scott Young
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation offers a phenomenology of that mode of self-interpretation in which it becomes possible for an interpreter to intentionally participate in the production of moral norms to which the interpreter himself or herself feels bound. Part One draws on Richard Rorty's notion of the "ironist" in order to thematize the phenomenon I call "moral friction"; a condition in which an interpreter becomes explicitly aware of the historical and cultural contingencies of their own moral vocabularies, practices, and concerns and as a result find themselves incapable of feeling the normative weight implicit in these. Part Two draws on Heidegger's existential …
Justice In Context: Assessing Contextualism As An Approach To Justice,
2012
CUNY Lehman College
Justice In Context: Assessing Contextualism As An Approach To Justice, Michael Buckley
Publications and Research
Moral and political philosophers are increasingly using empirical data to inform their normative theories. This has sparked renewed interest into questions concerning the relationship between facts and principles. A recent attempt to frame these questions within a broader approach to normative theory comes from David Miller, who has on several occasions defended ‘contextualism’ as the best approach to justice. Miller argues that the context of distribution itself brings one or another political principle into play. This paper examines this claim. It considers several plausible strategies for carrying out Miller’s general project and argues that each strategy fails. Nevertheless, the author …
A Systems View Of Time-Dependent Ethical Decisions,
2012
Bluffton University
A Systems View Of Time-Dependent Ethical Decisions, Hamid A. Rafizadeh, Brad Kallenberg
Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications
Every ethical situation has a "system" characteristic with a group of human and nonhuman elements linked in a variety of interactions and interdependencies. The system allows the elements to act in part or as a whole towards achieving a spectrum of goals, objectives, or ends. The systems view asserts that any local and bipolar understanding of an ethical situation would be deficient as it would neglect certain interactions and interdependencies as well as overlook differing orientations of agents towards different goals and objectives. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for a systems-based view of ethics.
Rethinking Fideism Through The Lens Of Wittgenstein’S Engineering Outlook,
2012
University of Dayton
Rethinking Fideism Through The Lens Of Wittgenstein’S Engineering Outlook, Brad Kallenberg
Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications
In an otherwise superbly edited compilation of student notes from Wittgenstein’s 1939 Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics, Cora Diamond makes a false step that reveals to us our own tendencies to misread Wittgenstein. The student notes she collated attributed the following remark to a student named Watson: “The point is that these [data] tables do not by themselves determine that one builds the bridge in this way: only the tables together with certain scientific theory determine that.” But Diamond thinks this a mistake, presuming instead to change the manuscript and put these words into the mouth of Wittgenstein. …
