Moral Responsibility Research Articles (Page 1)

This paper critically examines J.J. Thomson’s arguments in “A Defense of Abortion” (1971), focusing on her defense of bodily autonomy against anti-abortion claims. It argues that while Thomson successfully demonstrates through her famous Violinist Analogy—that a fetus’s right to life does not automatically override a woman’s right to control her own body, her position remains incomplete when addressing the moral implications of consent and fetal agency. Using deductive analogies, the paper first reconstructs Thomson’s reasoning to show how her arguments challenge the assumption that abortion is always morally impermissible. It then introduces the hypothetical case of the “self-aborting fetus,” a thought experiment that reverses the dependence relation between mother and fetus, to test the limits of Thomson’s framework. The analysis suggests that, although Thomson’s defense of abortion compellingly upholds the principle of bodily autonomy, it leaves unresolved questions concerning mutual rights and moral responsibility in cases of shared vulnerability. Keywords: Violinist, Analogy, People-Seed, Life, Right, Defense, Permission, Abortion, Body, Fetus, Responsibility

The article is devoted to an interdisciplinary analysis of the formation of a modern personality in the dynamic educational environment of the 21st century. The authors argue that in the conditions of digital transformation and social instability, the traditional knowledge-reproductive model of education is losing its effectiveness. The educational process is turning into a space where self-reflection, adaptation and moral responsibility become key competencies. The authors emphasize that the educational environment must adapt to the needs of young people. The main trajectories of personality development are analyzed, the importance of its subjectivity and the right to its own nonlinear trajectory are emphasized. The focus is on the mechanisms of pedagogical support, which should be transformed from care to partnership and facilitation. This requires special emotional competence from teachers/lecturers in order to create an atmosphere of trust and security. Critical risks created by the modern environment are outlined: digitalization, which causes information overload, the formation of a «clip» consciousness and the loss of emotional contact; value disorientation and moral bifurcation in conditions of opposing social signals; emotional burnout of participants in the educational process due to a high level of stress and pressure. The need for systemic integration of socio-emotional learning (SEL), digital ethics and information hygiene for the formation of a holistic, ethical and self- regulated personality is substantiated. It is concluded that the balance between online and offline life and a culture of mutual support are crucial factors for the humanistic development of a person.

The moral crisis among millennials has become a major challenge in the digital era, characterized by technological advancement, consumerism, and an instant-gratification culture. This study aims to analyze the relevance of Sufism teachings to the moral development of the millennial generation in the context of modern life. Using a qualitative library-based approach, this research explores classical works such as Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din, al-Risalah al-Qusyairiyyah, and al-Hikam, complemented by contemporary academic sources. The findings reveal that Sufism provides substantial contributions to the ethical, spiritual, and social awareness of millennials through the internalization of tazkiyatun nafs, muhasabah, zuhud, sabr, and ikhlas. These values guide individuals to cultivate self-control, sincerity, simplicity, and moral responsibility amid the dominance of social media and materialism. Conceptually, Sufism offers a spirituality-based moral education model emphasizing inner transformation as the foundation of social ethics. The study recommends integrating Sufi values into Islamic education to shape morally resilient, religious, and ethically conscious young generations

ABSTRACT This article examines the complex relationship between the Chinese celebrity system, gender discourse, and the socio-political power structure under Xi Jinping’s leadership. Through an analysis of Bai Baihe’s extramarital affair scandal and her subsequent career crisis, we argue that the incident reveals the moral responsibility as well as the ideological regulation that the celebrity group has long borne in Chinese society. Meanwhile, we contend that the ideal qualities of a female celebrity must be understood within the broader framework of evolving feminist discourse, which continually negotiates with the value systems promoted by the Chinese government at various historical junctures. To this end, we introduce the concept of Chinese post-(state)feminism and reconceptualise it as a contradictory combination of feminist and anti-feminist ideas, which include the individualistic discourse brought about by neoliberal market reform, the legacy of socialist state feminism, and the (re)emergence of conservative Confucian family values as a result of Xi’s political policy. Within this framework, the ideal post-(state)feminist subject in China is represented by the perfect combination of a successful career and a happy heterosexual relationship. Therefore, we conclude that this idealised post-(state)feminist configuration has operated both as the foundation of Bai’s stardom and as the cause of her career dilemma.

Purpose The current investigation analyzes the effect of ethical instruction on the business integrity, accountability and performance among Muslim entrepreneurs in Karnataka, India. Using the Social Exchange and Planned Behavior theories, it investigates how Islamic values of fairness, trustworthiness and honesty promote moral decision-making, corporate integrity and responsibility in business operations. The study aims to further examine the moderating impacts of market competition intensity and cultural context on the interplay of ethical training and business results, thereby upholding the paradigm of business ethics. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was employed using a structured online survey of 393 Muslim entrepreneurs from different sectors, including retail, hospitality, manufacturing and agriculture. The model was validated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test hypothesized relationships. Findings Findings from the study show that ethical decision-making mediates the relationship between business integrity and responsibility, which, in turn, affects performance. Leaders using Islamic values-based approaches create an atmosphere conducive to moral conduct, openness and stakeholder trust. Further, the relationship between business integrity and performance becomes heightened by market competition intensity. In competitive markets, ethical practices serve as essential differentiators. Indeed, cultural context enables a climate for the adoption and effective pursuit of Islamic principles in business. Practical implications It provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, religious institutions and industry leaders toward implementing Islamic ethical training programs that cultivate moral steadfastness and sustainable practices. Originality/value Integration of Islamic values into business strategies fortifies business performance, trust and sustainability, epitomizing Islamic ethics’ transformational role in excellence in the SME sector.

This study discusses legal protection for victims of human trafficking disguised as job vacancies in Myanmar, which has affected hundreds of Indonesian citizens. This phenomenon shows a new mode of digital-based human trafficking through social media, offering fictitious high-paying jobs that ultimately lead to forced labor in the online scamming sector. This study uses a normative legal research method with a legislative and conceptual approach, which examines Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of Human Trafficking, Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, the 2000 Palermo Protocol, and a number of International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions related to forced labor and labor migration. The results of the study show that this case fulfills the elements of human trafficking as stipulated in Article 2 paragraph (1) of the TPPO Law, because there are elements of recruitment, fraud, confinement, and forced labor exploitation. From an international law perspective, these actions violate the provisions of the Palermo Protocol and the ILO convention on the elimination of forced labor. The Indonesian government has a legal and moral responsibility to provide protection and recovery for victims of TPPO, as well as to ensure the principle of non-criminalization. However, the implementation of protection is still hampered by weak supervision of digital recruitment, jurisdictional limitations, and suboptimal cross-border cooperation. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the digital-based migrant protection system, enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and apply the principle of state due diligence in the prevention and enforcement of laws against cross-border TPPO.

Abstract Ethics are commonly invoked to mitigate the adverse effects of digitalization on international practices such as diplomacy, humanitarianism, or peacebuilding. However, their productive role in shaping global politics has received little attention. This article elucidates how policy and guidance documents containing ‘PeaceTech’ ethics discursively construct normative vectors, i.e., moral claims that frame risks, suggest responses, and attribute responsibilities. We identify five major tendencies through which this takes place, namely the internationalizing, outsourcing, delegating, localizing, and individualizing of PeaceTech-related risks. These vectors produce a cascade of responsibility that reaches from the international to the local, from the public to the private sector and civil society, and from organizations to end users. Agents placed higher in the cascade mainly deal with abstract and systemic risks, while agents placed lower are responsible for dealing with tangible and personal risks. Yet the latter often have the least resources to respond to these risks, and have to weigh up whether to accept them and maintain critical data collection and analysis functions, or to reduce these risks while potentially jeopardizing PeaceTech. We describe how this can amount to what we call ‘decentred dereliction’, i.e., the abandonment of goals in and through digital peacebuilding.

Introduction. When creating spaces for the life of people around them, future architects should take into account not only technical and aesthetic aspects, but also the needs, psychological characteristics, and values of different social groups. Of particular importance are such personal qualities as moral and ethical responsibility, empathy, and communicative tolerance, which allow for effective interaction with people and making decisions aimed at the benefit of society. The aim of the study is to study the role of personal determinants in the formation of moral and ethical guidelines in future architects. Materials and methods. The sample of the study consisted of 120 architecture students of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (Russian Federation). The following methods were used: «Diagnostics of the level of moral and ethical responsibility of the individual (DLMEOLP)» by I.G. Timoshchuk, the «Communicative tolerance» test by V.V. Boyko, the «Empathic potential of the individual» questionnaire by I.M. Yusupov. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis (step-by-step method) were used for data analysis. KEYWORDS Results. The average level of moral and ethical responsibility, empathic potential and communicative tolerance were revealed in the architecture students. Altruistic emotions are expressed, especially manifested in empathy towards the elderly and strangers. Deficits in the development of existential responsibility and moral and ethical values were found. The relationships between the indicators of moral and ethical responsibility and the personal characteristics of the students were revealed. The higher the level of moral and ethical responsibility, the more future architects accept the individuality of another person (r=0.18, p≤0.05), are less categorical in judgments (r=0.19, p≤0.05), are inclined to forgive mistakes (r=0.20, p≤0.05), and show greater empathy towards the heroes of works (r=0.18, p≤0.05). The predictors of moral and ethical responsibility of architecture students were the indicators of communicative tolerance: «rejection of individuality» (β = −0.18; p ≤ 0.05) and «categorical judgments» (β = −0.22; p ≤ 0.04). Conclusion. The obtained results substantiate the need to develop programs aimed at developing moral and ethical responsibility and communicative competence in the professional training of architects.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed the field of education by enabling personalized learning, automated assessment, intelligent tutoring systems, and data-driven decision-making. While these innovations offer significant benefits, they also raise complex ethical challenges that demand careful consideration. This paper explores the ethical implications of AI integration in education, focusing on issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, transparency, accountability, and the potential loss of human interaction in the learning process. It examines how AI systems can inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities and questions the extent to which educational decisions should be delegated to machines. Furthermore, the study discusses the responsibility of educators, policymakers, and developers in ensuring that AI tools are used fairly, responsibly, and inclusively. By analyzing current literature and real-world case studies, this research aims to propose guidelines for ethical AI implementation in educational contexts, emphasizing the balance between technological advancement and moral responsibility.

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines the presence and role of ethical leadership in fostering inclusive cultures within South African full-service schools. While policy frameworks such as Education White Paper 6 and the DBE Guidelines for Full-Service Schools advocate for inclusive education, there is limited evidence that school leaders are adequately trained or supported to enact the ethical leadership such inclusion requires. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with principals, departmental heads, teachers, and learners. Drawing on the Ethics of Care theory, this qualitative multiple-case study investigates whether ethical leadership exists in practice and how its presence, or absence, shapes inclusive school cultures. Findings reveal a significant gap between policy expectations and leadership realities: most school leaders lacked formal training in ethical leadership, and their practices often prioritised administrative efficiency over moral responsibility. The study highlights systemic barriers such as inadequate training, limited resources, and inconsistent leadership support. It concludes that ethical leadership is not yet institutionalised in full-service schools and calls for targeted professional development and policy reform to bridge the gap between inclusive ideals and everyday practice.

This study is motivated by the limited Living Qur’an research that specifically examines the practice of ḥizb ṣagīr recitation as a manifestation of Qur’anic values within the pesantren tradition. Previous studies on the Living Qur’an have largely focused on the ritual recitation of particular verses, overlooking the educational and social roles of ḥizb practices in shaping students’ character. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the meaning and function of the ḥizb ṣagīr recitation at the At-Taqwa Islamic Boarding School of KH. Noer Alie, Bekasi, and to explore its influence on developing students’ sense of responsibility, discipline, and religious awareness, which ultimately contributes to the institutional stability of the pesantren. Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive-phenomenological method, data were obtained through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The findings indicate that the ḥizb ṣagīr recitation serves not only as a spiritual practice but also as an educational tool fostering moral discipline, responsibility, and social solidarity among students. This tradition creates a conducive environment for the internalization of Qur’anic values, reinforces the ta‘dẓīm (respectful) relationship between students and teachers, and nurtures a pesantren atmosphere of tranquility, authority, and harmony. Thus, the recitation of ḥizb ṣagīr plays an integral educational role that unites spiritual, moral, and social dimensions, serving as a foundation for character formation and the preservation of Qur’anic values within the pesantren educational system

ABSTRACT This paper proposes that the heritage derived from the ‘analytic hour’ offers a ‘technology’ which has a central place in thinking about the role of the psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapist in relation to the climate and ecological emergency. It draws on associated disciplinary perspectives to consider the nature of ‘time’ in the climate of organisational working life, particularly as it has evolved within our public sector, and how the difficulty of working as a child psychotherapist in this context stems from some of the same roots as the climate crisis. In so doing, the paper explores the political economy in which this work is situated, namely the rise of neoliberalism, and seeks to make explicit the fundamental conflict between its founding assumptions with regard to human nature and those of psychoanalysis. Whilst suggesting that such ontological dissonance is at the heart of a climate breakdown experienced within the public work setting, it is proposed that psychoanalytic child psychotherapy is potentially a discipline for our times: with its realist theoretical foundation in tune with limits revealed in nature, it seeks to preserve a framework of time in which layers of depth might be apprehended with relational understandings at its core. It is thus in the technology of ‘holding the time’ that child psychotherapists can make a unique contribution to the rising generation, for whom we hold moral responsibilities as ancestors in the face of climate breakdown.

Ensuring the Welfare of Ruminants During Euthanasia, Humane Slaughter, and Depopulation.

In precision medicine, digital twins-virtual models of patients created using personalized data and advanced machine learning-are potentially changing healthcare by predicting health outcomes and guiding medical decisions. However, their use raises complex ethical questions, particularly concerning their relationship to human dignity. Patients often regard dignity as central to their healthcare experience, and failing to incorporate this principle into the design and application of digital twins risks undermining personal autonomy, misusing sensitive data, eroding patient-provider trust, and creating broader ethical challenges. This paper argues that digital twins are not mere data sets or predictive tools, but symbolic extensions of the dignity of the individuals they represent. Using David Kirchhoffer's multidimensional framework of human dignity, this study examines how digital twins engage with both absolute (inherent) and contingent (socially constructed) dimensions of dignity. The analysis begins by exploring the multidimensional concept of human dignity, followed by a discussion of how digital twins embody these dimensions, illustrated through examples such as digital brain twins, posthumous digital representations, and disability contexts. Finally, the paper addresses the ethical implications of these findings, emphasizing the moral responsibilities of researchers, developers, and clinicians to treat digital twins as representations of patient dignity, thereby ensuring these technologies advance healthcare without compromising the fundamental respect owed to every individual.

This Community Service Program (PKM) was designed to strengthen national character and identity through the application of Asta Cita values among the residents of Rejuno Village, Karangjati District, Ngawi Regency, East Java. Conducted over two days, the program involved active participation from youth groups, community leaders, and village officials. The activities consisted of the introduction of national and civic values, interactive discussions with local figures, and group reflections aimed at formulating social commitments rooted in the Asta Cita principles. The findings show a notable increase in participants’ understanding and appreciation of the eight core values: patriotism, mutual cooperation, honesty, responsibility, hard work, discipline, tolerance, and social justice. Moreover, local wisdom and traditions—such as martial arts practices and community deliberations—were revitalized as effective tools for embedding these values within daily life. This program highlights that national character building does not solely rely on formal education or governmental initiatives but can also grow organically from community-based cultural practices. By integrating local heritage with national ideals, the PKM successfully promoted a sense of unity, civic awareness, and moral responsibility among the people of Rejuno Village, illustrating how local culture can serve as a strong foundation for fostering national identity and integrity.

Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These transforms the novella form into a moral and formal intervention that exposes Ireland’s enduring complicity in the Magdalene Laundries. Through the ethical awakening of Bill Furlong, a working-class man in 1980s Ireland, Keegan stages a confrontation between individual conscience and collective denial. This article argues that the novella operates metaleptically, collapsing the boundary between fiction and reader, to compel ethical recognition through both structure and story. Drawing on Judith Butler’s theories of intervention and gendered power, alongside trauma and narrative theory, the analysis situates Keegan’s novella as a site where literature performs historical work. Keegan’s novella’s compression, moral clarity and refusal of catharsis embody a sustained interrogation of silence, complicity and institutional violence. In this way, Small Things Like These not only reanimates collective memory but demonstrates how the novella form itself can enact ethical and political agency, bridging private conscience and public reckoning. By reconfiguring the boundaries between history and imagination, Keegan reclaims the novella as a mode of resistance, insisting that moral responsibility persists beyond historical closure.

This research explores how prosocial behavior relates to environmentally responsible consumer choices. Prosocial behavior—actions aimed at supporting others—can extend to ecological concern, shaping decisions that prioritize sustainability. In this study, adult participants completed assessments measuring both tendencies, and their scores were compared to identify patterns of association. The analysis revealed that prosocial orientations of all types showed a positive relationship with environmentally conscious purchasing, with the strongest connections appearing among individuals motivated by empathy, urgency, and deeply held moral beliefs. Acts driven by social recognition, obligation, or altruism also demonstrated notable links, though the associations were somewhat weaker. These results highlight that sustainable consumption is more strongly influenced by internalized, emotionally grounded motivations than by external pressures or conformity. Overall, the findings align with theoretical perspectives that emphasize moral responsibility and personal values as key forces in shaping pro-environmental behavior.

"Until recently, Walter Scott’s work coursed mostly under the radar of ecocritical criticism. Scott’s poetry was influenced at the beginning of his career by his own translations of German poetry and especially of Goethe, who has been associated with a protoecological view on nature, his works detailing “the material interactions of living and non-living things” (Sullivan 18), features which pertain to what Timothy Morton defined as a ‘mesh’ of agential processes. While Scott’s own poems may be taken into account by ecocriticism, his ‘historical’ novel is laden with so much about former conflicts, political and economic forces that it seems to be very wide off the ecological mark. Yet, his human-nature engagements evince a complex interdependence which might be rewarding in an ecocritical reading. Scott’s novels reveal an ecological thought in which intrasubjectivity and intersubjectivity are important and are part of a fictional network of interdependencies, which contains more than the ramifications of a reduced ‘mesh’, understood simply in terms of material codependency and coexistence. There is no abrupt nature-culture separation in his work, as his views are shaped by his Scottish Enlightenment/Romanticism heritage. Irony and humour are an integral part of his protoecological vision, emphasizing the moral responsibility humans have as humble stewards of the earth."

ABSTRACT Despite the rapid worldwide increase in students’ use of AI, reflexivity remains underdeveloped in both research and practice. To address this gap, we analyse two case studies involving students in the United States and in Denmark, who utilized generative AI tools for creative tasks involving writing and visual presentations. Our findings reveal a significant gap between students’ recognition of ethical issues and their actual practices, highlighting burgeoning but superficial agency and limited reflexive engagement. Drawing on research on videogaming and literacies, we propose a new model for reflexive AI literacies based on three interconnected concepts: design and context, cybernetic relationships, and I-positions. This model emphasizes recursive, socially situated meaning making facilitated by reflexive pedagogy. Advocating for greater attention to reflexivity, we use this model to offer entry points for critically evaluating AI outputs, understanding biases, and assuming moral and ethical responsibility – key components for fostering sophisticated, responsible AI literacies essential for future education and society.

This study aims to analyze the Discourse of Modernism in Islamic Education from the Perspective of the Philosophy of Values. The type of research used is library research, which involves analyzing various conceptual information and data, both qualitative and quantitative, derived from previous scholarly articles. The data analysis techniques in this library research include data reduction, categorization, thematic synthesis, interpretation, and theoretical conclusion drawing. Based on the findings and discussion, the discourse of modernism in Islamic education from the perspective of the philosophy of values emphasizes the importance of harmonizing Islamic teachings with the development of modern science and technology in a selective manner. Modernism is not understood as blind acceptance of new ideas, but as a filtering process to ensure alignment with Islamic principles. Islamic education is required to integrate religious and general knowledge in order to produce a generation that is both Islamic in character and globally competitive. Value-related challenges arise from spiritual crises, materialism, and the negative impacts of technology. Therefore, the philosophy of values serves as a reconstructive approach to balance knowledge, faith, morality, and social responsibility in order to form insan kamil with an authentic Islamic identity.