Moral Objections Research Articles

Innovation and sustainability in product environmental management systems

Abstract The environment theme has taken on considerable importance in consumer purchasing choices. Through voluntary environmental policy tools (product certifications, ecological labels and company certifications) the producers demonstrate their attention to environmental issues. The paper analyzed the environmental impacts, that is, the consumption of resources and emissions to the environment for a product of animal origin, analyzing the production process of the entire production chain of High-Quality milk of a leading Italian company. The Group has an integrated approach to quality policies that balances economic, environmental and ethical objectives throughout the food chain, from the farm to the consumer’s table. The analysis was conducted in compliance with the general rules of the Environmental Product Declaration Program and the specifications of the product group “Product Category rules 2013: 17 Processed liquid milk and cream - UN CPC code 221”, using the cycle analysis methodology of life, regulated by the international standards ISO 14040 Series, Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework - scientific methodology that ensures reliability, credibility and rigour of the environmental declaration. Despite the initiatives undertaken by the Granarolo Group regarding the environmental improvements of its products and services for the mitigation of the environmental impact, our forecasts have been confirmed, the product - organic milk still has a very high-water footprint. Therefore, the environmental efforts of individual companies are not enough, but consumers’ dietary habits must also change.

Ethics without ideology or a new theory of synderesis

The article analyzes the problem of the correlation of morality and ideology. The author believes that the distinction between morality and ideology can be made only at the level of their genealogy: if ideology is a socio-cultural product, then morality is rooted in human nature, in "moral intuitions", which medieval scholastic philosophy called synderesis. In modern ethics, synderesis can be identified with the neurophysiological prerequisites of morality. Opponents of this approach argue that, firstly, it excludes free will, and secondly, it does not explain the content of moral values and norms in any way. The author of the article criticizes these statements and offers his original theory of synderesis. The article draws an analogy between ethics and intuitionistic mathematics, which considers mathematical objects as the results of intellectual construction based on initial intuitions. Ethical objects should also be considered as constructions based on innate intuitions. Moral intuitions do not exclude free will, since they rely on rationality inherent in our nature, the main property of which is the ability to make decisions regardless of external stimuli and internal states. In addition, these intuitions influence the content of our norms, as they are the "operators" of their construction and are included in the "final product".

An inquiry into populism’s relation to science

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a question seldom addressed in a straightforward manner by political theorists: whether populism is intrinsically anti-science. This article identifies three different ways in which populist actors worldwide have grounded their scepticism, distrust, or hostility to scientific inputs, to the extent that they are relevant for political action: (1) they raise a moral objection against scientists who have been allegedly corrupted by foreign interests, turning them into enemies of the people; (2) they present a democratic objection against the technocratic claim that scientific experts should rule regardless of the popular will; and (3) they employ an epistemic argument against scientific reasoning, which is said to be inferior to common-sense and folk wisdom, and antithetical to the immediateness of political action. While these objections have been wielded in a selective and unsystematic way, they all speak to the core feature of populism, which is the people versus elites divide: the moral objection targets scientists as members of an elite in cahoots with alien powers; the democratic objection targets an unelected elite that seeks to undermine the people’s rule; the epistemic objection questions that the standard to validate knowledge-claims is a complex and detached-from-ordinary-experience rationality.

Fair and effective public administration

Administrative procedure is classically the area of law where public administration has direct contact with citizens. Consequently, these cases entail a risk of violating the fundamental rights of citizens, which is certainly not desirable in a constitutional state. In today's administrative systems, administrative procedural law is becoming increasingly important. In practice, the main trends are limiting the executive power of the state to constitutional limits, guaranteeing the fundamental rights of citizens, and creating "good public administration". For many, the question may arise: are good administrative procedures merely a desirable moral objective, without any legal effect, or are there legal elements that make it both binding and effective?

A Study on the Integration of Ideological and Political Elements in "English Speech and Debate"

The integration of "Curriculum Ideology and Politics" and English major curriculum is a necessary practice to implement the "Opinions on Further Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Education for College Students" issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Taking the integration of ideological and political elements of "English Speech and Debate" as the main research object, this paper comprehensively sorted out the integration of ideological and political elements of the course from five aspects: determining the moral education objectives, optimizing the teaching content, reforming the teaching methods, reconstructing the curriculum evaluation system, and improving the ideological and political awareness of teachers. It also tries to provide a reference path for the integration of curriculum, ideology and politics for English majors.

Adaptation and validation of Polish Version of Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL-48) by M.M. Linehan et al.

The aim of the study was to develop the Polish version of the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL-48) of Linehan et al. The questionnaire is a self-descriptive tool designed to measure six factors protecting against committing suicide: "Survival and Coping Beliefs", "Responsibility to Family", "Fear of Suicide", "Moral Objections", "Fear of Social Disapproval", "Child-Related Concerns". The original version of the method was characterized by good psychometric properties. A sample of 431 adults (236 women and 195 men), aged 18-65 years (mean age was 33 years, SD = 11.33), was recruited as a non-clinical group from various regions of Poland. The Beck's Depression Inventory, Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised and Positivity Scale were also used to evaluate the construct validity of the RFL-48. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported an assumed six-dimensional structure of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.70 ("Fear of Suicide") to 0.95 ("Survival and Coping Beliefs") and amounted to 0.92 for the total score. The findings indicate that the Polish adaptation of the RFL questionnaire by Linehan et al. has good psychometric characteristics and can be used in both research and clinical practice.

Associations between subcategories of disgust sensitivity and homonegativity: examining intergroup contact as a moderator

ABSTRACT The present study examined the associations between three forms of disgust sensitivity (i.e. moral, pathogen, and sexual) and homonegativity towards gay men and lesbian women, based on the behavioural immune system (BIS) theory. Two forms of homonegativity were assessed: old-fashioned (i.e. moral and religious objections to homosexuality) and modern (i.e. objections to homosexuality that are grounded in beliefs such as sexual minorities demand and receive ‘preferential’ treatment). Frequency and valence of contact with sexual minorities also was measured. An online survey was completed by 263 self-identified heterosexual participants, a majority of whom were White (n = 173) and cisgender women (n = 192). Sexual disgust was the strongest predictor of old-fashioned homonegativity towards lesbian women, and pathogen disgust was the only predictor of old-fashioned homonegativity against gay men. No measures of disgust were statistically significant predictors of modern homonegativity. Both frequency and quality of intergroup contact played a significant role in moderating different effects of sexual disgust on homonegativity. The limitations of this study and directions for future research are outlined.

Development of a Checklist for Predicting Suicidality Based on Risk and Protective Factors: The Gwangju Checklist for Evaluation of Suicidality.

Objective The aim of the study was to develop a checklist for mental health clinicians to predict and manage suicidality. Methods A literature review of the risk and protective factors for suicide was conducted to develop a checklist for evaluating suicidality. Results The fixed risk factors included sex (male), age (older individuals), history of childhood adversity, and a family history of suicide. Changeable risk factors included marital status (single), economic status (poverty), physical illness, history of psychiatric hospitalization, and history of suicide attempts. Recent discharge from a mental hospital and a recent history of suicide attempts were also included. Manageable risk factors included depression (history and current), alcohol problems (frequent drinking and alcohol abuse), hopelessness, agitation, impulsivity, impaired reality testing, and command hallucinations. Protective factors included responsibility to family, social support, moral objections to suicide, religiosity, motivation to get treatment, ability to cope with stress, and a healthy lifestyle. A final score was assigned based on the sum of the risk and protective factor scores. Conclusion We believe that the development of this checklist will help mental health clinicians to better assess those at risk for suicidal behavior. Further studies are necessary to validate the checklist.

Efficacy and ethics of intensive predator management to save endangered caribou

AbstractLethal population control has a history of application to wildlife management and conservation. There is debate about the efficacy of the practice, but more controversial is the ethical justification and methods of killing one species in favor of another. This is the situation facing the conservation of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in Canada. Across multiple jurisdictions, large numbers of wolves (Canis lupus), and to a lesser extent bears (Ursus americanus) and coyotes (C. latrans), are killed through trapping, poisoning or aerial shooting to halt or reverse continued declines of woodland caribou. While there is evidence to support the effectiveness of predator management as a stop‐gap solution, questions remain about the extent to which this activity can make a meaningful contribution to long‐term recovery. Also, there are myriad ethical objections to the lethal removal of predators, even if that activity is in the name of conservation. Debates about predator management, just one of numerous invasive actions for maintaining caribou, are made even more complex by the conflation of ethics and efficacy. Ultimately, long‐term solutions for the recovery of caribou require governments to stop delaying difficult decisions that address the real causes of population decline, habitat change.

Преимплантационное генетическое тестирование: православно-христианская рефлексия этических проблем метода

Background: Preimplantation genetic testing is used in In Vitro Fertilization to identify genetic abnormalities in embryos. Genetically defective embryos are not transferred to the uterus, resulting in a higher percentage of healthy babies born. Aim: to study the ethical problems of using preimplantation genetic testing in Orthodox Christian discourse. Materials and methods: An analysis of the provisions of Orthodox ethics, expressed in the church resolutions of the Russian Orthodox Church and the general church teaching on morality, was carried out in the context of their application for the biotic analysis of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Results: Despite the fact that PGT can have positive implications for the choice of the mode of delivery later on and for the earliest possible initiation of intrauterine treatment, this practice meets with certain ethical objections in Orthodox Christian discourse. Identified genetic abnormalities of embryos in PGT encourage women to refuse to transfer the "diseased" embryo, leading ultimately to its death. The absence of intrauterine interaction between a mother and an embryo makes such a choice easily feasible. Given that Orthodox Christianity affirms the beginning of human life from the moment of conception, refusing to become pregnant with a "sick embryo" would be tantamount to its murder. In addition, among the ethical problems of PGT is the possibility of the use thereof for the embryo selection according to sex or other chosen characteristics, which also belongs to immoral actions in Orthodox Christianity. Conclusion: Thus, the possibility for Orthodox couples to participate in assisted reproductive technology must exclude the use of pre-implantation genetic testing, which is ethically unacceptable within Orthodox Christianity. The couple starting IVF should be ready to give birth and bring up such a child, who will be the result of the fertilization in vitro.

Prolonged disorders of consciousness: A response to a “critical evaluation of the new UK guidelines.”

Background In 2020, The London Royal College of Physicians published “Prolonged disorders of consciousness following sudden-onset brain injury: national clinical guidelines”. In 2021, in the journal Brain, Scolding et al. published “a critical evaluation of the new UK guidelines”. This evaluation focussed on one of the 73 recommendations in the National Clinical Guidelines. They also alleged that the guidelines were unethical. Criticisms They criticised our recommendation not to use activation protocols using fMRI, electroencephalography, or Positron Emission Tomography. They claim these tests can (a) detect ‘covert consciousness’, (b) add predictive value and (c) should be part of routine clinical care. They also suggest that our guideline was driven by cost considerations, leading to clinicians deciding to withdraw treatment at 72 h. Evidence Our detailed review of the evidence confirms the American Academy of Neurology Practise Guideline (2018) and the European Academy of Neurology Guideline (2020), which agree that insufficient evidence supports their approach. Ethics The ethical objections are based on unwarranted assumptions. Our guideline does not make any recommendations about management until at least four weeks have passed. We explicitly recommend that expert assessors undertake ongoing surveillance and monitoring; we do not suggest that patients be abandoned. Our recommendation will increase the cost We had ethicists in the working party. Conclusion We conclude the “critical evaluation” fails to provide evidence for their criticism and that the ethical objections arise from incorrect assumptions and unsupported interpretations of evidence and our guideline. The 2020 UK national guidelines remain valid.

Sensibility and moral values in Mengzi’s metaethics

ABSTRACT This paper examines the current scholarship on Mengzi’s metaethical thoughts and reconstructs Mengzi’s view to contribute to our understanding of the relation between sensibility and the apparent objectivity of morality. I first overview two features of morality that an adequate metaethical theory needs to account for—the apparent objectivity and the motivational force of moral values, highlighting the potential of Mengzi’s thought to explain both. Then I examine previous reconstructions of Mengzi’s metaethics. Both the naturalism approach and the sensibility theory approach capture important features of Mengzi’s view but have defects. I argue that Mengzi’s view may help revise a sensibility theory that models moral properties on secondary qualities like colors, and thus, preserves the alleged merit of it—being able to account for the two features of morality.

Effect of Basic Ethical Principles on the Quality of Assessment (Study on Appraisers in North Sumatra and Aceh Provinces)

This study examines the influence of fundamental ethical principles on the quality of assessment by using five compounds of basic ethical principles, namely integrity, Objectivity, Competence, Confidentiality, and Professional Behavior, as independent variables, while quality is a dependent variable. The population in this study is 31 (thirty-one) Public Assessment Service Offices (KJPP) registered in the Provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh in 2021, with a total number of appraisers as many as 178 people who are willing to fill out questionnaires, so the sample selection method used is the saturated sample method/census. The population in this study was 178 appraisers, and all of them were used as samples. The analysis method uses multiple linear regression, F test, T-test, and determination coefficient test (R2) with a classical assumption test research model. The results of this study, both partially and simultaneously, integrity, Objectivity, Competence, Confidentiality, and Professional Behavior have a positive and significant effect on the quality of assessment. The principle of professional conduct is a component of the basic code of ethics that has the strongest positive and significant influence on the quality of judgment. The result of the analysis of the coefficient of determination is 51.4%, of which there are still 48.6% explained by other factors.

The Rise of Veterinary Ethics

Abstract Bernard Rollin taught the first class in veterinary ethics in modern veterinary history at Colorado State University in the late 1970’s as a result of his outrage at the behavior of a CSU surgeon who gave him only one option for his dog, when others were less invasive. The course, which became part of the veterinary curriculum at CSU, began with a history of the evolution of thought and attitudes toward animals from early Greek philosophy and Oriental religion, and followed it to modern times. He used the concept of telos, or nature of an animal, to develop his theory of why animals should be treated as moral objects with rights, and over the period of 40 years taught, wrote books and articles, lectured all over the world, and influenced legislation protecting animals.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND ITS FORMS OF MANIFESTATION IN SOCIETY

The article analyzes the features, values, the need for environmental ethics and the moral content of natural rights in the global environment of the modern era. Environmental ethics reflects the essence and concepts of environmental and moral perception, describes the features of the era of environmental ethics and globalization. The norms and practical significance of the main criteria of environmental ethics are widely covered. The emphasis is on the theoretical and practical aspects of biodiversity and seeks to combine these aspects with concepts of responsibility. Today it is important to pay attention to ethical issues in solving environmental problems. It is important to explain the common interests and requirements of social responsibility as an object of study of environmental ethics.

Legal hunting for conservation of highly threatened species: The case of African rhinos

AbstractLegal hunting of threatened species—and especially the recreational practice of “trophy hunting”—is controversial with ethical objections being increasingly voiced. Less public attention has been paid to how hunting (even of threatened species) can be useful as a conservation tool, and likely outcomes if this was stopped. As case studies, we examine the regulated legal hunting of two African rhino species in South Africa and Namibia over the last half‐century. Counter‐intuitively, removing a small number of specific males can enhance population demography and genetic diversity, encourage range expansion, and generate meaningful socioeconomic benefits to help fund effective conservation (facilitated by appropriate local institutional arrangements).Legal hunting of African rhinos has been sustainable, with very small proportions of populations hunted each year, and greater numbers of both species today in these countries than when controlled recreational hunting began. Terminating this management option and significant funding source could have negative consequences at a time when rhinos are being increasingly viewed as liabilities and revenue generation for wildlife areas is being significantly impacted by COVID‐19. Provided that there is appropriate governance, conservation of certain highly threatened species can be supported by cautiously selective and limited legal hunting.

The Cosmic Significance of Directed Panspermia: Should Humanity Spread Life to Other Solar Systems?

AbstractThe possibility of seeding other planets with life poses a tricky dilemma. On the one hand, directed panspermia might be extremely good, while, on the other, it might be extremely bad depending on what factors are taken into consideration. Therefore, we need to understand better what is ethically at stake with planetary seeding. I map out possible conditions under which humanity should spread life to other solar systems. I identify two key variables that affect the desirability of propagating life throughout the galaxy. The first is axiological and depends on which value theory in environmental ethics is correct. The second is empirical and depends on whether life is common or not in our region of the universe. I also consider two ethical objections to an interplanetary life-seeding mission: the risk of interfering with indigenous life and the risk of increasing suffering in our galaxy.

Instilling moral value alignment by means of multi-objective reinforcement learning

AI research is being challenged with ensuring that autonomous agents learn to behave ethically, namely in alignment with moral values. Here, we propose a novel way of tackling the value alignment problem as a two-step process. The first step consists on formalising moral values and value aligned behaviour based on philosophical foundations. Our formalisation is compatible with the framework of (Multi-Objective) Reinforcement Learning, to ease the handling of an agent’s individual and ethical objectives. The second step consists in designing an environment wherein an agent learns to behave ethically while pursuing its individual objective. We leverage on our theoretical results to introduce an algorithm that automates our two-step approach. In the cases where value-aligned behaviour is possible, our algorithm produces a learning environment for the agent wherein it will learn a value-aligned behaviour.

Analyzing the Role of Islamic Finance in Kuwait Regarding Sustainable Economic Development in COVID-19 Era

The aim of the present study was first to consider the impact of COVID-19 on Kuwait’s economy. Second, it attempted to examine the role of Islamic banking and finance in achieving socioeconomic justice and attaining best practices by securing social goods. Hence, the research assessed how Islamic banking and finance can help in reconstructing the economy based on Maqasid Al-Shari’ah (higher ethical objectives) to redevelop social, economic, and environmental welfare, especially in the COVID-19 era. A theoretical approach was adopted, namely, the grounded theory method (GTM), to explore COVID-19 related solutions for achieving sustainable economic development. The findings show that Islamic banking and finance can be employed to mitigate the impact of coronavirus and can be used as an alternative financial system to support both affected people and entrepreneurs. The paper expands on previous literature discussing the role of Islamic finance in management strategies through Islamic ethical objectives, with a particular focus on Kuwait’s post-COVID-19 era. This research can help policymakers to develop mechanisms and supporting approaches for Kuwait’s economy.

Challenges for ethics committees in biomedical research governance: illustrations from China and Australia.

In this paper, the evolution of the ethics committees for health research, their history, membership, and function in China and Australia is described. Investigators in each country compared the history and governance of their ethical systems based on the published evidence rather than personal opinions. Similarly, examples of challenges were selected from the literature. In both countries, the aim was to maximize the social benefits of research and minimize the risk imposed on the participants. Common challenges include maintaining independence, funding and delivering timely ethical reviews of the research projects. These challenges can be difficult where research ethics committees rely on voluntary contributions and lack a strong resource base. They must adapt to the increasingly rapid pace of research as well as the technological sophistication. Population health research can challenge the conventional views of consent and privacy. The principles of the sound ethical review are common in both countries; governance arrangements and operational procedures, however, can differ, reflecting the cultural values and norms of their host countries and in respect of legal environments. By studying the evolution and function of ethics committees in the two countries, we established the differences in the governance and health systems, while similar ethical objectives helped sustain collaborative research.