ethics Archives

The paradox of Western hegemony of human nature

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The world faces unprecedented social and environmental challenges that demand a coordinated, global response. However, such a response is hampered by a conundrum. The challenges are partly the outcome of Western notions of what it is to be human, yet those very notions will probably dictate the spirit and strength of how the challenges are addressed. Dr Michael Zichy, a […]

How do power imbalances influence national corruption and welfare?

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A deep-rooted culture of equality provides high living standards for most citizens.

Professor Wolfgang Scholl of Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, has built a detailed model that shows how and where corruption thrives and the damage it causes to social welfare. The social-psychological, cultural, and economic causes and effects are disentangled, and the ethical imperatives are discussed that support a positive outcome. The model confirms empirically that unequal power relations induce corruption […]

Capitalist utopias and financial futures of the US oil and gas industry

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Dr High examines the relationship between private equity investment and the projects envisaged by oil industry entrepreneurs.

Drawing on long-term fieldwork involving almost a decade of interviews and observations, Dr Mette High, Director of the University of St Andrews’ Centre for Energy Ethics, UK, investigates what happens when oil industry entrepreneurs with utopic projects and private equity firms looking to invest come together. In this study centring on Weld County, Colorado – with more than 22,000 active […]

World Science Day for Peace and Development 2022: Join in #ScienceDay

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Highlighting the importance of science and science communication for World Science Day 2022 - celebrating peace and development!

It’s World Science Day for Peace and Development! Celebrated every 10th of November, #ScienceDay highlights the importance of science for the world – both for protecting our fragile planet, and for improving the lives of the people who call Earth home. On this day, conversations surrounding emerging scientific issues are encouraged, plus the importance of communicating science to the public. […]

Understanding ethics in society via artificial intelligence and game theory

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The importance of ethical conduct has been long known, and continues to be a pressing concern not only for society in general, but also in business, and in the applications of artificial intelligence (AI). However, while AI is among the foremost of contemporary fields where ethics is a concern, AI has not itself previously served the purpose of clarifying the […]

Mind as Energy

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Dr Pollard-Wright has developed a transdisciplinary theory of mind.

Dr Holly Pollard-Wright, independent researcher and CEO of Wild Ride Wildlife Services, has developed a transdisciplinary theory of mind which draws on principles from classic and quantum physics, ancient philosophies of transforming the mind, and modern principles of behavioural and cognitive science. The mind is viewed as energies of relationships, with no beginning and no end, that give rise to […]

Frailty screening: Doing good and avoiding harm

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Worldwide, the number and proportion of older people in the population is increasing.

Ageing populations bring both opportunities and challenges for the economy, services and society. Screening for frailty aims to match the healthcare offered with a person’s needs, circumstances and capacity to benefit. Professors Mary McNally, Lynette Reid and William Lahey from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, explore the legal and ethical implications of frailty screening to ensure concerns with both doing […]

Halalopathy: Integrating mind, behaviour and health

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Dr Alzeer believes that the principles of halalopathy will allow the right treatment to be matched to the right patient, allowing for a more effective therapy.

With the current focus on personalised medicine, some physicians are searching for new ways to treat the patient as an individual. Dr Jawad Alzeer of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, proposes a novel approach to medicine: halalopathy. Under halalopathy, mind, behaviour and health are fundamentally connected. By prioritising the relationships between these three aspects of a person, Dr Alzeer believes […]

Social Robots – a New Perspective in Healthcare

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The Affective & Cognitive Institute is researching intuitive interfaces and 'intelligent' context-aware robot assistants.

Some social robots are assistants helping with tasks such as lifting, while others take on companion roles and simulate emotions. Dr Oliver Korn, Professor for Human Computer Interaction and Director of the Affective & Cognitive Institute at Offenburg University in Germany, discusses whether social robots should be able to replicate human emotions and explores ethical challenges arising from it. He […]

Machine metaphors: Ethical and philosophical challenges in synthetic biology

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The emerging field of synthetic biology faces a growing need for conceptual clarification and ethical deliberation. Dr Joachim Boldt from the University of Freiburg has analysed the use of machine metaphors in describing biological systems, and how language affects the approaches we have towards synthetic biology research. In addition to oversimplifying biological systems, machine metaphors can create new biosafety risks and […]