High Risk, Low Reward: A Challenge to the Astronomical Importance of Existential Risk Mitigation
Derek Parfit (1984) asks us to consider two scenarios. In the first, a war kills 99% of the world population. This event, Parfit urges,...
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- Mar 31
- 9 min
A Socialist Guide To Effective Altruism
Effective altruism is a movement that believes we should help others as much as possible. This may sound like a bland statement of the...
1,458
- Mar 24
- 5 min
Responsible AI: Responsible to Whom?
How the profit motive stages a theatre of ethics washing in Artificial Intelligence There is a burgeoning wave of start-ups and tech...
277
- Mar 18
- 8 min
How Feminist is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a content subscription platform that gives content creators the space to upload sexy (although not necessarily explicit)...
1,060
- Dec 8, 2022
- 6 min
The Magic We Owe The Future
2022 has been a rollercoaster for ‘longtermism’. This is the idea that to do the most good, we need to help not only people who exist ...
485
- Dec 4, 2022
- 7 min
Why implicit bias is not (just) in the head, and why that matters
Meet Professor P. Professor P seems to be the prototypical egalitarian: she is engaged in anti-racist and feminist activities, explicitly...
345
- Nov 27, 2022
- 7 min
The Banality of Good: On Why Millionaires Love Effective Altruism
Why does the moral philosophy of effective altruism attract so many millionaires, including Sam Bankman-Fried, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel?
622
- Nov 20, 2022
- 6 min
Can Data Save Us From Ourselves?
Epistemic Uncertainty and Data-Driven Policy Making Policy driven by data and science represents the gold standard amongst politicians of...
286
- Nov 13, 2022
- 6 min
In defence of party democracy
Many complain about the power of party members to select leaders. I argue that, in fact, they should be more empowered.
334
- Oct 23, 2022
- 7 min
Iran in transition – what is other nations’ “global” moral responsibility?
As protests continue to unfold in Iran, Hossein Dabbagh asks: what responsibilities do international citizens have towards Iranians?
725
- Oct 16, 2022
- 8 min
Abortion and the Natural Rights Tradition
In the recent Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion, the majority...
514
- Oct 9, 2022
- 5 min
The Queen is dead
The Elizabethan age is over. Like when Nietzche declared that ‘God is dead’, we Brits face an existential moment that is ours to define
450
- Oct 1, 2022
- 4 min
What should universities do about now?
What is the purpose of universities? Do they exist to solve practical problems, or for some higher ideal?
463
- Sep 25, 2022
- 7 min
Can a machine be conscious?
Blake Lemoine, a software engineer who has worked at Google for seven years, was assigned to a project testing LaMDA, one of the...
408
- Sep 21, 2022
- 5 min
How the monarchy dominates us
Why do republican political philosophers think that monarchy makes us unfree, even if kings and queens never use their powers.
459
- Aug 7, 2022
- 7 min
Freedom and Freaktopia: re-reading the past to re-imagine the future
Through his work on the Victorian freak show, and ideas from disability studies and philosophy, John Woolf explores the idea of 'freaktopia'
450
- Jul 17, 2022
- 6 min
Overturning Roe v. Wade: The Court’s New Jurisprudence of Doubt
The precedent of Dobbs may do more than overturn a right to abortion. It may be precedent for fewer rights and more ambiguity in US law.
442
- Jul 10, 2022
- 8 min
Should the Courts or the People determine rights? It’s complicated..
The US Supreme Court has overturned the right to abortion. This provokes a question: should unelected judges or the People determine rights?
348
- Jul 3, 2022
- 6 min
Why we need to radically recognise the Homeless
The Homeless are defined by what they have not – a home. Unlike women, disabled people- defined by what they have. Why is this so important?
438
- Jun 26, 2022
- 4 min
The Ethics of Strikes
A post on the ethics of strikes and industrial action. I argue that workers ought to have the right to strike, and ought to use it.
1,568
- Jun 19, 2022
- 5 min
Russia’s frozen assets: what becomes of them now?
Russian assets have been frozen by western governments. What should be done with them? Should they be used to compensate Ukrainian victims?
470
- Jun 5, 2022
- 6 min
On collective injustices: Why your vegetarianism doesn't matter
If many people were to stop eating meat, then animal welfare would significantly increase. But, most won't. Should you be vegetarian?
500
- May 29, 2022
- 7 min
Culture wars: who’s to blame- the ‘snowflake’ or the ‘microaggressor’?
Too often, we hear that culture wars are just a distraction. But, ignoring them won’t make them go away. How can we approach them better?
697
- May 22, 2022
- 4 min
‘Society’s to blame’: Banks, Structures and Climate Change
Who is to blame for our lack of divestment from fossil fuels? If banks reflect society, then is it us or them who is responsible?
458
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