Philosophy Commons^™

The Ethics Of Gene Editing Hereditary Deafness, Jasmine Borie

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Gene editing has been a hot topic of interest in the field of science, and many gene editing solutions for heritable diseases are in the works. In most cases, gene editing is done with good intentions, but there are some instances where it would not be favorable for reasons that may not be inherently obvious to everyone. Several forms of deafness and hearing loss can be inherited, meaning that it can be passed down from parent to offspring. Curing hereditary deafness using gene editing may seem like a good idea, but it can lead to unintentional discrimination and further stigmatization …

Ethical Work Cultures & Ai, Andrew Brei

Presentations - 2025

With the help of moral theories, several case studies, and insights from the world of behavioral ethics, my project aims to provide engineering professionals with the means to deal properly with moral issues that commonly arise in their chosen fields.

Classic Philosophers On Modern Issues: The Ethics Of Germline Editing, Grace O. Decostanza

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

The prospect of using CRISPR-Cas-9 technology to edit human embryos in a process called germline editing has the potential to irreparably change the world as we know it. Many pose the question: if you could save your child from having a disease, would you? But I argue that is not the only—or even, real—question we should be asking. Instead, I ask you, should we be changing humanity as we know it in ways that elude even our foremost scientists? Should we decide what disabilities make people not worth being people? Should we introduce a technology knowing full well that it …

Bonhoeffer, Kierkegaard, And Conditional Pacifism, Gregory L. Bock

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian pacifist who believed Jesus Christ taught nonviolence, yet Bonhoeffer was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler. How did Bonhoeffer justify to himself his participation in the plot? This essay makes the argument that Bonhoeffer, influenced by Soren Kierkegaard, distinguishes between ethics and acts of faith, suggesting the possibility that Bonhoeffer believed he was responding in faithful obedience to the direct call of God to participate in the plot despite the fact that this conflicted with the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount.

Poetic Philosophy And The Moralization Of Social Networks, Finn Janning

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

In this paper, I aim to explore the question, “What distinguishes philosophy in its original sense? ” My intent is not to provide a historical overview of philosophy, but to concentrate on what makes philosophy a liberating practice. I argue that this practice is rooted in its poetic and affirmative way of organizing life. To emphasize this idea, I contrast it with the presumed organization found in social media and networks. While social media and networks encourages commitment by simplifying complexity, they also restrict users' freedom, responsibility, and ability to make meaningful decisions. To support these claims, I examine the …

Christian Ethics And Business Leadership, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay discusses the ethical principles of listening, community, stewardship, and interreligious and intercultural understanding with respect to business leadership. It opens by discussing definitions of ethics and their relevance to businesses and business leaders. It continues by providing a description of the consulting company Accenture’s ethical principles and practices, as positive examples. The essay provides Arthur Andersen and its work with Enron and WorldCom, both of which went bankrupt in the early 2000s, as examples of the failures that occur when ethical principles are not practiced. Then, the essay states that Christianity and the Benedictine tradition constitute a basis …

40 Years Of Withholding Syphilis Treatment In Tuskegee, Emily Hill

CAFE Symposium 2025

This poster analyzes Bill Clinton's late given apology for the unethical nonconsensual syphilis study done on a group of African American men in secret for years. It looks at what makes an apology successful and whether or not the apology given by former President Bill Clinton was enough. The poster also briefly talks about the aftermath of this experiment, which has lasting effects even today.

Epicurus And The Buddha On Desire, Andrew Alwood

Comparative Philosophy

The philosophies of Epicurus and the Buddha aim to free us from suffering by helping us to recognize how ignorance and delusion lead us to pursue harmful desires. Since the problem lies in our attitudes, the solution is to change our attitudes. Like doctors healing the sick, they offer therapeutic practical advice, to remove the groundless opinions and the unhealthy desires that cause suffering. Although various misconceptions may lead us to conceive of these two thinkers as quite different with respect to values and ethics, there are remarkable similarities. Indeed, their practical advice for how to live has the same …

Playing The Digital Dialectic Game: Writing Pedagogy With Generative Ai, Rebekah Shultz Colby

University Writing Program: Faculty Scholarship

This article explores teaching writing with generative AI as critical play where students and teachers engage in an ethically dialectical and aleatory game with generative AI. I qualitatively surveyed 24 writing teachers about how they teach writing with generative AI as well as its advantages and disadvantages. I discovered that teachers used generative AI to teach about the ethics of generative AI's design and rhetorical use to avoid plagiarism. Teachers also critically played with generative AI to teach the writing process of invention, drafting, revision, and editing. Specifically, the critical, dialectical interplay of human and machine invents in aleatory and …

01. Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery (Novel - Ebook), Matthew Lipman

Middle School Curriculum

One day Harry finds himself giving the wrong answer in science class and begins to wonder where he has gone wrong. This reflection soon involves his classmates, who begin to think together about the nature of thinking, inquiry and knowledge. With the help of their teacher, Harry and his classmates discover rules of formal and informal logic, relational logic and hypothetical thinking—-not as ends in themselves, but as tools in helping them understand themselves and their world. Some of the ideas they begin to explore this way include education, mind, rights, religion, art, cause and effect, causes and reasons, and …

06. Lisa (Novel - Ebook), Matthew Lipman

Middle School Curriculum

Lisa is the story of a school year in the life of an adolescent girl and her classmates, a year studded with physical, aesthetic and ethical awakenings. Various events in these young people's lives prompt them to puzzle over such issues as animal rights, sexism, racism, justice, divorce and death. All of them struggle with issues of identity and thinking for oneself - philosophical issues of perennial concern to adolescents. As they begin to recognize the ethical dimensions of their experience, Lisa and her friends puzzle over such philosophical concepts as the right, the fair, the good, perfection, and naturalism. …

07. Lisa (Novel .Pdf Printable), Matthew Lipman

Middle School Curriculum

Lisa is the story of a school year in the life of an adolescent girl and her classmates, a year studded with physical, aesthetic and ethical awakenings. Various events in these young people's lives prompt them to puzzle over such issues as animal rights, sexism, racism, justice, divorce and death. All of them struggle with issues of identity and thinking for oneself - philosophical issues of perennial concern to adolescents. As they begin to recognize the ethical dimensions of their experience, Lisa and her friends puzzle over such philosophical concepts as the right, the fair, the good, perfection, and naturalism. …

Engaging Ethics In Technology And Artificial Intelligence, Elizabeth Edenberg

Open Educational Resources

This project seeks to help students apply philosophical questions about the ethics of technology and artificial intelligence to contemporary debates about AI’s impact on society and students’ own lives. It includes a set of in-class active learning exercises and reflection assignments, along with instructions for moderating class discussion of these topics. This is designed to pair with three units in a course on the ethics of technology: privacy, consent, and algorithmic fairness. Each exercise aims to help students connect the philosophical theories studied in class to their own lived experiences with technology.

Not Exactly "Perfect," But Pretty Darn Good: A Review Of Michael Schur's Book- How To Be Perfect: The Correct Answer To Every Moral Question, Justin Pepe

Management Faculty Publications

How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question provides a quick-start guide to addressing ethical challenges by using humor to make complex philosophical concepts accessible. Based on the premise that traditional ethics pedagogy is often stodgy, esoteric, and depressing, the book appeals to students and professionals who find conventional texts unapproachable. By blending humor with moral philosophy, it offers a fresh way to develop ethical reasoning in students and employees. This book can help address the urgent need for managers and professionals to build the ethical capabilities necessary to tackle grand challenges.

Scholarly Inquiry And Practice In Mathematics Teacher Education Through Intimate Scholarship, Signe E. Kastberg, Elizabeth Suazo-Flores, Melva Grant, Olive Chapman

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Historically scholarly inquiry and practice in mathematics education has responded to societal values and questions. Drawing from the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education’s description of mathematics teacher educator (MTE) work as in solidarity with and alongside mathematics teachers, we turn to mathematics teacher education research as a series of paradigm shifts. MTEs committed to supporting teachers and transferring knowledge attempted to influence mathematics teachers’ work by exploring and understanding teachers’ behaviors. MTEs have also used insider’s perspectives to report the particular of MTEs’ work by describing it beyond behavior and knowledge. These scholars fulfill the call for theoretical eclecticism …

Aquariam (2018) By Cynthia Alonso, Samantha Piede

Picture Books

When the protagonist of Cynthia Alonso's Aquarium discovers a small, orange fish has splashed onto her neighborhood pier, she delightedly attempts to realize her dream of living amongst marine life. She decides to build a new home for it -- a human-sized aquarium -- in her living room. However, her earnestness is not enough to make this space a true home for the fish. Samantha Piede's Thinking in Stories review highlights several ethical and epistemological questions raised by this wordless narrative. What can we know of the needs and desires of species other than our own? What are the ethical …

Historicity And Axiology: Temporal Implications For Axiology, Bennett Gilbert

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

To develop the axiology of moral (or ethical) values, phenomenological analysis must look at temporality in a way that is unfamiliar to it. This way is through knowledge and experience of the actual historical past, from which it has been separated by the Heideggerian conception of historicity and its classical Husserlian analysis of time consciousness. The development of historical studies helps to make this possible. A simple sample model of the diachronesis of the awareness of ethical significance, value, and obligation is presented. It moves the analysis from a presentist focus to the field of experience in which subjects develop …

On The Morality Of Prostitution Under Hierarchical Social Structures: A Radical Feminist Analysis, Kendra F. Ballard

Quest

Moral Philosophy Essay

Research in progress for PHIL 2306: Introduction to Ethics

Faculty Mentor: John Macready, Ph.D.

The following article represents exemplary student research produced in PHIL 2306, a sophomore-level course in ethical and moral philosophy at Collin College. PHIL 2306 introduces students to an array of ethical and moral theories, such as virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism, and contractarianism, as well as the dominant critiques of these theories. These ethical and moral theories provide models for reasoning about ethical and moral issues, which students practice by applying these theories to specific issues like abortion, torture, capital punishment, and genetic engineering. …

Volume 7 (2024) Artificial Intelligence And Responsibility, Arwa Alnajashi, Danielle Derise, Philip L. Frana, David Mcgraw, Amanda Sawyer, Tatjana Titareva, Raafat Zaini, Allie Zombron

International Journal on Responsibility

The seventh volume of the International Journal on Responsibility (IJR) arrives at a crucial moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence and its integration into our academic and social fabric. As we witness the rapid advancement and deployment of AI systems across various domains, this special issue examines the multifaceted dimensions of responsibility surrounding AI technology, with a particular focus on its role in higher education and broader societal implications.

The articles in this volume contribute to our understanding of responsibility through diverse lenses, from classroom implementation to ethical design considerations. Together, they fulfill IJR’s central mission of exploring “Who …

“Repeat A Little:” Time And Freedom In Deleuze’S Difference And Repetition, Mine Sak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I examine Gilles Deleuze’s philosophy of time as presented in Difference and Repetition and use it to construct a concept of freedom, which is notably absent in his work. I argue that Deleuze’s exposition of the three syntheses of time provides significant insights for exploring the ontological possibility and structure of freedom. Through an analysis of his theory of the three syntheses of time, I investigate the meanings of agency, destiny, and choice within Deleuze's framework. I demonstrate that free choice necessitates both involuntary and creative action. Given the apparent tension between freedom and involuntariness, I explore …

Her (Ettinger’S) Diotima, His (Levinas’) Diotima: On The Vitalness Of Eros In Education, Shiran Greenberg

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

No abstract provided.

When To Save The Baby: A Fundamental Conditions Approach, S. Matthew Liao, Jordan Liebman, Corine Astroth

Pace Law Review

Parents and physicians often grapple with the agonizing decision of whether to continue life-sustaining treatment for critically ill infants. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework called the Fundamental Conditions Approach (FCA) to guide these difficult choices. Building on S. Matthew Liao’s work, the FCA evaluates whether an infant possesses or can develop the fundamental capacities necessary for engaging in basic activities that constitute a good life. These capacities include the ability to think, respond to facts, develop interpersonal relationships, and interact with one’ environment. We argue that if an infant lacks nearly all of these fundamental capacities and …

Ethical Risks Of Frontier Science And Technology: An Escalating Threat, Xiao Lu, Huihui Liu, Rui Li, Jiaofeng Pan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Science and technology (S&T) are not only powerful tools for development, but also a source of risk. The new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are accelerating in current times. It deeply influences and fundamentally reshapes human production and life, which can raise a range of known and unknown ethical risks, involving individual rights and interests, social stability, national security, as well as sustainable development of mankind. This study summarizes the characteristics of ethical risks in frontier S&T, including the dependence on related fields, high uncertainty, social reconstruction, and ultimate challenge. Considering the risks in various fields, …

Ethical Responsibility In The Design Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Systems, David K. Mcgraw

International Journal on Responsibility

This article aims to provide an overview of the ethical questions surrounding the responsibilities of designers of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. First, the author delves into the philosophical underpinnings of this responsibility, examining various ethical theories to grasp the moral obligations individuals have towards others and society. The author contends that designers of technology bear the responsibility of considering the broader societal implications of their creations. Subsequently, the author scrutinizes the fundamental question of whether AI systems present unique ethical concerns compared to conventional technologies, pinpointing factors such as complexity, opacity, autonomy, unpredictability, uncertainty, and the potential for significant social …

L’Ia, Nouvelle Forme D’Aliénation Et De Déresponsabilisation De L’Homme ?, Lina Iskandar Hawat

Horizons et Conjonctures

Artificial intelligence represents a technology capable of transforming the world and humanity. Through it, human beings confront their nature and limits and assume ethical responsibility toward this innovation that carries both opportunities and risks. Its effects can be positive or negative on the human future, and it can modify human interactions through virtual environments susceptible to becoming sources of problems and isolation. AI can surpass humans in performance and rationality while remaining unpredictable, raising questions about trust and cooperation. The central question: how can human beings preserve their place as the ultimate end and avoid alienation in technological fascination? This …

Navigating Big Data Ethics: An Analysis Through Al-Attas's Islamic Worldview, Aldin Julian Azma, Saffana Lam’A Tazkiyah, Muhammad Yahya Abdurrahman

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The term "Big Data" is used to describe a collection of data that is both vast in scale and highly complex, and which is expected to continue growing in size. The indication of a secular collection, processing, and use of big data makes it imperative to consider big data from a moral responsibility and ethical perspective. This article seeks to integrate Islamic values and principles from the perspective of Syed Naquib Al Attas, with a particular focus on ethics and morals in the context of big data. This research employs a literature review methodology with a descriptive-analytical approach, Al Attas …

Quantifying Ethics And Trust In Human-Ai Collaboration, Oliver Lane, Kevin Klave

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As AI Chatbots continue to evolve in both prevalence and capability, their role in education is becoming increasingly prominent. With chatbots like ChatGPT becoming commonplace in higher education, there is an evident need to understand the ethics and trust dynamics of human-AI collaboration. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on AI in education, highlighting the importance of trust when utilizing AI in academic settings. By conducting an empirical analysis, this research seeks to quantify trust in human-AI collaboration in higher education with the aim of offering actionable items for higher education institutions to follow to promote ethical and responsible …

Stalemate At Port Arthur: William James On War, Vulnerability, And Pluralist Personalism, Bennett Gilbert

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using a close reading of a single clause and its context in a section in A Pluralist Universe, we see the moral dangers James saw in traditional ontology, in particular its relation to war and peace. This analysis opens up James’s combining the personalist philosophy of his friend Borden Bowne (and others) with the pluralism he developed late in his career. This leads, further, to reflection of James’s performative philosophizing. Finding in James a theory of “pluralistic personalism” gives us a fresh look at the far-reaching power of his basic concepts of moral philosophy.

Inspecting The Foundations Of Natural Law Ethics And Politics: Looking For Cracks, Detecting Gaps, And Considering The Edifice That Can Be Built Thereon, Adam D. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I inspect the foundations of natural law ethics and politics. The inspection involves looking for cracks, detecting gaps, and considering the edifice that can be built thereon. To do so, I critically examine several of the many concepts and principles that are constitutive of those foundations. Some of my examination is done by means of direct consideration of such concepts and principles. And some of it is done by addressing such concepts and principles indirectly as I address questions about practical ethical or political concerns including: how can public officials make decisions that are not biased, what …

Evaluating Bad Theology And Making A Case For The Ethical Priority Of Religious Diversity In Tolkien Studies, Nick Polk

Journal of Tolkien Research

Presented at Oxonmoot in 2024, the aim of this paper is to present a selection of theological Tolkien criticisms for the purpose of evaluating them through practical theologian Leah Robinson’s definition of bad theology. The point is argued that bad theology in Tolkien Studies needs to be identified and understood as unethical and replaced with the openness of theologian John Thatamanil’s criteria for religious diversity. Concluding will be a promotion of religious diversity as an ethical priority and evaluative tool for future theological engagements within Tolkien Studies.