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Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics

Series associated with Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics

From Conscience to Robots: Practical Ethics Workshops
Journal of Practical Ethics
Philosophical perspectives on the causes of mental illness
Practical Ethics Bites
Rethinking Moral Status
The Pandemic Ethics Accelerator Podcasts
Thinking Out Loud: leading philosophers discuss topical global issues
Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
Uehiro Lectures: Practical solutions for ethical challenges
# Episode Title Description People Date
81 Creative Commons Special Seminar: The enhancement debate: trusting emotion or trusting reason - a false dichotomy? In this talk, Professor Tony Coady examines the contrast between reason and emotion and argues that much of the separation of reason and emotion that underpins the debate is misguided. Tony Coady 16 Jun 2014
80 Creative Commons St Cross Seminar: What counts as a placebo is relative to a target disorder and therapeutic theory: defending a modified version of Grünbaum’s scheme In this St Cross Special Ethics Seminar, Jeremy Howick defends Grünbaum’s work on placebos. He outlines a need to re-examine policies on ethics of placebos, and revise our estimations of their effects in both clinical practice and trials. Jeremy Howick 16 Jun 2014
79 Creative Commons St Cross Seminar: "I wouldn’t have consented if I’d known that could happen": Consenting without Understanding Tom Walker discusses autonomy and informed consent to medical treatment Tom Walker 19 May 2014
78 Creative Commons Justification for Killing in War Nigel Warburton talks with Seth Lazar on the ethics and justification of killing in war Seth Lazar, Nigel Warburton 08 Jan 2014
77 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Is Networking Immoral? If networking is considered to be either cultivating non-merit-based favouritism or demonstrating one’s merit in advance of formal selection processes, then I argue that it is an attempt to gain illegitimate advantage over competitors and is thus immoral. Ned Dobos 05 Dec 2013
76 St Cross Seminar: Genetic parenthood, assisted reproduction, and the values of parental love I argue that the value of love in friendship illuminates issues about parental love and examine whether allowing same-sex couples access to adoption has any bearing on the moral status of prohibitions on same-sex couples using assisted reproduction. Justin Oakley 04 Dec 2013
75 Creative Commons 2013 Wellcome Lecture in Neuroethics: The Irresponsible Self: Self bias changes the way we see the world Humans show a bias to favour information related to themselves over information related to other people. How does this effect arise? Are self biases a stable trait of the individual? Do these biases change fundamental perceptual processes? Glyn Humphries 04 Dec 2013
74 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Do antidepressants work and if so how? Antidepressants are commonplace yet there is much debate about their clinical efficacy. Are they merely placebos or do they have a clinical effect on the way our brains work? In this presentation, Professor Cowen investigates the evidence. Phil Cowen 04 Dec 2013
73 Uehiro Seminar: Cyborg justice: human enhancement and punishment We explore some possible interactions between enhancement technology and punishment, reflect on ethical issues that arise as a result, and consider what our justice system must do in order to ensure that it keeps pace with developments in technology. Rebecca Roache, Anders Sandberg, Hannah Maslen 19 Nov 2013
72 Uehiro Seminar: The struggle between liberties and authorities in the information age The talk discusses the balance between cyber security measures and individual rights - any fair and reasonable society should implement the former successfully while respecting and furthering the latter. Mariarosaria Taddeo 13 Nov 2013
71 Creative Commons St Cross Seminar: Neither God nor Nature. Could the doping sinner be an exemplar of human(ist) dignity? If doping were done in a healthy and fair way, would it be OK? If so, all wrongs would lie in doping abuses involving health risks, deceit and unfairness. I argue that perhaps the doping sinner best exemplifies human dignity and existential authenticity. Pieter Bonte 23 Oct 2013
70 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Ethics and Expectations: Part II The trolley problem is a thought experiment in ethics. Outside traditional philosophical discussion, the trolley problem has been a significant feature in the fields of cognitive science and neuroethics. Seth Lazar 21 Oct 2013
69 Creative Commons Virtuous Climate Making? Towards a Virtue-Theoretic Approach to Geoengineering Geoengineering, as a response to climate change, raises serious ethical and socio-political issues. Drawing on the latest developments in philosophy and ethics of technology and science, I consider a post-humanist way of analysing such issues. Pak-Hang Wong 03 Jul 2013
68 Creative Commons The Ethics of Infant Male Circumcision In this talk, I argue that non-therapeutic circumcision of infants is unethical, whether performed for reasons of obtaining possible future health benefits, for reasons of cultural transmission, or for reasons of perceived religious obligation. Brian Earp 27 Jun 2013
67 Creative Commons TT13 Uehiro Seminar: Attention, Action, and Responsibility The speaker proposes a four-step account of action, within which only two of the four steps benefit from the subject's attention, revealing a potential disconnect between the subject of experience and the morally responsible agent. Carolyn Dicey Jennings 18 Jun 2013
66 Creative Commons Using Religion to Justify Violence Exploring different ways in which the metaphysics of religious world views can be used in justifications of violence, this talk concentrates on appeals to the importance of the afterlife to justify violence. Steve Clarke 18 Jun 2013
65 Creative Commons 2nd St Cross Seminar TT13: Ethics In Finance: A New Financial Theory For A Post-Financialized World The lecture describes why financial theory and teaching has ignored ethics, viewing moral values as irrelevant. We trace the reason for the neglect of ethics back to assumptions made by Modern Finance Theory, the en courant theory in finance. Dr Kara Tan Bhala 06 Jun 2013
64 Creative Commons Folk Psychology, the Reactive Attitudes and Responsibility In this talk we first argue that the reactive attitudes originate in very fast non-voluntary processes involving constant facial feedback. In the second part we examine the supposed constitutive relation between the reactive attitudes and responsibility. Jeanette Kennett 30 May 2013
63 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: The current laws on drugs and alcohol - ineffective, dishonest and unethical? Nutt argues that there are serious ethical implications for a simplistic prohibitionist approach to drugs and suggests alternative strategies that might be used. David Nutt 27 May 2013
62 Creative Commons Uehiro Special Double Seminar: Enhancement Associate Professor Rob Sparrow (Monash) and PhD student Chris Gyngell (ANU) present talks on the topic of human enhancement. Rob Sparrow, Chris Gyngell 22 May 2013
61 Creative Commons 1st St Cross Seminar TT13: Precarious (bio)ethics: research on poisoning patients in Sri Lanka Self-harm using poison is a serious public health problem in Sri Lanka. As part of an effort to tackle the problem, clinical trials are used to identify effective antidotes. This talk describes the conduct of trials in this unusual and difficult context. Salla Sariola 15 May 2013
60 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Rescuing Responsibility from the Retributivists - Neuroscience, Free Will and Criminal Punishment Legal punishment as the routine infliction of suffering poses a serious challenge of justification. The challenge becomes more urgent as a number of thinkers argue that the dominant, retributivist answer fails in the light of the findings of neuroscience. Frej Klem Thomsen 02 May 2013
59 Creative Commons Astor Keynote Lecture: What Rights May be Defended by Means of War? Many aims that motivate unjust wars could be achieved without violence if not met with military resistance. So is self-defense against aggression always permissible? Are the values of state sovereignty important enough to justify war in their defense? Jeff McMahan 11 Apr 2013
58 Creative Commons Effective Philanthropy: How much good can we achieve? How do we know when our donations are helping, and how much they are helping? Are charities roughly equally good, or are some much more effective than others? Toby Ord and Harry Shannon discuss effective philanthropy from different angles. Toby Ord, Harry Shannon 06 Mar 2013
57 Creative Commons Opening the Black Box: Examining the Deliberation of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the UK and US; Second St Cross Special Ethics Seminar HT13 How best to govern the field of assisted reproductive technologies? As UK and US authorities utilise different approaches, will the disparate structures and missions of these two bodies result in significantly different answers? Kyle Edwards 05 Mar 2013
56 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: The Value of Uncertainty Uncertainty and quality should be integrated into the quantitative sciences of complex systems; this talk offers some practical techniques that illustrate how this could be accomplished. Peter Taylor, Jerome Ravetz 05 Mar 2013
55 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Psychopaths and responsibility Neil Levy explores some of the previous debates about whether psychopaths are fully responsible for their wrongdoing, especially work on the moral/conventional distinction. Neil Levy 26 Feb 2013
54 Creative Commons Debate: The Value of Life John Broome, the White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, debates the value of life with Jeff McMahan, focussing on McMahan's time-relative account of the value of life, which Broome has criticised. John Broome, Jeff McMahan 15 Feb 2013
53 Creative Commons 1st St Cross Seminar HT13: Two Conceptions of Children's Welfare Anthony Skelton examines possible reasons why philosophers have neglected to discuss children's welfare. After outlining and evaluating differing views, a rival account is presented. Anthony Skelton 05 Feb 2013
52 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: Sleep and Opportunity for Well-being Discussing a paper co-authored with David Birks, Alexandre Erler suggests sleeping less can provide a greater opportunity for well-being. Alexandre Erler 05 Feb 2013
51 Creative Commons If I could just stop loving you: Anti-love drugs and the ethics of a chemical break-up Emotional pain and difficulty in relationships is potentially dangerous and destructive. In this talk, I explore some of the potential uses and misuses of anti-love biotechnology from a scientific and ethical perspective. Brian Earp 04 Dec 2012
50 Creative Commons 2012 Leverhulme Lecture 1: Some Problems about Religion in the Political Sphere: the dangers of instability and violence This series of lectures attempts to explore whether possible relations between some typical religious virtues, attitudes and practices and typical democratic virtues, attitudes and practices must be a source of conflict or can be mutually supportive. Tony Coady 22 Nov 2012
49 Creative Commons 2012 Leverhulme Lecture 2: Reason, Religion and Public Discourse in a Liberal Democracy This series of lectures attempts to explore whether possible relations between some typical religious virtues, attitudes and practices and typical democratic virtues, attitudes and practices must be a source of conflict or can be mutually supportive. Tony Coady 22 Nov 2012
48 Creative Commons 2012 Leverhulme Lecture 3: Religious Virtues, Democratic Virtues and their interaction in Practice This series of lectures attempts to explore whether possible relations between some typical religious virtues, attitudes and practices and typical democratic virtues, attitudes and practices must be a source of conflict or can be mutually supportive. Tony Coady 22 Nov 2012
47 Creative Commons The bad seed: facts and values in the study of childhood antisocial behaviour The speaker presents some recent work that has been done on children who are seen to be at risk of violence; and raises questions about the social and ethical significance of studying children in this way and for this purpose. Gwen Adshead 19 Nov 2012
46 Creative Commons The Possibility of Religious-Secular Ethical Engagement Debate 1: Abortion The Possibility of Religious-Secular Ethical Engagement: Abortion. Charles Camosy, Julian Savulescu 24 Oct 2012
45 Creative Commons The Possibility of Religious-Secular Ethical Engagement Debate 2: Euthanasia The Possibility of Religious-Secular Ethical Engagement: Euthanasia. Charles Camosy, Julian Savulescu 23 Oct 2012
44 Creative Commons Uehiro Seminar: The Ethics of Creating Designer Babies Julian Savulescu believes that if we can genetically alter the next generation, not only should we be free to do so, it may even turn out that in some circumstances we have an obligation to go ahead and do it. Julian Savulescu 18 Oct 2012
43 Creative Commons Experimental Evidence for Morality As Accountability Presentations from an international conference on the normative significance of cognitive science. Hosted by Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford July 2012). Stephen Darwall 25 Jul 2012
42 Creative Commons When the mind matters for morality Presentations from an international conference on the normative significance of cognitive science. Hosted by Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford July 2012). Liane Young 25 Jul 2012
41 Creative Commons Accepting our natures. When should we accept the ways people tend to behave; when should we aim to change them? Presentations from an international conference on the normative significance of cognitive science. Hosted by Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford July 2012). Kwame Anthony Appiah 25 Jul 2012
40 Creative Commons When Can('t) We Trust Our Moral Intuitions in Distributive Cases? Presentations from an international conference on the normative significance of cognitive science. Hosted by Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford July 2012). Alex Voorhoeve 25 Jul 2012
39 Creative Commons Science, Responsibility and The Traffic Participation View on Human Agency Presentations from an international conference on the normative significance of cognitive science. Hosted by Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford July 2012). Maureen Sie 25 Jul 2012
38 Creative Commons SRC Conference 'Reducing Religious Conflict': Round Table Discussion Discussion of key themes emerging from a two-day interdisciplinary conference on reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Roger Trigg, Scott Atran, Julian Savulescu 12 Jul 2012
37 Creative Commons How Might Understanding Human Groups Help Address Religious Conflict? Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Paul Troop 12 Jul 2012
36 Creative Commons Local versus Global Dimensions of Religious Violence: The Case of the Caucasus Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Monica Toft 12 Jul 2012
35 Creative Commons Intergroup Contact as a Means of Reducing Religious Conflict: Evidence from Belfast and Oldham Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Miles Hewstone 12 Jul 2012
34 Creative Commons Religion and Religious Conflict: A Secular View Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Julian Savuelscu 12 Jul 2012
33 Creative Commons Civility and Deep Disagreement: Philosophical Reflections on Religious Difference and Public Life Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Tony Coady 12 Jul 2012
32 Creative Commons Religion in Conflict and Peacemaking, with Particular Reference to South Africa Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Liz Carmichael 12 Jul 2012
31 Creative Commons Religious and Sacred Imperatives in Human Conflict Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Scott Atran 12 Jul 2012
30 Creative Commons Can Emotion Regulation Change Political Attitudes in Intractable and Religious Conflict? From the Laboratory to the Field Presentations from a two-day international and interdisciplinary conference on the theme of reducing religious conflict. Organised by the SRC Project, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford (June 2012). Eran Halperin 12 Jul 2012
29 Wellcome Lecture in Neuroethics The brain disease model of addiction: Assessing its validity, utility and implications for public policy towards the treatment and prevention of addiction. Wayne Hall 20 Jun 2012
28 Counter-terrorism and its Ethical Hazards Since the terrorist attacks by Islamic militants upon the US and UK in the early 2000s, a host of anti-terrorist measures have been introduced which raise conceptual and ethical issues that have serious implications for practical politics. Tony Coady 14 Jun 2012
27 Creative Commons Philosophical Theory and the Justification of Terrorism There is widespread belief that terrorism can never be morally justified, ut this belief is not widespread amongst philosophers; they offer a variety of justifications for some terrorist acts. Tony Coady 06 Jun 2012
26 Creative Commons St Cross Seminar: Informing Egg Donors of the Potential for Embryonic Research Schaefer is currently reading for the B.Phil in Philosophy at Oxford. His interests lie in moral philosophy, especially applied ethics, as well as political philosophy and personal identity and he has a background in research ethics. G Owen Schaefer 30 May 2012
25 Creative Commons Geoengineering: Science, politics and ethics An introduction to geoengineering, covering the broad range of issues raised by the emergence of climate engineering as a response to climate change. Clive Hamilton 23 May 2012
24 Creative Commons The Ethics of Entertainment: a case study of Popular Cinema in China and India Karanjeet de Feo-Giet's thesis focuses on contemporary Chinese and Indian entertainment films in Mandarin and Hindi and their roles in communicating ideas about identity and Asian-ness today. Karanjeet de Feo-Giet 10 May 2012
23 Creative Commons Lecture: Rumour, conspiracy theory and propaganda David Coady is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Tasmania. He is the author of What to Believe Now: Applying Epistemology to Contemporary Issues and the editor of Conspiracy Theories: The Philosophical Debate. David Coady 16 Apr 2012
22 St Cross Seminar HT12: Cooperation, altruism and cheating in micro-organisms Santorelli is a research fellow in the Zoology department, University of Oxford. He is interested in investigating the evolution of cooperative behaviors of macro and microorganisms. Lorenzo Santorelli 27 Feb 2012
21 Foundations of Rights of Access to the Benefits of Science in International Law Professor Aurora Plomer is Chair in Law and Bioethics at the University of Sheffield. Aurora Plomer 08 Feb 2012
20 Creative Commons The Secular Problem of Evil Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. John Kekes 01 Feb 2012
19 Creative Commons A Religious Conception of Evil Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Steve Clarke 01 Feb 2012
18 Creative Commons Narratives of Entitlement Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Arne Johan Vetlesen 01 Feb 2012
17 Creative Commons The Challenges of Global and Local Misogyny Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Claudia Card 01 Feb 2012
16 Creative Commons Moral Enhancement and the Duty to Eliminate Evildoing Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Shlomit Harrosh 01 Feb 2012
15 Creative Commons Can We Treat Evil? Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Gwen Adshead 01 Feb 2012
14 Creative Commons What Use Is the Concept of Evil to Us? Paper delivered at the Moral Evil in Practical Ethics Conference, Oxford 2012. Eve Garrard 01 Feb 2012
13 Creative Commons EU ban on hESC Patents: A Threat to Science and the Rule of Law In this talk, Professor Plomer (Chair in Law and Bioethics, University of Sheffield) argues that, from a legal perspective, the EU ban on hESC patents is seriously flawed. Aurora Plomer 23 Jan 2012
12 2nd St Cross Seminar MT11: Dr Margaret Yee Whose Ethics? Six Principles and Six Guidelines determinative of a superior ethics. Note: due to a technical issue the first ten minutes of the presentation are missing. Margaret Yee 08 Dec 2011
11 Bio-ethics Bites: Onora O'Neill on Trust Onora O'Neill, formerly principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, has been thinking about the issue of 'trust': trust is vital in most areas of human interaction - but nowhere more so than in health and medicine. Onora O'Neill 01 Sep 2011
10 Creative Commons 2nd St Cross Special Ethics Seminar TT11: Museum Ethics Museum Ethics. Nick Mayhew 29 Jun 2011
9 Creative Commons Human Rights vs Religion? Professor Roger Trigg gives the St Cross Special Ethics Seminar, Trinity Term 2011. Roger Trigg 20 Jun 2011
8 Savulescu interview: Moral Enhancement Nigel Warburton interviews Julian Savulescu on the topic of moral enhancement. Nigel Warburton, Julian Savulescu 01 Jun 2011
7 Creative Commons Prioritarianism, Levelling Down and Welfare Diffusion Lecture and discussion from Professor Ingmar Persson (Gothenburg University), the discussant is Derek Parfit (Oxford). Ingmar Persson, Derek Parfit 28 Mar 2011
6 Creative Commons New Imaging Evidence for the Neural Bases of Moral Sentiments: Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour 2nd Annual Wellcome Lecture in Neuroethics, given by Professor Jorge Moll on 18th January 2011 on the subject of new evidence for Neural bases for moral sentiments. Jorge Moll 28 Mar 2011
5 Creative Commons Hug me daddy I hate you: the ethical challenges of a C21 business Dr Mick Blowfield, Fellow of St Cross College, gives the second St Cross Special Ethics Seminar on The Ethical Challenges of 21st Century Businesses. Mick Blowfield 22 Mar 2011
4 Creative Commons Good Intentions and Political Life: Against Virtue Parsimony: St Cross Special Ethics Seminar Dr Adrian Walsh delivers a St Cross College Lecture entitled Good Intentions and Political Life: Against Virtue Parsimony. Adrian Walsh 24 Jan 2011
3 Unfit for Life: Genetically Enhance Humanity of Face Extinction A St Cross Special Ethics Seminar - If we are to avoid annihilation, we must either alter our political institutions, severely restrain our technology or change our nature (22 February 2010). Julian Savulescu 03 Mar 2010
2 The Flipside of Scientific Freedom Scientists have always had to contend with the idea that their research may be misused. The problem, weighing scientific freedom of inquiry against the possibility that research could be used for harm, is known as the 'dual-use dilemma'. Tom Douglas 12 Aug 2009
1 Julian Savulescu's Monash Distinguished Alumni Julian Savulescu and the other Monash Distinguished Alumni discuss how Monash University has influenced their careers. Julian Savulescu 30 Jun 2009