Applied Ethics Category
Should rules always be obeyed?
Posted on September 5, 2020
An interesting question to ask is whether rules, those guiding instructions we have in society to keep ever essential peace and order, should always be obeyed? When might it be needed to not obey the rules of society or in fact be essential to go against them? This short post provides opinions of mine on […]
A WEe Conflict of Interest
Posted on July 12, 2020
As many Canadians have become aware in the past week, Prime Minister Justine Trudeau is currently under investigation for a possible conflict of interest in awarding an extraordinarily lucrative contact to a not-for-profit that in the past has paid substantial amounts of speaker fees to both his mother and brother. The PM Trudeau for reasons […]
Brain Creates Religion
Posted on June 25, 2020
Hello Ethic Nutters, Recently found a philosopher by the name of Lionel Tiger who has several video’s on Youtube where he expresses his thoughts on the brain and its role in creating religion and idea’s such as God. Really interesting stuff for the summertime. Links: The Brain Creates Religion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5y5NfIiMqY Can Animals Be Religious https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGbGh86fQ_4 […]
Imposing Values and Ideas: When and Why – An Armchair Ethics Post
Posted on May 17, 2020
The idea or desire to have everyone behave and act as you do is common and an underlying part of the human elements that make up who we are and how we interact. It is far easier to understand someone if they are “just like you” rather than something that is other or different. There […]
Throwing a person in front of a Trolley: When it’s Right and Why – An Armchair Ethics Post
Posted on April 22, 2020
Would you kill one person to save a group? Sounds like the worst choice anyone would ever have to make. How can you weigh one person’s life against another or multiple lives? Are all lives weighted in value equally? Are some people more worth saving than others, worth more than another person’s life? A commonly […]
Some thoughts on what “being mean” means
Posted on March 21, 2020
We have all been mean at some point in our lives. The act of “being mean” to someone is a common component of our societal lives. While it would be ideal if at all times we can treat each other with respect, compassion, and understanding, a part of our humanity leads us to at times […]
Will China’s Moral Difference Propel it Ahead of the West
Posted on November 2, 2019
Happy post-Halloween weekend Ethic Nutter’s. Today I saw an interesting article on SingularityHub about China’s use of CRISPR which I found compelled to write about. SingularityHub is a futurist source of news on issues shaping the future. In the article “Inside China’s Play to Become the World’s CRISPR Superpower” by Marc Prosser he reviews China’s […]
Governing the Internet – Understanding the need
Posted on September 28, 2019
This post is a short post with just a few things to think about in terms of Internet Ethics in the area of Internet Governance. The idea that the Internet should be governed is a growing discussion point. What was once thought of in only negative terms with reference to the Great Fire Wall of […]
A Very Short Brief on the Benefits of Palliative Care
Posted on August 9, 2019
The Benefits of Palliative Care: Beyond relief from suffering *** This brief addresses the following question: What benefits are there from palliative care beyond the usual relief from pain and suffering? *** The benefits of palliative care beyond that of relieving pain and suffering are starting to come to light. Not only is palliative care […]
Genetic Testing: No going back but not there yet
Posted on April 27, 2019
Hello Ethic Nutters, Recently in the news are reports of 23andMe not being as great as some people expect. See news story: Don’t Count on 23andMe Study Warns What I think the lesson here is, is that we shouldn’t rely on simple over-the-counter advice at any stage of the decision-making process. Which is what 23andMe essentially […]