Written by Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer, this article appeared originally in Issues in Ethics V3 N2 (Spring 1990). It was updated in August 2018.
Since it appeared in 1971, John Rawls's A Theory of Justice has become a classic. The author has now revised the original edition to clear up a number of difficulties he and others have found in the original book. Rawls aims to express an essential part of the common core of the democratic tradition--justice as fairness--and to provide an alternative to utilitarianism, which had dominated the Anglo-Saxon tradition of political thought since the nineteenth century. Rawls substitutes the ideal of the social contract as a more satisfactory account of the basic rights and liberties of citizens as free and equal persons. "Each person," writes Rawls, "possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override." Advancing the ideas of Rousseau, Kant, Emerson, and Lincoln, Rawls's theory is as powerful today as it was when first published.
Beasts of Burden suggests that issues of disability and animal justice—which have heretofore primarily been presented in opposition—are in fact deeply entangled. Fusing philosophy, memoir, science, and the radical truths these disciplines can bring—whether about factory farming, disability oppression, or our assumptions of human superiority over animals—Taylor draws attention to new worlds of experience and empathy that can open up important avenues of solidarity across species and ability. Beasts of Burden is a wonderfully engaging and elegantly written work, both philosophical and personal, by a brilliant new voice.
Beyond Consent examines the concept of justice and its application to human subject research through the different lenses of important research populations: children, the vulnerable sick, captive and convenient populations, women, people of color, and subjects in international settings.
Does justice require that individuals get what they deserve? What exactly is involved in giving people what they deserve? Does treating people as responsible agents require that we make room for desert in the economic sphere, as well as in the attribution of moral praise and blame and in the dispensing of punishment? How does respecting desert square with considerations of equality? Does desert, like justice, have a comparative aspect? These are questions of great practical as well as theoretical importance: this book is unique in offering a sustained examination of them from various perspectives.
Politics and Justice in Dante presents new research by international scholars on the themes of ethics, politics and justice in the works of Dante Alighieri, including chapters on Dante's modern 'afterlife'. Together the chapters explore how Dante's writings engage with the contemporary culture of medieval Florence and Italy, and how and why his political and moral thought still speaks compellingly to modern readers.
This book is designed to meet head on the urgent need for academics, advocates and policymakers to develop universal ethical standards in criminal justice practice. By using quality research and policy analysis focusing on the core components of the criminal justice system - police, courts and corrections- Professor Prenzler formulates a basic checklist that can be used to assess the ethical quality and accountability of the criminal justice system in any jurisdiction.
An engaging resource for all students of philosophy and politics, The Morality and Global Justice Reader not only offers an essential foundation of global justice and its policy implications, but also aims to inspire readers to positive action for change.
Poverty violates fundamental human values through its impact on individuals and human environments. Poverty also goes against the core values of democratic societies. Ltter talks about poverty in ways that depict this devastating human condition clearly. He shows why inequalities associated with poverty require our serious moral concern.
More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations. From journalism to performing arts to foreign policy to scientific research to social work, these cases explore a range of current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography for further reading.
This set of cases has been created for teachers, researchers, professional journalists and consumers of news to help them explore ethical issues in journalism. The cases raise a variety of ethical problems faced by journalists, including such issues as privacy, conflict of interest, reporter- source relationships, and the role of journalists in their communities.
The National High School Ethics Bowl and the regional ethics bowls it supports are competitive yet collaborative events in which students discuss real-life ethical issues. This searchable archive includes national and regional cases back to 2012.