Post by Admin on Feb 24, 2015 9:28:38 GMT 3
Ethics
Choose one of the following articles, read it in its entirety and then respond to the KQ in at least one paragraph, using your personal reflection.
Due by the end of the period.
___________________________
Ethics 5: recent ethics real life situations and knowledge questions
The Boston Marathon Bombing
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Can the death penalty ever be justified? Is 'eye-for-an-eye' justice appropriate when such a horrific atrocity has been committed, or does this only serve to escalate violence?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/surviving-boston-bombing-suspect-dzokhar-tsarnaev-faces-death-penalty-over-weapon-of-mass-destruction-charge-8583627.html
Description: Assuming he is guilty, should Dzhokhar Tsarnaev face the death penalty? The Independent discusses the ways in which charges are being carefully constructed in order to ensure that Tsarnaev faces the ultimate punishment for his crime.
Source: The Independent
Medicinal drugs
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should illegal drugs be available to people for medicinal purposes or research? Are the laws of a land the same as moral laws?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/07/magic-mushrooms-treat-depression
Description: Professor David Nutt - scourge of all drug 'hawks' - claims his research into treatment for depression has been halted due to the difficulty in getting supplies of illegal narcotics.
Source: The Guardian
Profit versus care
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should certain companies have extra ethical responsibilities? Should capitalism be controlled within healthcare? Should life-saving drugs be owned by the state?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-real-cancer-killer-ripoff-prices-for-drugs-set-by-profiteering-big-pharma-giants-8591825.html
Description: A chilling article highlighting the dangers of what happens when extremely powerful corporations are free to charge whatever they like for life-saving drugs.
Source: The Independent
Internet wars
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, language
KQs: Is the battle to control the internet a question of government oppression versus cyber freedom fighters, or a simple matter of upholding the law against criminals? Who should control the internet? To what extent should information on the internet be free to all?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/may/04/security-alert-war-in-cyberspace
Description: This long but very insightful article interviews various people who are facing long prison sentences for hacking. They like to see themselves as freedom fighters combating oppressive and unfair laws; the article examines to what extent this is true.
Source: The Guardian
Blowing the whistle
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Who should what's in the public interest: the public, or the publicly-elected government? Can infringing personal freedoms be justified if we're being protected from harm? To what extent should we be allowed to have a private life?
Category: Video
Link: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5yB3n9fu-rM#!
Description: This is the big story of the month (/year/decade): a former NSA worker blowing the whistle on the extent of that agency's monitoring of of social media sites.
Source: Youtube
Social censorship
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: sciences To what extent should we be allowed to freely express ourselves? Should the social media/internet be governed by the same rules as real society? Who should decide what constitutes 'offensive'?
Category: Article
Link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22701082
Description: The article discusses the significance of Facebook's announcement that they will begin tackling 'hate speeches' on their social media site - in other words, they will begin to censor content they consider offensive.
Source: BBC
Terminators
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: To what extent can the waging of war be meaningfully regulated? Should a non-moral entity be allowed to make a moral decision? By devolving the decision to kill other people will we become more or less morally minded?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/science/2013/may/29/killer-robots-ban-un-warning
Description: The newest generation of weapons are machines that can make autonomous decisions on whether to engage (ie kill) the enemy (ie human beings). Human rights workers within the UN have identified this as a dangerous precedent.
Source: The Guardian
Choose death
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should euthanasia be legal? What are the implications of legalising it? Is life - as most religious organisations believe - 'sacred'? Should every individual have the right to decide how their life comes to an end?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jul/09/assisted-dying-paul-chamberlain-death-motor-neurone
Description: Paul Chamberlain has motor neurone disease, and has determined to end his own life at a time of his own choosing. This article examines his belief that assisting him to bring this about should not then lead to the those responsible facing prosecution.
Source: The Guardian
Progressive or misguided?
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should 'drugs' be legalized? Who should have control over what we put into our bodies?
Category: Article
Link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23516966
Description: Uruguay looks set to become the first state in the world where marijuana production, supply, and consumption all becomes legal. This article looks at the reasons for this, and its possible consequences.
Source: BBC
Embarrassment of riches
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: To what extent should wealth be shared? Do richer members of society have a responsibility to look after more unfortunate members of society? Does wealth ensure happiness?
Category: Article
Link: www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
Description: Despite the world recession, the richest 400 people in America are wealthier than ever. Their combined assets are bigger than the GDP in Russia. This article leads us on to a lot of questions about wealth and inequality.
Source: Forbes Magazine
The right to be veiled
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, religion, indigenous knowledge systems
KQs: By banning the veil, will we liberate Muslim women, or infringe their personal rights? Should religious and cultural laws override national laws?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/fully-veiled-women-hinder-progressive-islam-8817963.html
Description: France and Belgium have already banned the wearing of the veil in public, and now the UK is seeing a battle over the right to wear it/not have to wear it. The article argues that the veil infringes women’s rights, and points out that there isn’t one reference to it in the Koran.
Source: The Independent
Planet versus profit
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, indigenous knowledge systems
KQs: Which should be a government's priority: the planet, or its own economy? What is more important: safeguarding cultural and natural resources, or creating jobs and wealth?
Category: Article
Link: www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/09/20139685837115845.html
Description: The Ecuadorean government has just announced that it will go back on a previous promise, and begin drilling for oil resources in part of its rain forests. Although this will create wealth and jobs, it will also destroy vast swathes of primary rainforests.
Source: Al Jazeera
A healthy trade in weapons
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, language
KQs: Can arms dealing ever be justified? Do developed countries have any responsibility for promoting weapons cuts? Is wealth or human compassion more important?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/10/defence-secretary-weapons-priority-britain
Description: The UK is one of the world’s biggest weapons exporters, and its arms industry is very important to the economy. This article looks at the way in which politicians promote their ‘responsible defence exports’.
Source: The Guardian
Choose one of the following articles, read it in its entirety and then respond to the KQ in at least one paragraph, using your personal reflection.
Due by the end of the period.
___________________________
Ethics 5: recent ethics real life situations and knowledge questions
The Boston Marathon Bombing
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Can the death penalty ever be justified? Is 'eye-for-an-eye' justice appropriate when such a horrific atrocity has been committed, or does this only serve to escalate violence?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/surviving-boston-bombing-suspect-dzokhar-tsarnaev-faces-death-penalty-over-weapon-of-mass-destruction-charge-8583627.html
Description: Assuming he is guilty, should Dzhokhar Tsarnaev face the death penalty? The Independent discusses the ways in which charges are being carefully constructed in order to ensure that Tsarnaev faces the ultimate punishment for his crime.
Source: The Independent
Medicinal drugs
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should illegal drugs be available to people for medicinal purposes or research? Are the laws of a land the same as moral laws?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/07/magic-mushrooms-treat-depression
Description: Professor David Nutt - scourge of all drug 'hawks' - claims his research into treatment for depression has been halted due to the difficulty in getting supplies of illegal narcotics.
Source: The Guardian
Profit versus care
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should certain companies have extra ethical responsibilities? Should capitalism be controlled within healthcare? Should life-saving drugs be owned by the state?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-real-cancer-killer-ripoff-prices-for-drugs-set-by-profiteering-big-pharma-giants-8591825.html
Description: A chilling article highlighting the dangers of what happens when extremely powerful corporations are free to charge whatever they like for life-saving drugs.
Source: The Independent
Internet wars
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, language
KQs: Is the battle to control the internet a question of government oppression versus cyber freedom fighters, or a simple matter of upholding the law against criminals? Who should control the internet? To what extent should information on the internet be free to all?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/may/04/security-alert-war-in-cyberspace
Description: This long but very insightful article interviews various people who are facing long prison sentences for hacking. They like to see themselves as freedom fighters combating oppressive and unfair laws; the article examines to what extent this is true.
Source: The Guardian
Blowing the whistle
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Who should what's in the public interest: the public, or the publicly-elected government? Can infringing personal freedoms be justified if we're being protected from harm? To what extent should we be allowed to have a private life?
Category: Video
Link: www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5yB3n9fu-rM#!
Description: This is the big story of the month (/year/decade): a former NSA worker blowing the whistle on the extent of that agency's monitoring of of social media sites.
Source: Youtube
Social censorship
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: sciences To what extent should we be allowed to freely express ourselves? Should the social media/internet be governed by the same rules as real society? Who should decide what constitutes 'offensive'?
Category: Article
Link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22701082
Description: The article discusses the significance of Facebook's announcement that they will begin tackling 'hate speeches' on their social media site - in other words, they will begin to censor content they consider offensive.
Source: BBC
Terminators
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: To what extent can the waging of war be meaningfully regulated? Should a non-moral entity be allowed to make a moral decision? By devolving the decision to kill other people will we become more or less morally minded?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/science/2013/may/29/killer-robots-ban-un-warning
Description: The newest generation of weapons are machines that can make autonomous decisions on whether to engage (ie kill) the enemy (ie human beings). Human rights workers within the UN have identified this as a dangerous precedent.
Source: The Guardian
Choose death
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should euthanasia be legal? What are the implications of legalising it? Is life - as most religious organisations believe - 'sacred'? Should every individual have the right to decide how their life comes to an end?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jul/09/assisted-dying-paul-chamberlain-death-motor-neurone
Description: Paul Chamberlain has motor neurone disease, and has determined to end his own life at a time of his own choosing. This article examines his belief that assisting him to bring this about should not then lead to the those responsible facing prosecution.
Source: The Guardian
Progressive or misguided?
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: Should 'drugs' be legalized? Who should have control over what we put into our bodies?
Category: Article
Link: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23516966
Description: Uruguay looks set to become the first state in the world where marijuana production, supply, and consumption all becomes legal. This article looks at the reasons for this, and its possible consequences.
Source: BBC
Embarrassment of riches
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences
KQs: To what extent should wealth be shared? Do richer members of society have a responsibility to look after more unfortunate members of society? Does wealth ensure happiness?
Category: Article
Link: www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
Description: Despite the world recession, the richest 400 people in America are wealthier than ever. Their combined assets are bigger than the GDP in Russia. This article leads us on to a lot of questions about wealth and inequality.
Source: Forbes Magazine
The right to be veiled
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, religion, indigenous knowledge systems
KQs: By banning the veil, will we liberate Muslim women, or infringe their personal rights? Should religious and cultural laws override national laws?
Category: Article
Link: www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/fully-veiled-women-hinder-progressive-islam-8817963.html
Description: France and Belgium have already banned the wearing of the veil in public, and now the UK is seeing a battle over the right to wear it/not have to wear it. The article argues that the veil infringes women’s rights, and points out that there isn’t one reference to it in the Koran.
Source: The Independent
Planet versus profit
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, indigenous knowledge systems
KQs: Which should be a government's priority: the planet, or its own economy? What is more important: safeguarding cultural and natural resources, or creating jobs and wealth?
Category: Article
Link: www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/09/20139685837115845.html
Description: The Ecuadorean government has just announced that it will go back on a previous promise, and begin drilling for oil resources in part of its rain forests. Although this will create wealth and jobs, it will also destroy vast swathes of primary rainforests.
Source: Al Jazeera
A healthy trade in weapons
AoKs/WoKs: Ethics, human sciences, language
KQs: Can arms dealing ever be justified? Do developed countries have any responsibility for promoting weapons cuts? Is wealth or human compassion more important?
Category: Article
Link: www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/10/defence-secretary-weapons-priority-britain
Description: The UK is one of the world’s biggest weapons exporters, and its arms industry is very important to the economy. This article looks at the way in which politicians promote their ‘responsible defence exports’.
Source: The Guardian