Moral Discourse Research Articles

Preventing intrusive grief journalism: legal, policy and practical measures

ABSTRACT This article is about how law and wider society might minimise the negative impacts of media interest on those who are grieving in the aftermath of tragedy. It looks at how law, disaster responders and media ethics can help protect grieving individuals against intrusion. Part I examines existing legal protections for bodily integrity, property and privacy found in actions for trespass, harassment, and the privacy torts. The need for free, fully competent consent to media encounters, and the impact that shock can have upon it, are discussed in this section. Part II explains how good logistical decision-making by disaster responders and active support for family members can help protect bereaved individuals from negative interactions with the media. Part III turns to the media, identifying protections for grieving individuals within existing media self-regulatory codes (particularly the ‘privacy’ and ‘fairness’ standards) and highlighting media ethical discourse which reinforces them.

Rejoinder to Heath on Market Failure

This paper offers a critical rejoinder to Heath (2006), challenging his central claims regarding stakeholder theory, stockholder rights, corporate social responsibility, profit maximization, and the prevalence of market failure in capitalist systems. The objective is to demonstrate that Heath’s critique of the free enterprise system is flawed both theoretically and ethically. Drawing upon textual analysis of Heath’s arguments, this study identifies specific logical and empirical weaknesses in his advocacy for stakeholder rights and regulatory oversight. In contrast, the paper defends the classical liberal position articulated by Friedman (1970), who argued that the primary social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. It contends that stakeholder claims often violate the property rights of stockholders and that portraying the market as inherently failure-prone misrepresents the adaptive efficiency of capitalism. The findings suggest that Heath’s position underestimates the moral and practical virtues of laissez-faire capitalism, which, rather than state-led regulationism, offers the most reliable foundation for economic justice and long-term prosperity. By reaffirming the ethical and functional strengths of the free market, this paper contributes to the ongoing defense of economic liberty and private property rights in contemporary business ethics discourse.

Who Needs to Turn the Other Cheek? Developing a Rational and Practical Christian Ethic of Violence

One of the less explored questions in the Christian tradition of Just War is the question of who can use legitimate force. This article focuses on this question. The intention is to assess different legitimate, plausible, historical interpretations for the relevance of Just War in the post-Cold War world order by using evidence from game-theoretical modelling and post-Cold War textual and conflict data. The assumption is that those interpretations that are rational and lead to peace are more relevant for today's world than those that do not. This way the article makes two original contributions. First, the article links consequentialist ethical discussion with research findings on consequences of the use or non-use of force. Secondly, the paper offers an altered interpretation of who should use force and who should not. The article suggests that force is functional in preventing violence only when the target accepts the norms enforced by the user of force and recognises the user as a legitimate enforcer of the mutually accepted set of norms. Force is rational and practical for the prevention of violence only when it disincentivises selfish temptations in legitimate order.

Anime’s Ethical Odyssey: Navigating Good and Evil in Anime through the Lens of Old Testament

Anime’s Ethical Odyssey reveals how anime, as a medium of storytelling, often explores profound ethical dilemmas that resonate with themes found in ancient texts, particularly the Old Testament. This exploration seeks to understand how anime narratives engage with morality, justice, redemption, and the consequences of human actions, drawing upon both modern philosophical discourse and biblical ethics. The Old Testament presents a rich tapestry of moral challenges, from divine justice in the stories of Job and Noah to human fallibility in the lives of David and Saul. Similarly, anime constructs complex moral universes where protagonists grapple with difficult choices, blurring the lines between heroism and villainy. Scholars such as François Flahault, Nishida Kitarō, and Luke Russell provide varied interpretations of good and evil, further illuminating this discourse. Their perspectives contribute to the broader discussion on how morality is shaped by cultural and historical contexts. Through series like Death Note, Code Geass, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, we witness ethical struggles that mirror biblical dilemmas questions of power, justice, and the cost of righteousness. Light Yagami’s descent into moral ambiguity, Lelouch’s revolutionary ideals, and the Elric brothers’ pursuit of truth all reflect ethical concerns deeply rooted in religious traditions. By juxtaposing anime’s contemporary storytelling with the Old Testament’s moral foundations, we uncover a space for reflection that transcends entertainment. This dialogue between past and present, East and West, highlights how narratives continue to shape our understanding of justice, sin, and redemption in an ever-evolving world.

Moral inferentialism and moral psychology

This paper raises a challenge for moral inferentialism. Moral inferentialism explains moral discourse in terms of the distinctive kinds of discursive commitments we acknowledge and undertake in making moral claims. However, like any metaethical theory, inferentialism owes us an account not only of what it is to make moral claims, but of what it is to think moral thoughts. The paper argues that what inferentialists have said about moral thought is unsatisfactory. While more satisfactory accounts are available, adopting such accounts robs inferentialism of certain supposed advantages that it enjoys over its main competitor, moral expressivism. Insofar as inferentialism is motivated as a non-representationalist alternative to expressivism, the challenge therefore undermines a central motivation for inferentialism.

Returning to the God-Talk after Atheism: Levinas and Bonhoeffer

This study explores the possibility of a new discourse on God after the “death of God,” moving beyond traditional metaphysical and philosophical conceptions. Emmanuel Levinas offers a phenomenological approach that grounds the discourse on God in ethics, particularly in responsibility toward the Other. Levinas argues that human autonomy begins not with the self but with the Other, and that the presence of God is revealed through this ethical relationship. His radical ethics serve as a response to the history of violence and war perpetuated by Western metaphysics, which has traditionally assimilated God into the structure of subjective reason. In contrast, Dietrich Bonhoeffer rejects Levinas’ idea of reaching God through the ethics of the Other. Bonhoeffer views ethics before faith as a barrier to understanding divine reality. For Bonhoeffer, the ethical path from human existence to God contradicts Christianity’s approach from God to humanity. Bonhoeffer sees the relationship between ethics and faith as conflicted rather than complementary. This article examines whether Levinas’ ethical discourse on God offers a viable approach to speaking of God in a post-religious era, assessing its validity through the theological differences between Levinas and Bonhoeffer.

Ethics Found in Rhetoricity: Toward a Levinasian Vision of Bioethics

Abstract Historically, bioethicists have focused analysis predominantly on “events,” particular disputes that are then labeled ethical encounters and taught as bioethics cases. What bioethicists often neglect to interrogate, however, is the rhetorical space that both shape and define these encounters. Synthesizing the works of Matthew Vest and Emmanuel Levinas, I outline an expanded vision of bioethics, one that is focused less strictly on propositional statements and principlist analysis and more on rhetorical spaces, the territories in which ideas become visible and invisible. The result, I argue, is a radically expansive understanding of bioethics, one that takes seriously Levinas’ claim that ethics is “preorginary,” antecedent to the “event” bioethicists generally label the ethical encounter. Ethics gets “lost in modernity” because modernity has neglected to interrogate its own assumptions. Before one can speak meaningfully of medical ethics, one must first confront the rhetorical processes that preclude ethical discourse.

Bridging the Gap: Enhancing First-Year Education Through the Surgical Ethics and Application for Medical Students Program.

Bridging the Gap: Enhancing First-Year Education Through the Surgical Ethics and Application for Medical Students Program.

Cooperation with (out) trust: the role of Chinese translators in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression (1937-1945)

ABSTRACT Trust, a critical yet under-explored concept in translation studies, has often been confined to interpersonal and ethical discussions. This paper redefines trust as a dynamic construct and proposes a three-dimensional analytical framework encompassing intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal dimensions. Through case studies of Chinese translators affiliated with different political factions during China’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937–1945), it examines divergent trust relationships shaped by strategic priorities and sociopolitical shifts. By situating trust within this turbulent context, the study highlights its synchronic and diachronic evolution, its dual-edged nature as both inclusion and exclusion, and its interplay between autonomy and heteronomy across dimensions. Far from being innocent, trust emerges as a calculated strategy that profoundly influences translators’ roles during and beyond wartime. The proposed framework, integrating micro, meso, and macro levels, aims to advance theoretical discourse and inspire further exploration of the transformative role of trust in translation history.

The "Diary of William Harvey" written by the father of modern Nephrology Jean Hamburger.

This review explores Jean Hamburger's "The Diary of William Harvey," a novel published in 1983 that imaginatively reconstructs the life and thoughts of William Harvey, the pioneering scientist who discovered blood circulation. Hamburger, a prominent figure in nephrology, crafts a narrative that spans from 1647 to 1654, offering a fictional diary that delves into Harvey's reflections on his scientific achievements and the turbulent political landscape of 17th-century England. The book provides insights into Harvey's interactions with notable contemporaries, including King Charles I and Thomas Hobbes, while highlighting his challenges against prevailing medical doctrines. Hamburger's portrayal emphasizes Harvey's commitment to empirical evidence and his philosophical musings on life and the human condition. The novel captures Harvey's struggle against the entrenched beliefs of his time, particularly the Galenic doctrine, and his dedication to scientific inquiry despite resistance from figures like James Primrose and Jean Riolan. Through vivid imagery, Hamburger explores Harvey's innovative research approach, including his studies on the heart and his analogy of the heart to a bagpipe. The book also reflects on Harvey's personal life and loyalty to King Charles I. Hamburger's work transcends mere historical fiction, offering a profound meditation on the essence of scientific inquiry and the human spirit. "The Diary of William Harvey" serves as a testament to the enduring impact of those who challenge conventional wisdom and pursue knowledge with courage and compassion, making it relevant to contemporary discussions in medicine, philosophy, and ethics.

An alternative view on the ethics of synthetic biology: an Indian Hindu perspective

ABSTRACT Synthetic Biology (SynBio) is a rapidly advancing interdisciplinary field that holds immense potential to address pressing global issues, including food insecurity, medical innovation, and environmental sustainability. Yet, the ethical discourse surrounding its development has often struggled to keep pace with its scientific progress. This stagnation, I argue, arises largely from the persistence of dualistic frameworks – such as “natural” versus “artificial” or “human” versus “machine” – that dominate bioethical inquiry. These dichotomies limit the scope of moral reflection and hinder the development of more holistic ethical frameworks. This paper seeks to reframe these debates by drawing upon the non-dualistic worldview of Sanātana Dharma, the foundation of Indian Hindu philosophy. Through this lens, I propose a different perspective that emphasizes interconnectedness, responsibility, and reverence for all forms of life, natural and synthetic alike, offering a more inclusive and holistic approach to evaluate emerging biotechnologies.

The occupation of state housing as a moral obligation? Housing welfare in Gauteng between reciprocity and liberalism

The article analyses how political stakeholders have mobilized a moralizing discourse to blame practices of renting and selling state-subsidized housing by its original recipients. Although departures are mostly legal, owners who do not occupy their units are affected by the state’s moral expectations of reciprocity that extend ambiguous moral claims towards the right use of provided housing far beyond the law. First, we show how the post-apartheid welfare state – similar to conditional cash transfer policies – enhances operational moral logics of obligatory reciprocity to direct people’s behaviour towards favoured forms of market integration. Yet, the moral extension of reciprocal dependency works against the liberal foundations of its own housing policy. Second, we foreground a praxeological perspective towards the operational moral logics structuring how recipients justify their own departure from state housing. Whereas few respondents reject reciprocal obligations, many tend to adopt the state’s moralizing discourse and reproduce reciprocal hierarchies.

Precautionary Principle and Post-Mortem Brain Resuscitation

Recent advancements in brain research have drastically increased the need for serious ethical consideration. Postmortem brain research has taken a significant step in the development of BrainEx. The technology can metabolically resuscitate pig brains from pigs that were “clinically dead” for hours. Ethical discourse around organoids ranges from being overly cautious and sensational to highly permissive and skeptical of even minimal consciousness emerging in such a model. Some of these criticisms are allayed in postmortem brains. As such, postmortem brain research presents philosophers and policymakers with a higher risk model of being conscious. The outcome of researchers unknowingly subjecting postmortem brains to negative mental states through research will be termed brain-in-a-vat-world. We will provide some motivation to believe this is a reasonable outcome of proceeding with postmortem brain research. As such, we propose applying the PP to all postmortem brain research. These precautions go beyond previous precautions of brain activity monitoring and the willingness to administer anesthetics to the brains should they appear awake. These precautions aim to avoid potential negative mental states. Such precautions reasonably mitigate the risk of postmortem brain research causing suffering. We recommend several practical precautions. First, anesthetics may prevent any conscious experience at all, cingulotomies prevent painful experiences, and the administration of opioids may prevent boredom or isolation. IRBs should work to determine how these precautions interact with experimental outcomes and how to balance the risk of side effects in light of the experimentation period. The upshot of the article is such PP applications avoid overapplication of the PP, which has occurred in the brain organoid literature. Further, the PP, we argue, provides better guidance to precautionary policy than decision theory, given the difficulties with applying decision theory in medical ethics.

“Where is Jesus?” An Empirical Study Among Confirmed Youth in the Church of Sweden

This article aims to discuss how young people in the Church of Sweden describe what they have learned and experienced during confirmation, using Gert Biesta’s educational framework: socialization, subjectification, and qualification. Interviews with 28 confirmands reveal that while confirmation fosters self-exploration and ethical discussions, integration into the broader church community is weak, and qualifying content is notably absent. Many confirmands struggle to articulate what they have learned about Christianity, raising concerns about long-term faith engagement. The study questions whether one can truly choose something without having a language to talk about it.

Revolutionary Normative Subjectivism

ABSTRACT The what next question for moral error theorists asks: if moral discourse is systematically error-ridden, then how, if at all, should moral error theorists continue to employ moral discourse? Recent years have seen growing numbers of moral error theorists come to endorse a wider normative error theory according to which all normative judgements are untrue. But despite this shift, the what next question for normative error theorists has received far less attention. This paper presents a novel solution to this question: revolutionary normative subjectivism. Along the way, two primary contributions are advanced. First, a non-normative methodology for answering the normative error theoretic what next question is developed. Second, revolutionary normative subjectivism is presented and defended in accordance with the proposed methodology.

Morality in Times of Uncertainty

This paper analyses the moral discourse of contemporary “caring capitalists” through a Geneva-based study of impact asset managers seeking to generate measurable social and environmental results alongside a financial return. The discursive analysis reveals how strongly impact investing is grounded in the worldview of finance, in spite of its claim to transcend it. In a context of uncertainty about impact, we also show that principle-based deontological frameworks provide our participants with an attractive addition to their consequentialist reasoning.

Data sharing in learning analytics: how context and group discussion influence the individual willingness to share

The ethical integration of the data generated by learners into educational practices is of great importance now that data-rich technologies are prevalent in education. Despite the common agreement that learners should have agency in deciding what to do with their data, existing ethical discussions focus on policies or algorithms, with limited attention to participatory learner practices. Participatory practices, particularly around informed consent, can support ethical and meaningful engagement with data sharing decisions. Using a novel experimental methodology, we explored how the decision context influences the perceived acceptability for sharing learning data. We found that participants became more cautious in sharing their data in and after a group discussion. The willingness to share was the lowest when these data were submitted to a government entity and for a collective benefit. Further network analysis of group discussions confirmed the observed attitude shifts: participants consistently discussed different aspects of sharing learning data based on the context such as sharing process vs outcome-related learning data. The results suggest that educational data consent is contextual and that perceptions of privacy in educational technology may differ from those in health contexts. The proposed method of interactive consent, therefore, not only contributes to theories explaining privacy and effective data collection but also represents a new way of conceptualising and realising participatory informed consent.

The Risk of Ethicalisation in Ethical Engagement with Quantum Technologies: Some Brief Considerations

‘Quantum for good’ is slowly beginning to emerge as an ambition for quantum technology development. As the ambition begins to percolate down through policy and scientific communities, questions as to what ‘quantum for good’ means and how it might be operationalised will arise. Fora for discussion will spring up and, at the individual level, actors will be faced with how to respond to the call for ‘quantum for good’. What might ‘quantum for good’ mean in practice, how can ‘good’ be defined, by whom, etc.? ELSA communities are likely to be involved in these discussions. This contribution warns ELSA scholars of the risks of ‘ethicalisation’ in pondering these questions with respect to two issues: 1) the nature and framing of ethical discussion in new and emerging science and technologies; and 2) reliance on ethics and ethical expertise. Ethicalisation can lead to a hollowing out of ethical concerns through a downplaying of interests, stakes, and, ultimately, politics. The article offers some suggestions for a ‘re-politicisation’ of ethics within the context of engagement with quantum technology.

Ethical Communication in Tourist Guiding: The Role of Right Speech in Enhancing Visitor Experience

As global tourism places increasing emphasis on ethical practices and meaningful visitor engagement, the role of communication in tourist guiding has become more critical than ever. This study investigates the application of Right Speech a core principle of Buddhist ethics as a framework for enhancing communication practices among tour guides. Employing a qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted with licensed tourist guides and international visitors across culturally significant destinations in Vietnam. Findings reveal that guides who adopt the principles of Right Speech truthfulness, kindness, non-harm, and mindful speech are perceived as more trustworthy, respectful, and emotionally attuned. Such communication not only enhances visitor satisfaction but also fosters deeper intercultural understanding and contributes to a more authentic and ethical tourism experience. By integrating Buddhist ethical discourse with practical guiding behavior, this study expands the discourse on sustainable and responsible tourism. The findings advocate for the inclusion of ethics-based communication modules in guide training curricula and underscore the transformative potential of mindful speech in shaping service quality. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of such training and examine its applicability across diverse cultural and religious tourism contexts.

Humanizing the past: a review on the role of facial approximation in museums and its public perception

Facial approximation in archaeological contexts represents a complex intersection of science, art, and ethics. While these reconstructions offer a unique opportunity to engage the public with the past, they also raise critical concerns regarding accuracy, representation, and the dignity of the deceased. This literature review examines the ethical discourse surrounding facial approximations in museums, emphasizing the need for transparency in their creation and presentation. By integrating anthropology, ethics, and museum studies, we highlight both the potential and the limitations of these estimations. A balanced approach—one that acknowledges interpretative subjectivity while fostering public engagement—can enhance the ethical and scientific integrity of facial approximation practices in archaeological field.