Moral Obligation Research Articles

What Do Prospective Parents Owe to Their Children?

I consider the question of what moral obligations prospective parents owe to their future children. It is taken as an almost axiomatic premise of a wide range of philosophical arguments that prospective parents have a moral obligation to take such steps as ensuring their own financial stability or waiting until they are emotionally mature before conceiving. This is because it is assumed that parents have a moral obligation to lay the groundwork for their children's lives to go well. While at first glance such a premise seems benign, I will argue that when it is applied to arguments in assisted reproductive technology, as it is in Julian Savulescu's procreative beneficence argument or as it is in Daniel Groll's recent argument for open gamete donation, we see problems with this premise. Problems in Groll's argument also become apparent when it is scrutinized in connection with this premise.

Do Suicide Attempters Have a Right Not to Be Stabilized in an Emergency?

The standard of care in the United States favors stabilizing any adult who arrives in an emergency department after a failed suicide attempt, even if he appears decisionally capacitated and refuses life-sustaining treatment. I challenge this ubiquitous practice. Emergency clinicians generally have a moral obligation to err on the side of stabilizing even suicide attempters who refuse such interventions. This obligation reflects the fact that it is typically infeasible to determine these patients' level of decisional capacitation-among other relevant information-in this unique setting. Nevertheless, I argue, stabilizing suicide attempters over their objection sometimes violates a basic yet insufficiently appreciated right of theirs-the right against bodily invasion. In such cases, it is at least prima facie wrong to stabilize a patient who wants to die even if they lack a contrary advance directive or medical order and suffer from no terminal physical illness.

Jewish Ethics of Inmate Vaccines Against COVID-19

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic broke out at the end of 2019, and throughout 2020 there were intensive international efforts to find a vaccine for the disease, which had already led to the deaths of some five million people. In December 2020, several pharmaceutical companies announced that they had succeeded in producing an effective vaccine, and after approval by the various regulatory bodies, countries started to vaccinate their citizens. With the start of the global campaign to vaccinate the world’s population against COVID-19, debates over the prioritization of different sections of the population began around the world, but the prison population has generally been absent from these discussions.Approach and FindingsThis article presents the approach of Jewish ethics regarding this issue, that is, that there is a religious and a moral obligation to heal the other and to take care of his or her medical well-being and that this holds true even for a prisoner who has committed a serious crime. Hence, prisoners should be vaccinated according to the same priorities that govern the administration of the vaccine among the general public.OriginalityThe originality of the article is in a comprehensive and comparative reference between general ethics and Jewish ethics on a subject that has not yet received the proper attention.

The Boundary Problem Reconsidered

In recent years, political philosophers have devoted growing attention to the questions of political obligation. The debate mainly centers on the question “Is there a moral duty to obey the law?” Political obligation refers to a moral obligation to obey the laws of one’s state, and therefore the question may also be “Do we have political obligations?” At present, there are various theories offered to respond to this question, though none arereceiving widespread consensus. In this paper, I am going to answer the question “Is there a moral duty to obey the law?” I will defend functionalist theories of political obligation against two well-known objections: the problem of unilateral annexation and the problem of historical injustice. In Section 1, I will explain what functionalism is. In Section 2, I will explain the main objections against it. In Section 3, I will undermine these objections by showing them to depend on untrustworthy intuitions. In contrast, I will show that the case for functionalism can be made without relying on similarly untrustworthy intuitions. Section 4 is the conclusion.

Social entrepreneurial role models’ influence on social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social entrepreneurial intent, and social entrepreneurial action in South Africa: the moderating role of moral obligation

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how social entrepreneurial role models influence social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social entrepreneurial intent and social entrepreneurial action, with moral obligation as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey of 261 pupils in the South African province of the Eastern Cape was used in the research study. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe research revealed that having social entrepreneurial role models has a positive impact on both social entrepreneurial self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intent. In addition, a connection was found between social entrepreneurial intent and entrepreneurial action. The influence of moral obligation was found to be a positive and a significant moderator. Moreover, the association between social entrepreneurial role models and social entrepreneurial intent was mediated by social entrepreneurial self-efficacy.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are not generalizable to nonstudent samples because students constituted the sample for gathering data. Future study therefore requires considering nonstudents to generalize the outcomes. This research should be replicated in other South African provinces and other developing countries for comparative outcomes.Practical implicationsSince social entrepreneurial role models have been practically linked to social entrepreneurship intent and entrepreneurial efficacy, understanding the factors that influence student’s decision to start a social enterprise is critical in South Africa to develop targeted interventions aimed at encouraging young people to start new businesses. Policymakers, society and entrepreneurial education will all benefit from the findings.Originality/valueThis study contributes to bridging the knowledge gap as it investigates how social entrepreneurial role models influence social entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social entrepreneurial intent and social entrepreneurial action, with moral obligation as a moderator. Encouraging social entrepreneurship among South African youth would also help address societal issues. This is a pioneering study in the context of an emerging economy such as South Africa, where social entrepreneurship is so integral.

Confronting Consumers’ Complicity: Do Confrontations with Causal Responsibility for Sweatshop Labor Raise Moral Obligation?

Confronting Consumers’ Complicity: Do Confrontations with Causal Responsibility for Sweatshop Labor Raise Moral Obligation?

Principle of Good Faith in Peace Agreements via Mediation

Many people have selected mediation as a dispute resolution procedure to get the best agreement and solution. However, it is not uncommon for parties to fail to consistently implement an agreement reached through mediation. The purpose of this article is to examine the essence of peace agreements reached through mediation, as well as the importance of the principle of good faith as a form of protection for the parties involved in such agreements. This is normative research that takes both a statutory and conceptual approach. The exploration of data in the form of primary and secondary legal materials was carried out through a literature review and descriptive-qualitative analysis. The analytical results reveal that the mediation process, which concludes with a peace agreement, represents the end of a dispute based on the ideals of benefit and justice. On that premise, its execution must be based on the principle of good faith to provide legal protection to the parties, whether mediation takes place in or out of court. Good faith in implementing a peace agreement is interpreted as an attitude that develops within the parties in dispute to carry out their commitments as a moral obligation to obey and accomplish things that have been agreed upon voluntarily.

AI hype as a cyber security risk: the moral responsibility of implementing generative AI in business

This paper examines the ethical obligations companies have when implementing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). We point to the potential cyber security risks companies are exposed to when rushing to adopt generative AI solutions or buying into “AI hype”. While the benefits of implementing generative AI solutions for business have been widely touted, the inherent risks associated have been less well publicised. There are growing concerns that the race to integrate generative AI is not being accompanied by adequate safety measures. The rush to buy into the hype of generative AI and not fall behind the competition is potentially exposing companies to broad and possibly catastrophic cyber-attacks or breaches. In this paper, we outline significant cyber security threats generative AI models pose, including potential ‘backdoors’ in AI models that could compromise user data or the risk of ‘poisoned’ AI models producing false results. In light of these the cyber security concerns, we discuss the moral obligations of implementing generative AI into business by considering the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, and explicability. We identify two examples of ethical concern, overreliance and over-trust in generative AI, both of which can negatively influence business decisions, leaving companies vulnerable to cyber security threats. This paper concludes by recommending a set of checklists for ethical implementation of generative AI in business environment to minimise cyber security risk based on the discussed moral responsibilities and ethical concern.

Moral obligations towards human persons’ wellbeing versus their suffering: An analysis of perspectives of moral philosophy

What do we owe other persons? Are we as much obliged to promote their wellbeing as we are to reduce their suffering? This question is crucial for a range of social institutions and welfare services, and especially for the health services. To address this question the article investigates prominent positions and arguments in moral philosophy. It finds that while classical utilitarianism claims that there is symmetry in the moral obligation with respect to peoples’ wellbeing and their suffering, a wide range of other positions and perspectives argue for an asymmetric relationship with stronger moral obligations towards other persons’ suffering than towards their wellbeing. This difference in obligations is supported ontologically by basic differences inherent in wellbeing and suffering and axiologically by a relative (gradual) difference in value. The many well-founded arguments for stronger moral obligations towards other persons’ suffering than towards their wellbeing has important implications for health policy; especially for priority setting. Avoiding and reducing suffering should have priority to the promotion and enhancement of wellbeing.

A critical take on procreative justice.

Herjeet Kaur Marway recently proposed the Principle of Procreative Justice, which says that reproducers have a strong moral obligation to avoid completing race and colour injustices through their selection choices. In this article, we analyze this principle and argue, appealing to a series of counterexamples, that some of the implications of Marway's Principle of Procreative Justice are difficult to accept. This casts doubt on whether the principle should be adopted. Also, we show that there are some more principled worries regarding Marway's idea of a strong pro tanto duty not to complete injustices through one's procreative choices. Nonetheless, we believe Marway's arguments point in the right general direction regarding duties and structural injustice. Thus, in the final part, we suggest a positive proposal on how it would be possible to respond to the cases we raise. More specifically, we explore the suggestion that agents have a pro tanto duty to participate in eliminating structural injustice. Importantly, this duty can be satisfied, not only in procreation choices but in multiple ways.

Investigating the Formation of Ethical Animal-Related Tourism Behaviors: A Self-Interest and Pro-Social Theoretic Approach

Grounded in the theory of reasoned action, this research aims to integrate self-interest and pro-social motive variables to identify the effective conditions that influence tourists’ ethical behaviors when participating in animal-related tourism activities. Innovative statistical methods, specifically Generalized Structured Component Analysis Measurement Errors Incorporated and Necessary Condition Analysis, were used to verify a theoretical framework and identify necessary and/or sufficient conditions that contribute to tourists’ behavioral intentions (BIs) for ethical animal tourism. To provide a comprehensive understanding, this study considered animal welfare literacy and concern for animal abuse in tourism as moderators. A subgroup analysis was conducted using a rigorous methodological procedure, revealing four categories of predictive variables: necessary and sufficient, necessary but insufficient, unnecessary but sufficient, and unnecessary and insufficient. The results of the study demonstrated that a sense of moral obligation to engage in ethical animal-related tourism was a necessary and sufficient condition for BI among tourists.

The Utilitarian's Global Warming Problem (Why Utilitarians Should Be Social Identity Theorists)

ABSTRACTGlobal warming presents challenges to utilitarianism. Its structural features seem to suggest that individuals have no moral obligations to take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. For those who find this to be an unacceptable result, Jamieson proposes an alternative. He argues that utilitarians should embrace a version of virtue ethics. They should embrace what he calls ‘green virtues’. In this article, I argue that Jamieson's proposal does not adequately address the ethical challenges that global warming poses for utilitarianism. I propose an alternative. Rather than aiming to inculcate green virtues, we should be aiming to inculcate a certain social identity: a green identity. Not only is this approach more in keeping with utilitarianism, but recent research in the social sciences also suggests that it is much more likely to result in an impactful reduction in global emissions.

Abolishing morality in biomedical ethics.

In biomedical ethics, there is widespread acceptance of moral realism, the view that moral claims express a proposition and that at least some of these propositions are true. Biomedical ethics is also in the business of attributing moral obligations, such as "S should do X." The problem, as we argue, is that against the background of moral realism, most of these attributions are erroneous or inaccurate. The typical obligation attribution issued by a biomedical ethicist fails to truly capture the person's actual obligations. We offer a novel argument for rife error in obligation attribution. The argument starts with the idea of an epistemic burden. Epistemic burdens are all of those epistemic obstacles one must surmount in order to achieve some aim. Epistemic burdens shape decision-making such that given two otherwise equal options, a person will choose the option that has the lesser of epistemic burdens. Epistemic burdens determine one's potential obligations and, conversely, their non-obligations. The problem for biomedical ethics is that ethicists have little to no access to others' epistemic burdens. Given this lack of access and the fact that epistemic burdens determine potential obligations, biomedical ethicists often can only attribute accurate obligations out of luck. This suggests that the practice of attributing obligations in biomedical ethics is rife with error. To resolve this widespread error, we argue that this practice should be abolished from the discourse of biomedical ethics.

Analysis of Legal Protection and Ethical Study in Health Research with Humans as Research Subjects Reviewed from the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 17 of 2023 Concerning Health

Legal protection is the right of every legal subject. Ethics and morality are always linked to freedom and responsibility. Ethics imposes moral obligations on humans, which differ from obligations in legal norms; these moral obligations do not have binding force for enforcement. Moral norms are autonomous, and their enforcement cannot be compelled through external efforts (such as by authorities). Explicitly, Law number 17 of 2023 Regarding Health does not regulate legal protection for humans as research subjects. The purpose of this research is to understand legal protection and ethical considerations, examining the provisions of Law number 17 of 2023 Regarding Health concerning humans as research subjects. The method used in this research is a type of normative juridical research and a statute approach research method (legislative provisions approach). The legal materials used include primary legal materials from Law number 17 of 2023 Regarding Health and secondary legal materials such as journals, books, and other media. The research findings indicate that Law number 17 of 2023 Regarding Health does not explicitly regulate legal protection for humans as research subjects. However, in all health research involving humans as research subjects, researchers must obtain consent after providing an explanation (Informed Consent). In Law number 17 of 2023 Regarding Health, reliance is placed on three general ethical principles: respecting human dignity (respect for person) aimed at honoring autonomy and protecting individuals whose autonomy is compromised/limited, doing good (beneficence) and not causing harm (nonmaleficence), and justice. Keywords: Legal Protection, Ethics, Health Research

Konsep Amanah dalam Pandangan Islam dan Kristen

This research aims to analyze and compare the concept of trust in Islamic and Christian views. Through a qualitative approach, data was collected from primary sources such as the Al-Qur'an, Hadith, and Christian holy books, and also from theological and philosophical literature relevant to the concept of trust in both religions. The analytical method is carried out by exploring verses from the Koran and the Christian Bible related to trust, as well as studying classical texts and comments by Christian scholars and theologians related to this concept. In addition, interviews with religious scholars from both traditions were also conducted to gain a deeper understanding. Research findings show that despite differences in terminology and emphasis, the concept of trust in Islam and Christianity has many similarities, especially in terms of integrity, honesty and responsibility. Both the Qur'an and the Bible emphasize the importance of maintaining trust, both in spiritual and worldly affairs, as part of moral and ethical obligations. This study also highlights how both religions view trust as an important moral foundation in building human relationships with God and with fellow humans. In the context of modern society, a deep understanding of the concept of trust from Islamic and Christian perspectives can make a valuable contribution in shaping individual character and morality and strengthening the values of justice, integrity and social responsibility.

Climate Advocacy Ethical Issues and Challenges of Moral Responsibility

Climate change around the world is changing in accordance with the changing environment. The science of climate change confirms that the main cause of this change is caused by human activities. When anthropology tries to understand the concept of climate change, it notices that significant ethical issues surround it and the question of responsibility is important. Some of the ethical issues, including responsibility related to climate change, are discussed in this paper. The research paper examines and reviews some common or traditional notions of individual and collective responsibility in relation to climate change responsibility. Central to the arguments is that individual efforts to reduce carbon emissions will have little or no effect on climate change unless everyone acts. This recognizes the need to propose a different way of affirming moral obligation in climate change. An epistemological theory of ethical relativity is recommended for this. This theory expects agents to act in light of existing knowledge and explains that obligations at the individual level cannot be different from obligations at the collective level if existing knowledge exists in today’s world during climate change. It is concluded that this knowledge-based ethical theory is a viable way of assigning responsibility in climate change, but it is acknowledged that this theory may face some limitations.

Understanding the influence of environmental triggers on tourists' pro-environmental behaviors in the Pakistan’s tourism industry

PurposeThe research analyzes the influence of three environmental triggers, i.e. awareness, concern and knowledge on environmental attachment and green motivation that affect tourists' pro-environmental behavior in the Pakistan’s tourism industry. Furthermore, this study has analyzed the moderating role of moral obligation concerning environmental attachment and green motivation on tourists' pro-environmental behavior.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered via a structured questionnaire by 237 local (domestic) tourists of Pakistan. Furthermore, the data were examined by employing SmartPLS.FindingsFindings demonstrate that all three environmental triggers have a positive and significant relationship with environmental attachment and green motivation. Accordingly, environmental attachment and green motivation promote tourists' pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, the moderating role of moral obligations has also been incorporated in the study. The finding reveals a strong and positive relationship among environmental attachment and tourists' pro-environmental behaviors during high moral obligations. In contrast, moral obligations do not moderate association between green motivation and tourists' pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, competent authorities should facilitate tourists to adopt environmentally friendly practices; which will ultimately promote pro-environmental behavior.Originality/valueThis study provides useful insights regarding the role of tourism in fostering environmental attachment and green motivation that sequentially influence tourist pro-environmental behavior. Secondly, this research has employed moral obligations as a moderator to identify the changes in tourists’ pro-environmental behavior based on individuals' ethical considerations. Hence, the study provides an in-depth insight into tourists' behavior. Lastly, the present research offers effective strategies for the tourism sector and other competent authorities to increase green activities that can embed the importance of the environment among individuals.

Analisis Tax Compliance Behavior Pendekatan Theory Of Planned Behavior

Tax administration in Indonesia is developing progressively with changes in organizational systems, work facilities and infrastructure, regulations and tax administration apparatus that have donated to state revenues. The research is aimed at demonstrating in reality the existence of tax compliance behavior. Based on the theory of planned behavior. In this study, four independent variables were tested, namely taxpayer behavior, subjective procedures, tax payer behavior control, and tax payer moral obligations. The population in this study is the Bandar Lampung Pratama Tax Service workplace with 100 respondents in the survey. Multiple linear regression is used as the method of analysis. There will be research showing that behavior must be taxed and moral obligation must be taxed is influenced by the intention to comply with the tax. Meanwhile, subjective norms and attitude control for tax compliance have no effect on tax compliance behavioral intentions.
 Keywords: Attitude of the Taxpayer, Subjective Norms, Taxpayer Behavior Control, Taxpayer's Moral Obligations, on Intentions of Tax Compliance Behavior.

From neurorights to neuroduties: the case of personal identity

Background The neurorights initiative has been postulated as a way of ensuring the protection of individuals from the advances of neurotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI). With the advancement of neurotechnology, the human nervous system may be altered, modified, intervened with, or otherwise controlled. However, how do neurorights safeguard legal interests when an individual consciously chooses to modify their experiences using neurotechnology? Neurorights—the protection of cognitive liberty, psychological continuity, free will, personal identity, and mental privacy—are challenged when individuals opt for ‘artificial memories’, implanted experiences, etc., disrupting their natural cognitive dimensions. The present article examines these complex dilemmas through a legal and ethical lens. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of a ‘neuroduty’ to preserve identity, a moral obligation that stands in stark contrast to the individual’s right to self-determination. In the same way that neurorights protect us from external interference in our nervous system, is it possible to think of a neuroduty to preserve our identity? This article explores the tensions between neurorights, neuroduty, and the potential misuse of neurotechnology. Methods First, we explore these dilemmas, investigating the often-blurred lines between neurotechnology, neurorights, and personal autonomy. Secondly, we focus into the concept of voluntary alterations of one’s own brain, assessing the wider implications such actions could have on both individual and societal levels, in the light of the concept of neuroduty to preserve personal identity. Also, we examine the potential repercussions on personal identity and interpersonal relations. Finally, we advocate for a reassessment and potential reformulation of existing neurorights frameworks to account for the personal autonomy to use advancing neuroscientific capabilities. Results Our examination reveals a complex interplay between neurorights and neuroduty to preserve personal autonomy. Conclusions This analysis will provide valuable insights for stakeholders, policymakers, and society at large, guiding the responsible integration of neurotechnology into our lives.

Determinants of Consumer Intention to Purchase Fair Trade Products in the Middle East: Does Gender Matter?

Background Consumers are increasingly mindful of the influence of their consumption choices on the environment and society, leading to a significant increase in demand for fair trade products. However, while this trend has been rapidly growing in recent years, the market for fair trade products is still in its early stage in the Middle East, despite the region’s high per capita income. Focus of the Article This study investigates the motivations behind fair trade product consumption in the Middle East. By doing this, it aims to provide valuable insights and practical implications for developing effective and tailored marketing strategies to promote fair trade products in the region. Research Question This study addresses two main questions: (1) To what extent do environmental consciousness, social norms, moral obligation, and attitude influence Middle Eastern consumers’ intention to purchase fair trade products? (2) Does gender moderate the relationships between these variables and fair trade purchase intention? Importance to the Social Marketing Field By shedding light on the drivers of fair trade consumption in the Middle East, a largely under-researched region, this study expands the social marketing literature and informs advancements in the field. The findings equip marketers and policymakers with valuable insights for devising effective and tailored marketing strategies to promote fair trade products in the Middle East market. Method The data were collected through an online survey administered to 252 consumers in the United Arab Emirates using Qualtrics. Established scales were adopted from prior research to measure the constructs. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling analysis and multi-group analysis. Results The results showed that attitude towards fair trade products had the highest impact on purchase intention, followed by environmental consciousness, social norms, and moral obligation. Notably, the moderating analysis revealed that while attitude and environmental consciousness had comparable effects across genders, the impact of social norms on the intention to purchase fair trade products was significantly higher for females than males. Moral obligation, on the other hand, only significantly affected males’ intention to buy fair trade products. Recommendations for Research or Practice The study offers valuable insights for marketers and policymakers seeking to promote fair trade products in the Middle East market and highlights the need for tailored marketing strategies that consider gender differences in fair trade consumption. Limitations The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of the general public in the UAE based on voluntary participation. While this approach is commonly used in ethical consumption research, the potential for selection bias may limit the generalizability of the results.