Philosophy
Do we have a moral obligation to correct innocent ignorance? If you spot the Hank Aaron rookie card at a yard sale for a quarter, are you morally obligated to tell the owner what s/he has and how much it is really worth? Are we entitled to think badly of the person who doesn't and purchases it?
- Is Beauty An Ethical Notion?
Beauty enhances life. A life lived surrounded by beauty is a better life than one not. Does this mean that beauty is a moral concept? Do we have an obligation to make the world more beautiful if we can? Do we have a moral duty to create beauty?...
- Did Newt Gingrich's Wife Commit Adultery Too?
I was listening to a discussion about Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism this morning and it glossed over the fact that he was with his current wife before he was no longer with his previous wife. It is clear that he committed adultery, but...
- Is There A Moral Difference Between The Needs Of Victims In Japan And Haiti?
Looking at the Red Cross signs for donations to help the victims of the earthquake/tsunami/potential nuclear meltdown in Japan, raises questions about the moral imperative to help. When the earthquake struck Haiti, there were horrible conditions as well....
- The Moral Import Of Modern Conservatism
With the centenary of Ronald Reagan's birth this week, it is a good time to consider his intellectual legacy. Reagan launched his presidential bid with a full-throated endorsement of states' rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three people...
- Do You Have To Do Something To Do Something Good?
Whenever I teach ethics, one point in Kant's discussion that always gives rise to an interesting conversation is his claim that for an act to be of moral worth, it cannot serve any positive purpose for the person who does it. Even if it just makes...
Philosophy
Moral Obligation and Ignorance
Do we have a moral obligation to correct innocent ignorance? If you spot the Hank Aaron rookie card at a yard sale for a quarter, are you morally obligated to tell the owner what s/he has and how much it is really worth? Are we entitled to think badly of the person who doesn't and purchases it?
- Is Beauty An Ethical Notion?
Beauty enhances life. A life lived surrounded by beauty is a better life than one not. Does this mean that beauty is a moral concept? Do we have an obligation to make the world more beautiful if we can? Do we have a moral duty to create beauty?...
- Did Newt Gingrich's Wife Commit Adultery Too?
I was listening to a discussion about Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism this morning and it glossed over the fact that he was with his current wife before he was no longer with his previous wife. It is clear that he committed adultery, but...
- Is There A Moral Difference Between The Needs Of Victims In Japan And Haiti?
Looking at the Red Cross signs for donations to help the victims of the earthquake/tsunami/potential nuclear meltdown in Japan, raises questions about the moral imperative to help. When the earthquake struck Haiti, there were horrible conditions as well....
- The Moral Import Of Modern Conservatism
With the centenary of Ronald Reagan's birth this week, it is a good time to consider his intellectual legacy. Reagan launched his presidential bid with a full-throated endorsement of states' rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three people...
- Do You Have To Do Something To Do Something Good?
Whenever I teach ethics, one point in Kant's discussion that always gives rise to an interesting conversation is his claim that for an act to be of moral worth, it cannot serve any positive purpose for the person who does it. Even if it just makes...