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Commentaries

PEA Soup Discussion of “Whether and Where to Give”

April 15, 2017 by Theron Pummer

An online discussion of Theron Pummer’s “Whether and Where to Give” (in Philosophy & Public Affairs, 2016) with a critical précis by Johann Frick.

Categories Commentaries, Effective Altruism, Publications, Research Projects Tags Johann Frick, The Ethics of Giving, Theron Pummer

Stop Supporting the Living Wage Movement!

May 30, 2017April 6, 2017 by Theron Pummer

Ben Sachs argues that there are reasons to be wary of the campaign for a living wage.

Categories Commentaries Tags Ben Sachs, Distributive Justice, Economics, Living Wage Movement, Poverty, Work

The dirty politics of scapegoating – and why victims are always the harmless, easy targets

January 30, 2018March 23, 2017 by Theron Pummer

Alex Douglas on scapegoating in current politics.

Categories Commentaries, Knowledge, Democracy and Public Discourse Tags Alexander Douglas, Minorities, Politics, Scapegoating

Values, Voting, and Expertise

January 30, 2018March 23, 2017 by Theron Pummer

Katherine Hawley asks: How far can we trust experts when we’re deciding how to vote?

Categories Commentaries, Knowledge, Democracy and Public Discourse, Virtue and Character Tags Brexit, Democracy, Experts, Katherine Hawley, Trust, Voting

Presidents Club dinner: why good deeds never justify bad actions

January 30, 2018January 30, 2017 by Theron Pummer

Anh Quan Nguyen in The Conversation, on moral licensing.

Categories Commentaries Tags Moral offsetting; moral licensing.

Risky Giving 

June 13, 2017April 6, 2016 by Michael Arrowsmith

Non-consequentialist criteria imply that it is not wrong to give to at least some of the charities that Singer and other effective altruists recommend, even when this comes with significant risk of doing harm.

Categories Commentaries, Effective Altruism Tags Christian Barry, Leif Wenar, Peter Singer, The Ethics of Giving

Population Ethics and Indeterminacy

July 18, 2016March 20, 2015 by Theron Pummer

How should we compare a decrease in average quality of life with a gain in population size? Can invoking indeterminacy help solve the difficult theoretical problems in population ethics?

Categories Commentaries Tags Derek Parfit, Indeterminacy, Oxford Population Ethics Project, Population ethics, Repugnant Conclusion

Practical Philosophy: A Historical Introduction

July 18, 2016April 16, 2009 by Theron Pummer

Excerpt from John Haldane’s *Practical Philosophy: Ethics, Culture and Society* (2009) ‘Introduction’.

Categories Commentaries Tags History of Ethics

Scots thinkers who forged new democracy from the colonies

July 18, 2016April 10, 2008 by Theron Pummer

An article by John Haldane that first appeared in the Scotsman newspaper in 2008.

Categories Commentaries Tags Declaration of Independence, James Wilson, Scottish Enlightenment

Democratic Deficit

July 18, 2016April 16, 2005 by Theron Pummer

Extract from Chapter 1 of past Knox Lecturer Neil MacCormick’s short book *Who’s Afraid of a European Constitution?* (2005).

Categories Commentaries Tags European Union, Neil MacCormick
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Tags

Adam Etinson Alexander Douglas Ben Sachs Bill Gates CEPPA Talks Christian Barry Climate Change Declaration of Independence Derek Parfit Distributive Justice Economics Giving Pledge Global Poverty Graduate Conference Hilary Greaves History of Ethics Indeterminacy James Snowden James Wilson Johann Frick Juan Mata Katherine Hawley Knox Lectures Leif Wenar Living Wage Movement Melinda Gates Melissa Lane Minorities Moral offsetting; moral licensing. Neil MacCormick Oxford Population Ethics Project Peter Singer Plato Politics Poverty Purpose of Rule Repugnant Conclusion Scapegoating Scottish Enlightenment The Ethics of Giving The Ethics of What We Eat Theron Pummer Tim Mulgan; ethics; exoplanets Warren Buffett Work

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    Contact

    Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs
    University of St Andrews
    St Andrews
    KY16 9AL
    United Kingdom

    Director:
    Dr Theron Pummer
    Tel: +44 (0)1334 462432
    Email: [email protected]

    Senior Fellow:
    Prof John Haldane
    Tel: +44 (0)1334 462486
    Fax: +44 (0)1334 462485
    Email: [email protected]

    Centre Administrator:
    Lynn Hynd
    Tel: +44 (0)1334 461779
    Email: [email protected]

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