Philosophy Commons^™

The Planetary Garden, Permaculture Ethics, And Frameworks Of Care: Reclaiming Value Of Care, Care Work And Nature Through Youth Education Programming, Charlotte Borland

Student Research

In issues of food pathways, social justice, and sustainable practices, permaculture ethics and care ethics provide unique models for improvising solutions. First, permaculture ethics is comprised of three fundamental maxims: (1) care for Earth, (2) care for people, and (3) fair share. These principles inform permaculture practices but also have the possibility to inform cultural frameworks and economic practices. For example, by prioritizing the value and practice of “fair share”—taking only what an individual needs—warns against the consequences of overconsumption. Regarding maxims of care for Earth and people, such principles provide a framework to reclaim the value of care and …

Moral Agency, Luke Thompson

Student Research

My paper discusses the philosophical issue of animals and ethics. The question that I explore involves the moral status of humans and if humans should receive a higher moral status than other animals. Peter Singer, a moral philosopher, attacks the views of those who wish to give the interests of animals less weight than the interests of human beings. He advocates for a principle known as the equal consideration of interests. This principle states that one should give equal weight in one’s moral decision-making to the like interests of all those affected by one’s actions. Furthermore, the capacity of suffering/pain …

An Ethical Market For Kidney?, Sang T. Truong

Student Research

The kidney performs several vital functions that maintain our general health condition, including filtering waste chemicals out of our blood. Kidney failure is a condition where patients’ kidneys lose their ability to filter the waste from their blood, leading to accumulating toxin in their body. Without any medical care, a patient with kidney failure has a couple days to a couple of weeks to live. One way to elongate the life of the kidney-failure patient is through kidney transplant, where another kidney is implanted into the patient’s body.

In the U.S, it is illegal to trade a kidney for money. …

Ethical Price For Essential Pharmaceuticals?, Sang T. Truong

Student Research

Azidothymidine or AZT is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. Nowadays, AZT remains to be the primary active drug that can elongate the life of infected patients. Without treatment, patients can live for 5 to 10 years after infected. With the treatment, their life expectancy approaches the norm.

However, it is important to note that AZT is a life-saver for HIV patients only if they can afford it. An HIV patient needs to spend about $17,000 for AZT every year until the end of his life. Therefore, the estimated lifetime cost of HIV will be $600,000. This …