This article examines how emerging technologies – particularly artificial intelligence – disrupt the moral and institutional foundations of contemporary military practice. While strategic documents from the United States, NATO, and other major actors anticipate profound institutional transformation driven by AI, their treatment of ethics largely confines itself to legal compliance and technical safeguards, leaving the ethical role of military leadership in managing disruptive change underexamined. Drawing on Seumas Miller’s distinction between social institutions that are merely instrumental to collective goods (...) and those whose defining ends are constitutive of such goods, the article argues that the military belongs to the latter category. Because the military’s core function – defending the sovereignty of a polity – is itself morally significant, technological disruption of its organizational structures simultaneously constitutes ethical disruption. The article thus reconceives change management during periods of technological transition as calling for a specific kind of military prudence, a practical wisdom exercised within and through the institution’s role-mediated ethical practices. By analyzing three concrete modes of techno-moral disruption, the article shows how AI may reshape ethical standards, redistribute professional knowledge, and alter organizational ethos, and why navigating these transformations responsibly is a central task of military virtue. (shrink)

Volume 25, Issue 11, November 2025, Page 50-52.

This paper reexamines the foundations and boundaries of free speech through the lens of Judgemental Philosophy. While liberal democracies uphold the right to express without censorship, they struggle to delineate when speech becomes ethically unacceptable or structurally harmful. Using the Judgemental Triad—Constructivity, Coherence, and Resonance—we propose that the ethical legitimacy of expression should be grounded not merely in the right to emit symbols, but in the structural potential of that expression to participate in a meaningful judgement loop. Speech acts (...) must be structurally capable of returning meaning within a shared context to be justifiable as free expression. Expressions that structurally collapse this loop—particularly by disabling Resonance or fragmenting Coherence, such as dehumanizing hate speech, trolling, or algorithmic noise—fail structurally, not just morally. They undermine the very conditions necessary for public reason and shared judgement. We argue, therefore, that freedom of expression must be reframed not as unbounded liberty of emission, but as the 'freedom to mean' within a structure that enables judgement and return. (shrink)

Humans have long asked what morality and ethics are. Resolution Ethics treats moral reasoning as coherent navigation within Moral Reality, the morally charged mode of a truth-bearing world once reasons become explicit and answerable. Physical Reality is lawful and truth-bearing. It instantiates the Reality Interaction Field, or RIF, and its dynamism is Flux. Within that changing field, agents become vulnerable to harm, deception, coercion, and collapse. Resolution Ethics identifies the Resolution Ethics Moral Core, or REMC, as (...) the standing structure of coherent moral navigation within Moral Reality. REMC consists of three dependency-ordered domains: Protection, Trust, and Free-Agency. Protection comes first because severe harm destroys the conditions under which trust and agency can operate. Trust comes before Free-Agency because deceived or manipulated agents cannot choose meaningfully. This ordering is dependency geometry, not a ranking of human worth. The framework also identifies moral corruption as deception-enabled incoherence. Not every violation is corruption. Accidents, incapacity, tragic constraint, and misfortune may cause real damage without corrupting moral agency. Corruption occurs when Self-Deception or Other-Deception distorts the justificatory chain and makes REMC-incoherence appear permitted. Within this architecture, the enduring insights of virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism, and prima facie pluralism become clearer. Each tracks a real feature of Moral Reality. Resolution Ethics gives those features a structural grammar, revealing how coherent navigation is ordered and how corruption enters when justification distorts the field. -/- Keywords: Ethics, Moral Realism, Resolution Ethics, Moral Reasoning . (shrink)

AI can fundamentally shape our society, raising significant ethical, legal, and social aspects that need careful consideration. Therefore, it is important to educate and train engineering students developing and using AI about ethical, legal, and social aspects. However, teaching this to engineering students with no ethics background poses unique challenges, as engineering is more focused on the development of particular technologies. In addition, engineering education often focuses on artefact-level ethical, legal, and social aspects of AI, such as data privacy (...) and transparency, while recent research shows that structural impacts (e.g., surveillance, instrumentalization, and deskilling) should also be included in responsible AI research. So, how can we effectively educate engineers about ethical, legal, and social aspects, particularly when it comes to structural impacts of AI? This article develops an Educational Intervention to help young engineers identify both artefact-level and broader structural ethical, legal, and social aspects of AI. This Educational Intervention includes a series of lectures that provide a theoretical analysis of ethical, legal, and social aspects in AI, and an in-class Product Impact Tool to help students systematically diagnose ethical, legal, and social aspects in an AI case. We suggest that the combination of active/passive learning is important to this Intervention, but what sets it apart is its use of the adjusted Product Impact Tool. This teaching tool integrates a multi-level approach to ethical, legal, and social aspects, allowing engineering students to move beyond artifact-level concerns like transparency and privacy to critically engage with AI’s institutional, sociopolitical, and ontological dimensions. (shrink)

The linkage between ethical judgment and ethical behavioral intention was investigated. The Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES) was used to measure ethical judgment ratings of hypothetical behaviors in retail, sales, and automobile repair scenarios. Confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 300 undergraduate business students showed that a model with three latent variables representing three correlated ethical dimensions of moral equity, relativism, and contractualism, three correlated scenario latent variables, and correlated residuals presented a good fit to the data. Further, (...) class='Hi'>structural models of the relationship of ethical judgment to behavioral intentions revealed that behavioral intentions were more highly related to the scenario factors than to the ethical dimensions across three scenarios. Adding a method factor to the model improved goodness-of-fit and changed some structural model conclusions. (shrink)

This paper offers a structural account of bioethical judgement in critical life-and-death situations—such as euthanasia, end-of-life care, and abortion—using the framework of Judgemental Philosophy and its Judgemental Triad (Constructivity, Coherence, Resonance). We argue that the frequent moral impasses encountered in these cases often arise not from a lack of information or compassion, but from a fundamental breakdown in the structural conditions required for meaningful judgement. Analyzing how each axis of the Triad—Constructivity (the ability to form a judgement), Coherence (...) (consistency with frameworks), and Resonance (meaningful return to affected parties)—is challenged or collapses in these dilemmas, we clarify why certain decisions feel inherently undecidable. Furthermore, we propose conditions under which institutional judgement (e.g., via ethical committees or legal frameworks) can be structurally justified as a necessary substitute when personal judgement becomes impossible due to the collapse of one or more axes. This framework aims to shift bioethical discourse from solely value-based disputes towards a structural diagnosis of judgemental possibility, offering a path toward more ethically sound resolutions in structurally compromised fields. (shrink)

This paper develops an account of ethical obligation that endures beyond the field of appearance. It argues that visibility, recognition, and addressability—long treated as the preconditions of ethical relation in phenomenological and post-phenomenological traditions—are contingent rather than necessary structures. Through a process of subtraction, the paper removes manifestation itself as a condition for relation, formulating a model of minimal ethical relationality defined by five features: non-visibility, non-recognition, non-addressability, non-horizonality, and non-mediated endurance. Drawing on and diverging from Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas, Butler, (...) and Arendt, it constructs a non-phenomenological ethics responsive to those who remain excluded, erased, or invisible. The argument concludes that ethical life does not depend on appearing, being recognized, or being addressed, but on the structural endurance of relation itself. This reconfiguration replaces the traditional ethics of encounter with an ethics of endurance, grounding responsibility in persistence rather than manifestation. (shrink)

Starting as a scientific presentation of the phenomenon of cloning, in which etymology, the definitions and some already classical examples are emphasized, this paper actually focuses on a less discussed perspective in nowadays debates on cloning. Thus, the paper aims at showing which are (if any) the mythical-religious structures of cloning, certainly without ignoring the social consequences, the advantages and disadvantages and the juridical effects of cloning. Discussing Mircea Eliadeís novella Les trois graces, the purpose of explaining the subtle reactivation (...) of ancient mythical-religious phantasms by the means of a contemporary scientific experiment such as cloning is reached. (shrink)

Complex hospital disposition is categorized by the difficulty or impossibility, despite efforts, to secure a medically safe discharge option for a patient. Discharge planning should negotiate limited inpatient resources that must be distributed justly, while also considering failures of outpatient and social resources to meet the patient’s needs. This essay argues that recognition of these structural insufficiencies, which are inequitably distributed, must be a starting point for addressing safe hospital disposition. This recognition grounds five ethical responsibilities for navigating complex (...) disposition planning: justice, common good, respect for persons, harm reduction, and care. Each responsibility is applied to common complex disposition vignettes, with attention to practical guidelines for implementation in clinical spaces. (shrink)

How are we to live together in a diverse society? In a time of polarization, fragmentation, and inequality, the liberal answer to this question requires a new defense. Democratic institutions are under threat. Identity groups seeking recognition often encounter resistance. In response, Frank Hindriks defends the significance of institutions that foster freedom, equality, and autonomy. And he argues that this age of identity calls for an inclusive and open mentality. -/- Famously, Karl Popper identified holism as the enemy of the (...) open society. It leads to tribal communities with credulous and closeminded members. But the holist ontology defended here reveals how irreducibly social structures can support the basic rights that lie at the heart of liberal democracy. Crucially, they need not impair, but can in fact enhance critical reflection, toleration and epistemic modesty, which are vital for the resilience of a liberal democracy. To defend these ideals, Hindriks proposes that a society is a cluster of social structures. Their two building blocks are equilibria, which reflect the incentives people have, and rules, which give meaning to and govern their actions. In principle, social structures enable them to interact in mutually beneficial ways. Yet, they also constrain their behavior. To secure basic rights, an appropriate mix of constraints and enablements has to be supported by a culture that recognizes their significance for a sustainable society. (shrink)

A variety of approaches have appeared in academic literature and in design practice representing “ethics-first” methods. These approaches typically focus on clarifying the normative dimensions of design, or outlining strategies for explicitly incorporating values into design. While this body of literature has developed considerably over the last 20 years, two themes central to the endeavour of ethics and values in design (E + VID) have yet to be systematically discussed in relation to each other: (a) designer agency, and (...) (b) the strength of normative claims informing the design process. To address this gap, we undertook a structured review of leading E + VID approaches and critiques, and classified them according to their positions on normative strength, and views regarding designer agency. We identified 18 distinct approaches and 13 critiques that met the inclusion criteria for our review. Included papers were distributed across the spectrum of views regarding normative strength, and we found that no approaches and only one critique represented a view characteristic of “low” designer agency. We suggest that the absence of “low” designer agency approaches results in the neglect of crucial influences on design as targets of intervention by designers. We conclude with suggestions for future research that might illuminate strategies to achieve ethical design in information mature societies, and argue that without attending to the tensions raised by balancing normatively “strong” visions of the future with limitations imposed on designer agency in corporate-driven design settings, “meaningful” ethical design will continue to encounter challenges in practice. (shrink)

As clinical ethics consultants move toward professionalization, the process of certifying individual consultants or accrediting programs will be discussed and debated. With certification, some entity must be established or ordained to oversee the standards and procedures. If the process evolves like other professions, it seems plausible that it will eventually include a written examination to evaluate the core knowledge competencies that individual practitioners should possess to meet peer practice standards. The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities has published core (...) knowledge competencies for many years that are accepted by experts as the prevailing standard. Probably any written examination will be based upon the ASBH core knowledge competencies. However, much remains to be done before any examination may be offered. In particular, it seems likely that a recognized examining board must create and validate examination questions and structure the examination so as to establish meaningful, defensible parameters after dealing with such challenging questions as: Should the certifying examination be multiple choice or short-answer essay? How should the test be graded? What should the pass rate be? How may the examination be best administered? To advance the field of health care ethics consultation, thought leaders should start to focus on the written examination possibilities, to date unaddressed carefully in the literature. Examination models—both objective and written—must be explored as a viable strategy about how the field of health care ethics consultations can grow toward professionalization. (shrink)

In this paper I examine how the constituent elements of a firm's organizational structure affect the ethical behavior of workers. The formal features of organizations I examine are the compensation practices, performance and evaluation systems, and decision-making assignments. I argue that the formal organizational structure, which is distinguished from corporate culture, is necessary, though not sufficient, in solving ethical problems within firms. At best the formal structure should not undermine the ethical actions of workers. When combined with a strong culture, (...) however, the organizational structure may be sufficient in promoting ethical conduct. While helpful, ethics training and corporate codes are neither necessary nor sufficient in promoting ethical behavior within firms. (shrink)

Structural interventions to historic stone masonry buildings require that both structural and heritage values be considered simultaneously. The absence of one of these value systems in implementation can be regarded as an unethical professional action. The research objective of this article is to prepare a guideline for ensuring ethical structural interventions to small-scale stone historic masonry buildings in the conservation areas of Northern Cyprus. The methodology covers an analysis of internationally accepted conservation documents and national laws related (...) to the conservation of historic buildings, an analysis of building codes, especially Turkish building codes, which have been used in Northern Cyprus, and an analysis of the structural interventions introduced to a significant historic building in a semi-intact state in the walled city of Famagusta. This guideline covers issues related to whether buildings are intact or ruined, the presence of earthquake risk, the types of structural decisions in an architectural conservation project, and the values to consider during the decision making phase. (shrink)

In mental health ethics, it is generally assumed that coercive measures are sometimes justified when persons with mental illness endanger themselves or others. Coercive measures are regarded as ethically justified only when certain criteria are fulfilled: for example, the intervention must be proportional in relation to the potential harm. In this paper, we demonstrate shortcomings of this established ethical framework in cases where people with mental illness experience structural racism. By drawing on a case example from mental healthcare, (...) we first demonstrate that biases in assessing whether the coercive intervention is proportional are likely, for example, due to an overestimation of dangerousness. We then show that even if proportionality is assessed correctly, and the specific coercive intervention would thus be regarded as ethically justified according to the standard framework, coercion may still be ethically problematic. This is because the standard framework does not consider how situations in which coercive measures are applied arise. If structural racism causally contributes to such situations, the use of coercion can compound the prior injustice of racist discrimination. We conclude that the ethical analysis of coercion in mental healthcare should consider the possibility of discriminatory biases and practices and systematically take the influence of structural discrimination into account. (shrink)

Background: Concerns have been expressed regarding the adequacy of ethics review systems in developing countries. Limited data are available regarding the structural and functional status of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in the Middle East. The purpose of this study was to survey the existing RECs in Egypt to better understand their functioning status, perceived resource needs, and challenges. Methods: We distributed a self-administered survey tool to Egyptian RECs to collect information on the following domains: general characteristics of (...) the REC, membership composition, ethics training, workload, process of ethics review, perceived challenges to effective functioning, and financial and material resources. We used basic descriptive statistics to evaluate the quantitative data. Results: We obtained responses from 67% (12/18) of the identified RECs. Most RECs (10/12) have standard operating procedures and many (7/12) have established policies to manage conflicts of interests. The average membership was 10.3 with a range from 7-19. The predominant member type was physicians (69.5% of all of the REC members) with little lay representation (13.7%). Most RECs met at least once/month and the average number of protocols reviewed per meeting was 3.8 with a range from 1-10. Almost three-quarters of the members from all of the 12 RECs indicated they received some formal training in ethics. Regarding resources, roughly half of the RECs have dedicated capital equipment (e.g., meeting room, computers, office furniture, etc); none of the RECs have a formal operating budget. Perceived challenges included the absence of national research ethics guidelines and national standards for RECs and lack of ongoing training of its members in research ethics. Conclusion: Our study documents several areas of strengths and areas for improvements in the operations of Egyptian RECs. Regarding strengths, many of the existing RECs meet frequently, have a majority of members with prior training in research ethics, and have written policies. Regarding areas for improvements, many RECs should strive for a more diverse membership and should receive more financial resources and administrative support personnel. We recommend that RECs include more individuals from the community and develop a continuing educational program for its members. Institutional officials should be aware of the resource capacity needs of their RECs. (shrink)

This paper argues that ethical judgement is not always possible. Unlike existing ethical theories that presuppose the universal applicability of moral reasoning, I propose a structural framework that explains when ethical judgement can or cannot occur. The theory consists of three foundational axes: intentionality, consequentiality, and acceptability. These conditions are not value judgments themselves, but meta-ethical criteria that determine whether moral judgement can be meaningfully formed. When any of these is structurally absent, moral reasoning collapses not into ambiguity but (...) into impossibility. This has implications for how we interpret cases such as non-human agents, unconscious persons, or post hoc moralization. The theory seeks to protect against ethical overreach and clarify why judgement must sometimes be deferred. (shrink)

Bioethical dilemmas can emerge in research and clinical settings, from end-of-life decision-making to experimental therapies. The COVID-19 pandemic raised serious ethical challenges for healthcare organizations, highlighting the need to conduct needs assessments of the bioethics infrastructures of healthcare organizations. Clinical ethics committees (CECs) also create equitable policies, train staff on ethics issues, and play a consultative role in resolving the difficulty of complex individual cases. The main objective of this project was to conduct a needs assessment of the (...) bioethics infrastructure within a comprehensive hospital system. A cross-sectional anonymous online survey, including quantitative and qualitative formatted questions. The survey was sent to five key leaders from the organization’s hospitals. Survey questions focused on the composition, structure, function, and effectiveness of their facilities’ bioethics infrastructure and ethics-related training and resources. Positive findings included that most facilities have active CECs with multidisciplinary membership; CECs address critical issues and encourage team members to express clinical ethics concerns. Areas of concern included uncertainty about how CECs function and the process for resolving clinical ethics dilemmas. Most reported no formal orientation process for CEC members, and many said there was no ongoing ethics education process. The authors conclude that if CECs are a critical institutional resource where the practice of medicine and mission intersect, having well-functioning ethics committees with trained and oriented members demonstrates an essential commitment to the mission. The survey revealed that more needs to be done to bolster the bioethics infrastructure of this institution. (shrink)

Virtue ethics has a rich history; yet, its application in health ethics has been minimal compared to other major ethical frameworks. Even more, its application to health policy and population-level questions has been almost nonexistent. A new concept in moral theology, structures of virtue, provides impetus for ethicists to consider how virtue ethics can be a valuable addition to existing frameworks in public health ethics. This article offers a basic overview of virtue ethics and its (...) value for analysis of social structures in public health. It does so by explaining how virtue can be seen not only in the process of public health—the promotion of habituated behavior—but also in the content of public health—values such as temperance, fortitude and prudence. It concludes with two extended applications of virtue ethics: vaccination policy and healthy eating. (shrink)

This paper explores whether the deliberate act of refusing to judge—motivated by caution, ethical principle, or strategic ambiguity—can itself be evaluated within the structural framework of Judgemental Philosophy. Utilizing the Judgemental Triad (Constructivity, Coherence, Resonance), we analyze if such acts constitute a genuine negation of judgement or merely shift the locus of attribution to a higher-order level. We argue that the refusal to judge is never truly outside the judgemental structure; it functions as a form of meta-attribution ("judgement should (...) not occur here" or "judgement is impossible here"), which must itself satisfy the criteria of Constructivity, Coherence, and Resonance to be considered structurally valid and meaningful. Consequently, even the explicit withholding of judgement becomes, paradoxically, a judgeable act, raising important questions about neutrality, responsibility, and the limits of ethical silence. (shrink)

BackgroundThe last few decades have seen the rising global acknowledgment of the importance of ethics in the conduct of health research. But research ethics committees or institutional review boards (IRBs) have also been criticized for being barriers to research. This article examines the case of the Philippines, where little has been done to interrogate the health research and IRB culture, and whose circumstances can serve as reflection points for other low- and middle-income countries.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted from July (...) to October 2020 to elicit health researchers’ perspectives and experiences regarding IRBs and the ethics approval process in the country, as well as counterpoint narratives from researchers who have also worked for IRBs.ResultsAcross the fields of clinical, public health, and social science research, the issue of ethics review revealed itself to be foremost an issue of inequity. IRB processes serve as a barrier for those outside the academe; those belonging to institutions, cities, or entire regions without their own accredited IRBs; and researchers working independently, without ample budget, or on highly specialized topics—more so for non-clinical researchers who must grapple with the primarily biomedical framework of most IRBs. Consequently, the research landscape invariably favors those with the resources to do research, and researches that tend to attract funding.ConclusionThe broader challenge of equity in health research will entail more fundamental reforms, but proximal interventions can be done to make the ethics approval process more equitable, such as enhancing institutional oversight, regulating IRB fees, and enabling a more supportive and welcoming environment for early-career, student, independent, and non-clinical health researchers. This article ends by reflecting on the implications of our findings toward the larger research culture. (shrink)

We describe the structure, operation, and experience of the Massachusetts General Hospital ethics committee, formally called the Edwin H. Cassem Optimum Care Committee, from January 2007 through December 2013. Founded in 1974 as one of the nation’s first hospital ethics committees, this committee has primarily focused on the optimum use of life-sustaining treatments. We outline specific sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of consult patients during this period, demographic differences between the adult inpatient population and patients for whom the (...) class='Hi'>ethics committee was consulted, and salient features of the consults themselves. We include three case studies that illustrate important consult themes during this period. Our findings expand knowledge about the structure and workings of hospital ethics committees and illustrate how one ethics committee has developed and utilized policies on end-of-life care. More generally, we model a sociological approach to the study of clinical ethics consultation that could be utilized to contextualize institutional practices over time. (shrink)

- Evolutionary, ecological and ethical studies are, at the same time, specific scientific disciplines and, from an historical point of view, structurally linked domains of research. In a context of environmental crisis, the need is increasingly emerging for a connecting epistemological framework able to express a common or convergent tendency of thought and practice aimed at building, among other things, an environmental policy management respectful of the planet’s biodiversity and its evolutionary potential. Evolutionary biology, ecology and ethics: at first (...) glance, three different objects of research, three different worldviews and three different scientific communities. In reality, there are both structural and historical links between these disciplines. First, some topics are obviously common across the board. Second, the emerging need for environmental policy management has gradually but radically changed the relationship between these disciplines. Over the last decades in particular, there has emerged a need for an interconnecting meta-paradigm that integrates more strictly evolutionary studies, biodiversity studies and the ethical frameworks that are most appropriate for allowing a lasting co-evolution between natural and social systems. Today such a need is more than a mere luxury, it is an epistemological and practical necessity. In short, the authors of this volume address some of the foundational themes that interconnect evolutionary studies, ecology and ethics. Here they have chosen to analyze a topic using one of these specific disciplines as a kind of epistemological platform with specific links to topics from one or both of the remaining disciplines. Michael Ruse’s chapter, for instance, elucidates some of the structural links between Darwinismand ethics. Ruse analyzes the Evolutionism vs. Creationism debate, emphasizing the risks run by scientists when they ideologize the scientific content of their studies. In the case of the contributions of Jean Gayon and Jean-Marc Drouin, which respectively deal with the disciplines of evolutionary biology and ecology, some central connections have been developed between these two disciplines, while reserving the option to consider in detail their topic in order to discover essential features ormeanings. Gayon analyzes the multilayered meanings of “chance” in evolutionary studies and the methodological implications that accompany such disparatemeanings. Froma similar analytical perspective, Drouin’s contribution focuses on the identification and critical evaluation of the different conceptions of time in ecology. Chance and time, factors of evolution in species and ecological systems, play a very important function in both disciplines, and these chapters help to capture their polysemous structure and development. Bryan Norton’s chapter, on adaptive environmental management, is set within an epistemological context where the Darwinian paradigm, ecological knowledge and ethical frameworks meet to give rise to practical, conservationist policies. In his contribution, Patrick Blandin pleads for the necessity of an eco-evolutionary ethics capable of fully encompassing humanity’s responsibility in the future determination of the biosphere’s evolutionary paths. Our value systems must recognize the predominant place that humanity has taken in the evolutionary history of the planet, and integrate the ethical ramifications of scientific advances in evolutionary and ecological studies. The chapter by J. Baird Callicott introduces us to a metaphorical ecological reversion with direct consequences for our moral conduct. If ecology showed that ecosystems are not organisms, recognizing organisms as a kind of ecosystem could be the basis for a new post-modern ecological ethics that lays the foundation for a better moral integration of humans with the environment. The contributions of Robin Attfield and Tom Regan delve into some of the classical issues in environmental ethics, situating them within a broader ecological and evolutionary context. Attfield’s chapter tackles the confrontation between individualistic and ecologically holistic perspectives, their different approaches to the issue of intrinsic value, and their tangled relation to monism and pluralism. Regan’s contribution ponders the criteria that allow individual beings, human and non-human, to own moral rights, the role of the struggle for existence in the relationship between species, and the logical difficulties involved in attributing intrinsic value to collective entities (species, ecosystems). Catherine Larrère’s chapter discusses the opposition between two environmental and ethical worldviews with very different philosophical centers of gravity: nature and technology. These opposing perspectives have direct consequences not only for the perception of the problems at hand and for what entities are deemed morally significant, but also for the proposed solutions. To set out some foundational events in the history of evolutionary biology, ecology and environmental ethics is a first necessary step towards a clarification of their major epistemological orientations. On the basis of this inevitably nonexhaustive history, it will be possible to better position the work of the different contributors, and to build a meta-paradigm, i.e. a connecting epistemological framework resulting from one common or convergent tendency of thought and practice shared by different disciplines. (shrink)

With this contribution, we propose an initial, relational ethics approach to epistemic inclusion in the development and application of medical decision support systems. We revisit issues of epistemic injustice in various forms of medical AI and consider different orders of epistemic oppression. We argue that AI-based decision support risks excluding patients and medical personnel from relevant epistemic processes vital to good medical practice. For example, relating to a subject’s lifeworld, value sets, assumptions concerning good health, and means of overcoming (...) or living with disease. By recognizing medical decision support systems as mediators of shared epistemic resources between patients, medical personnel, and medical research, we contend that a concern for epistemic inclusion ought to guide their conception and development. A relational ethics-based consideration of these epistemic processes further illuminates the structural character of these forms of epistemic exclusion. Ultimately, our approach seeks to reinstate the epistemic privilege of those perspectives being marginalized by these technologies and challenges the proclaimed impending epistemic obligation to utilize AI-based tools as the state-of-the-art in medical diagnosis and, perhaps even, therapy and its planning. (shrink)

This paper reconstructs Resonance as a fundamental structural condition for meaningful judgement within Judgemental Philosophy, positioning it as the third essential axis of the Judgemental Triad alongside Constructivity (symbolic formation) and Coherence (consistency). Moving beyond limited understandings such as mere emotional echo or ethical acceptability, Resonance is defined here as the structural possibility for 'ontological reach' and the 'return of meaning,' a dynamic loop crucial for judgement’s engagement with the world and its avoidance of solipsism. The paper explores (...) the multi-layered dynamics of this 'return' (affective, cognitive, ethical/normative, existential), dialogues with key philosophical traditions to establish Resonance's unique coordinates, and examines its ontological expansion to non-human entities and its critical failure modes (Collapse, Substitution, Illusion) which underpin contemporary crises of meaning. By centering Resonance, Judgemental Philosophy aims to restore a robust understanding of judgement possibility and proposes the foundations for a 'Resonance Ethics' focused on creating and maintaining structures for mutual and meaningful return. (shrink)

Structural Injustice advances a theory of what structural injustice is and how it works. Powers and Faden present both a philosophically powerful, integrated theory about human rights violations and structural unfairness, alongside practical insights into how to improve them.

This paper proposes that structuration theory provides a useful framework for analyzing ethical dilemmas. Traditional deontological and teleological approaches to case analysis focus on identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas through a prioritization of rights and/or consequences. These approaches can be complemented by structuration theory, which provides a framework for understanding how structural forces of meaning, power, and social norms influence, and are influenced by, the actions of individuals. We develop an approach for using structuration theory to analyze an (...) ethical dilemma, and present handouts that can be used by students to apply this approach. We demonstrate the approach by applying it to a standard ethical dilemma. We believe that a structuration perspective can contribute to flstudents' understanding of ethical dilemmas by highlighting the dynamic and evolving nature of ethics, and their own roles in creating work and professional environments that promote ethical behavior. (shrink)

Based on the 'Partnership Model of Corporate Ethics' (Wood, 2002), this study examines the ethical structures and processes that are put in place by organizations to enhance the ethical business behavior of staff. The study examines the use of these structures and processes amongst the top companies in the three countries of Australia, Canada, and Sweden over two time periods (2001–2002 and 2005–2006). Subsequendy, a combined comparative and longitudinal approach is applied in the study, which we contend is a (...) unique approach in the area of business ethics. The findings of the study indicate that corporations operating in Sweden have utilized ethical structures and processes differently than their Canadian and/or Australian counterparts, and that in each culture the way that companies fashion their approach to business ethics appears congruent with their national cultural values. There does, however, appear to be a convergence of views within the organizations of each culture, as the Swedish companies appear to have been more influenced in 2005–2006 by an Anglo-Saxon business paradigm than they have been in the past. (shrink)

Background In neonatal intensive care, a child's death is often preceded by a medical decision. Nurses, social workers and pastors, however, are often excluded from ethical case deliberation. If multiprofessional ethical case deliberations do take place, participants may not always know how to perform to the fullest. Setting A level-IIID neonatal intensive care unit of a paediatric teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Methods Structured multiprofessional medical ethical decision-making (MEDM) was implemented to help overcome problems experienced. Important features were: all professionals (...) who are directly involved with the patient contribute to MEDM; a five-step procedure is used: exploration, agreement on the ethical dilemma/investigation of solutions, analysis of solutions, decision-making, planning actions; meetings are chaired by an impartial ethicist. A 15-item questionnaire to survey staff perceptions on this intervention just before and 8 months after implementation was developed. Results Before and after response rates were 91/105 (87%) and 85/113 (75%). Factor analysis on the questionnaire suggested a four-factor structure: participants' role; structure of MEDM; content of ethical deliberation; and documentation of decisions/conclusions. Effect sizes were 1.67 (p<0.001), 0.69 (p<0.001) and 0.40 (p<0.01) for the first three factors respectively, but only 0.07 (p=0.65) for the fourth factor. Nurses' perceptions of improvement did not significantly exceed those of physicians. Conclusion Professionals involved in ethical case deliberation perceived that the process of decision-making had improved; they were more positive about the structure of meetings, their own role and, to some extent, the content of ethical deliberation. Documentation of decisions/conclusions requires further improvement. (shrink)

It is often suggested that aesthetic and ethical value judgements are similar in such a way that they should be analysed in analogous manners. In this paper, I argue that the two types of judgements share four important features concerning disagreement, motivation, categoricity, and argumentation. This, I maintain, helps to explain why many philosophers have thought that aesthetic and ethical value judgements can be analysed in accordance with the same dispositional scheme which corresponds to the analogy between secondary qualities and (...) values. However, I argue that aesthetic and ethical value judgements differ as regards their fundamental structures. This scheme is mistaken as regards ethical value judgements, but it is able to account for aesthetic value judgements. This implies that aesthetic value judgements are autonomous in relation to ethical value judements and that aestheticians, not moral philosophers, are the true heirs of this renowned analogy. (shrink)

Background Research ethics committees (RECs) and institutional review boards provide independent ethical oversight of health-related research. In Japan, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) increasingly conducts regulatory science (RS) research, which aims to generate scientific evidence to support regulatory decision-making. However, nationwide REC structures in Japan, and their alignment with the needs of RS oversight, have not been described. Methods We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study using publicly available data from the Research Ethics Review Committee Reporting (...) System of Japan (June 5, 2024). Committee size, gender composition, and members’ professional expertise were analyzed by institution type. We compared these findings with structural requirements in Japanese regulations and guidelines. In addition, we conducted a complementary literature-based analysis of PMDA-affiliated RS research using PubMed. Major Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were examined to identify dominant research areas and to contextualize the REC structure within the current landscape of RS research. Results A total of 2,604 RECs comprising 26,786 members were identified nationwide. The mean committee size was 10.3. Overall, committees commonly included multiple lay members, with 68.0% of institutions having at least two public representatives. In contrast, a substantial gender imbalance was observed, with 70.1% of committee members being male across all institutional categories. Committee composition varied by institution type. Analysis of MeSH terms in PMDA-affiliated RS research publications showed frequent focus on regulatory review, pharmacovigilance, advanced biomedical technologies, and clinical trial methodology. Conclusions Japanese RECs were characterized by variation in committee size, occupational composition, and lay representation, while substantial gender imbalance persisted. Variations in committee composition reflected institutional differences in research characteristics. In the context of RS research, REC structures that incorporate relevant expertise alongside diverse perspectives may help inform discussions on ethical review practices. (shrink)

Under present accounting rules, lessees frequently structure contracts for leased assets, in situations where they enjoy benefits similar to outright ownership, in a way that keeps both the leased assets and related liabilities off their books. This method of accounting creates off-balance sheet financing and is called operating lease accounting. The paper debates the ethicality of intentionally structuring lease contracts to avoid disclosing leased asset and liability amounts and describes the “slippery slope” of rule-based accounting for synthetic leases and special (...) purpose entities, that, in the author’s opinion, led to the accounting debacles at Enron and other companies. The ethical intent that is implicit in the Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Accounting Standards Board regulations is discussed and suggestions for improving the ethicality of financial reporting are provided. (shrink)

This paper focuses on social structural explanations of injustice and the ontological commitments of theorists who develop them. I first show that theorists can develop structural explanations and social position concepts without committing to a critical social ontology of oppression or to a view of race and gender as constitutively socially constructed kinds. I also develop a pluralist account of social position concepts that can accommodate the full range of social ontological commitments that theorists may hold. Then, I (...) argue that structural explanations of injustice developed from a position of oppression agnosticism are morally and epistemically problematic. They carry a high risk of perpetrating identity-based hermeneutical injustice, and perpetuate an understanding of structural intersectionality that has been widely problematised. Even ethically motivated oppression agnosticism, as an attempt to respond to one’s situated ignorance and to practice epistemic humility, is therefore problematic. (shrink)

Objectives: Hospital ethics committees increasingly affect medical care worldwide, yet there has been little evaluation of these bodies. Israel has the distinction of having ethics committees legally required by a Patients' Rights Act. We studied the development of ethics committees in this legal environment.Design: Cross-sectional national survey of general hospitals to identify all ethics committees and interview of ethics committee chairpersons.Setting: Israel five years after the passage of the Patients' Rights Act.Main measurements: Patients' rights and (...) informal ethics committee structure and function.Results: One-third of general hospitals have an ethics committee, with committees concentrated in larger facilities. Hospitals without committees tended to lack any structure to handle ethics issues. Committees tend to be interdisciplinary and gender-mixed but ethnic mix was poor. Confidentiality is the rule, however, legal liability is a concern. One-third of patients' rights ethics committees never convened and most committees had considered fewer than ten consults. Access to the consultation process and the consultation process itself varied substantially across committees. Some patients' rights ethics committees attempted to solve cases, others only rendered decisions. Informal committees often refused to consider cases within Patients' Rights Act jurisdiction.Conclusions: Despite statutory requirement, many Israeli patients and clinicians do not have access to ethics committees. The scant volume of cases shows serious discrepancies between practice and Patients' Rights Act regulations, suggesting the need for education or revision of the law. Heterogeneity in committee function demonstrates need for substantial improvement. (shrink)

This paper applies Judgemental Philosophy to the discourse on neurodivergence, particularly conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). We argue that these states should be understood not merely as behavioral differences or deficits, but as structural variations or collapses within the Judgemental Triad—Constructivity, Coherence, and Resonance. Neurodivergent conditions often reveal distinct patterns or difficulties in how judgements are formed (Constructivity), maintained consistently (Coherence), or returned meaningfully (Resonance). We explore how society tends to pathologize (...) ways of being it cannot structurally resonate with, often mistaking structural differences for individual failings. This paper proposes an alternative view: neurodivergence signals not necessarily a deficit, but a deviation or unique configuration in the architecture of cognitive and ethical judgement. The paper concludes with reflections on reconceptualizing recovery not as normalization, but as the restoration of functional Resonance loops and the creation of environments that can accommodate structural diversity in judgement. (shrink)

In this chapter, I argue that care ethics offers useful resources for developing alternative models of responsibility for of structural injustice. I begin in Section 2 by providing an overview of what 'structural injustice' is and of the ‘forward-looking’ models of responsibility that have been developed for dealing with it. In Section 3, I give an overview of (my interpretation of) care ethics. This will reveal several points of resonance between care ethics and existing forward-looking (...) theories of responsibility for structural injustice. In Section 4, I weave these two threads together, explicitly enumerating several care ethical insights that can be brought to bear on forward-looking theories of responsibility for structural injustice. (shrink)

Canadian institutions face public and political pressure to include Indigenous voices and Indigenous Knowledge in their governing structures. This often results in a scramble to retrofit boards and committees to demonstrate inclusivity, often by inviting Indigenous representatives or knowledge from Indigenous sources. However, representation does not mean attributing equal power to those representatives if institutions do not challenge their inner policy structures. In research spaces, this can be observed in research ethics policy, which has been widely challenged but remains (...) stubborn to change. This report seeks to identify the procedures and policies within animal care and ethics that categorically exclude knowledge and knowledge-holders falling outside the Western Scientific Knowledge realm. We explore this subject by identifying exclusive policies and procedures within an exemplar ethics board, an Animal Care Committee under the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). We briefly identify some of the foundational beliefs underlying animal care and ethics policy, how they inform current policy, and how they are exclusive of knowledge outside the Western Scientific worldview. We urge ACC committees at institutions to revisit these policies and to adapt their vision on knowledge, credibility, respectful protocols, and acceptable justification for research, for which we provide several recommendations. (shrink)

This paper examines the role played by consumers in producing what Iris Marion Young calls structural injustice. Through their consumption of a commodity, consumers can contribute to injustice, often as a result of their ignorance toward the ethical footprint of the commodity in question. After establishing that consumers are routinely implicated in structural injustice (Section I), I defend Young’s scepticism towards attributing blame to those who contribute to injustice through acts of consumption, whether their contribution to injustice result (...) from a state of moral or factual ignorance (Sections II-IV). I then examine the action-guiding implications of Young’s work and introduce the concept of conspicuousness to narrow the vast range of possibilities for action (Section V). I also suggest a revision to Young’s derivation of the responsibility she ascribes to people for ameliorating injustice. (shrink)

Background The existence of a valid instrument to evaluate the attitude of mothers towards compliance with medical ethics during childbirth can lead to appropriate interventions to create a positive attitude. The purpose of this study is to determine the construct validity of the MEAVDQ (Medical Ethics Attitude in Vaginal Delivery Questionnaire). Methods The study was carried out with 350 women. The main research instrument was MEAVDQ. This 59-item questionnaire comprises three parts A, B, J. Part A is concerned (...) with the first principles. Part B deals with the second and third principles and part J addresses the fourth principle of medical ethics. Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) was used to determine the construct validity of MEAVDQ. Results The results of SEM revealed that there was a positive correlation between structures A and B. The relationship between structures B and J was also positive and significant. On the other hand, there was a direct and indirect relationship between structures A and J. One-unit increase in structure A led to 0.16 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.33) direct increase in structure J. Also, one-unit increase score increases in structure A caused 0.39 indirect rise (95% CI: 0.26, 0.53) in structure J with the mediating role of the structure B. Conclusions It can be suggested to midwifery policy maker and midwives that respect for the first principle of medical ethics and autonomy is the most important principle of medical ethics in childbirth. By respecting the autonomy of mothers, a positive birth experience can be created for them. (shrink)

Ethics and Representationprovides a critique and overview of contemporary post-structuralist theory. Exploring the Kantian and phenomenological background of Derrida, Deleuze, Foucault, and Irigaray, this book raises some key questions and issues in critical theory. These questions are looked at from a number of angles including the notion of point of view and perspective, the critique of anthropologism from Kant to Deleuze, and the relation between representation and modernity. This is an original contribution to ethical and critical theory which situates (...) poststructuralism in its philosophical background, and in the sustained problematic of the enlightenment. (shrink)

Human relationships have been explained through various elements such as emotion, social norms, and roles. However, these approaches have limitations in providing an integrated explanation of the process through which relationships are formed, stabilized, and transformed over time. In particular, emotion-centered explanations are effective in explaining the initial trigger of relationship formation but fail to sufficiently account for persistence and stability, while norm- or role-based approaches can present the external framework of relationships but are limited in explaining how structures are (...) formed within actual interaction. Based on these limitations, this paper understands human relationships as a dynamic structure in which emotion, ethical interaction, and trust are connected over time. Emotion functions as the starting point of relationship formation by triggering interaction, and through repetitive interaction, behavioral patterns such as responsibility, consistency, and respect for boundaries are formed, which constitute the structure of relationships. As this process accumulates, predictability and mutual expectations emerge between individuals, leading to the formation of trust. Furthermore, this paper argues that emotion, ethical interaction, and trust do not proceed in a one-directional sequence, but rather form a cyclical structure in which established trust reshapes subsequent emotional experiences and patterns of interaction. This cyclical structure functions as an integrated theoretical framework for explaining how human relationships are formed, stabilized, and weakened over time. Accordingly, this paper does not reduce human relationships to a single element, but presents an analytical framework that explains, in an integrated manner, the starting point of relationship formation, the formation of structure through repetitive interaction, and the cyclical process of change centered on trust. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to focus on investigative journalism during the 2022 mass protests in Sri Lanka, examining how structural constraints and journalists’ perceived ethical responsibilities interact in a politically unstable environment. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in Critical Political Economy of Media Theory and Social Responsibility Theory, the research uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyse responses from 200 journalists. Findings The findings show that factors such as government pressure, lack of resources, media ownership influence, legal challenges (...) and perceived life threats significantly and negatively affect investigative journalism. However, perceived media freedom showed no significant impact. Perceived social responsibility emerged as a strong positive predictor of investigative journalism, significantly mediating the influence of all structural constraints except perceived media freedom. Originality/value These results empirically confirm the vital role of ethical commitment amid institutional adversity. The study contributes to the expansion of Social Responsibility Theory into non-Western and illiberal contexts and provides empirical depth to Critical Political Economy of Media Theory by quantifying structural-media effects. These findings offer important theoretical and practical insights, highlighting the need for policy reforms and institutional support to safeguard journalistic autonomy. (shrink)

In order to study early human development while avoiding the burdens associated with human embryo research, scientists are redirecting their efforts towards so-called human embryo-like structures (hELS). hELS are created from clusters of human pluripotent stem cells and seem capable of mimicking early human development with increasing accuracy. Notwithstanding, hELS research finds itself at the intersection of historically controversial fields, and the expectation that it might be received as similarly sensitive is prompting proactive law reform in many jurisdictions, including the (...) Netherlands. However, studies on the public perception of hELS research remain scarce. To help guide policymakers and fill this gap in the literature, we conducted an explorative qualitative study aimed at mapping the range of perspectives in the Netherlands on the creation and research use of hELS. This article reports on a subset of our findings, namely those pertaining to (the degrees of and requirements for) confidence in research with hELS and its regulation. Despite commonly found disparities in confidence on emerging biotechnologies, we also found wide consensus regarding the requirements for having (more) confidence in hELS research. We conclude by reflecting on how these findings could be relevant to researchers and (Dutch) policymakers when interpreted within the context of their limitations. (shrink)

Türkiye’s Health Transformation Programme (HTP), launched in 2003, reorganised the country’s healthcare system through interlocking mechanisms: a Performance-Based Revolving Fund (PBRF) — a pay-for-performance scheme — linking physician income to procedure volume; a Central Appointment System (CAPS) imposing daily patient quotas; and a General Health Insurance (GHI) scheme conditioning coverage on premium payment. No integrated qualitative analysis has examined the cumulative impact of multiple HTP mechanisms across all four principles of the Beauchamp and Childress framework using practice-level physician accounts. An (...) interpretive, constructivist qualitative design employing reflexive thematic analysis was used. Twenty-two specialist physicians participated across two phases: seven in a pilot phase for scenario development (not in the analytical dataset) and fifteen in the main interview phase, of whom twelve were retained for analysis after consensus review (n = 12 analytical sample; mean seniority approximately 25 years; criterion-based purposive sampling across five districts of Muğla, Türkiye). Data were collected via semi-structured interviews structured around four researcher-developed hypothetical scenarios. Primary coding was undertaken by the researcher and progressively validated through consensus discussion with the academic supervisor and a professor of medical ethics on the doctoral thesis monitoring committee. Transcripts were returned to participants for review (COREQ item 23). Four primary themes and one cross-cutting pattern emerged. Participants described the PBRF as eroding beneficence and non-maleficence through patient-poaching, defensive clinical decision-making, and progressive normalisation of ethical violations. The hospital enterprise model was described as subordinating patient welfare to revenue priorities. Participants reported that CAPS quotas render genuine informed consent structurally difficult to achieve, while complaint mechanisms deepen perceived autonomy deficits. The GHI’s premium-debt exclusion was described as transferring institutional injustice onto individual physicians. A cross-cutting theme captured participants’ accounts of the transformation of professional identity from patient stewardship to a shift-completion mentality — consistent with the trajectory from moral distress toward moral injury described in the international literature. Physicians in this study perceive HTP policies as creating cumulative tensions with the four-principle framework. These perceptions mirror patterns documented in neoliberal reform contexts across Australia, France, Iran, Botswana, and Canada. They constitute interpretive accounts drawn from a small purposive sample of senior practitioners in a single province, rather than structural diagnoses of the system. Findings argue for integrating practice-level physician accounts into health-policy ethical evaluation alongside efficiency metrics; the scenario methodology offers a replicable approach for practice-informed policy-ethics research rather than a direct structural diagnosis of the system. (shrink)

This volume contains a selection of essays in normative ethics by Shelly Kagan published between 1988 and 2018. Its successor volume (Rethinking Intrinsic Value & Other Essays on the Good) collects essays on value, well-being, and desert. The essays contained in this volume have been grouped thematically into three sections. The volume opens with a cluster of essays that concern the structure of normative ethics. The second group of essays explores the various methods of normative ethics, critically (...) examining the role of thought experiments and the practical difficulty of following moral principles given various epistemic limitations. The final section brings together essays on practical ethics. It contains a preface by Professor Kagan, an introduction by the two editors, as well as an editorial commentary that identifies interrelations between Kagan’s published works and points to various criticisms and developments of Kagan’s work by other philosophers. (shrink)

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of organizational structure variables on the development of ethical work climates. It was found that firms that were more mechanistic tended to have a Law and Code or Rules climate type. The structural variables did not, however allow predictions of the other climate types: Caring, Independence and Instrumental. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Vocational ethics and vocational moral socialization are important for the business ethical climate in a given country and in a given industry, but have not received attention in the literature. Our article suggests vocational ethics as a legitimate sub-specialty for business ethics research and development. The article addresses the exposure of vocational students to a combination of vocational school-based and workplace-based socialization, and outlines an agenda for teaching-oriented research and research-based teaching. More specifically, we first draft a (...) conceptual frame of reference and then report results and experiences from a scenario-based pilot study at one of the biggest vocational schools in the country. As a third step such a preliminary situation analysis inspires a number of suggestions for how one could start with developing this field, practically, empirically and theoretically. (shrink)