Skip to content

Oxford Uehiro Prize in Practical Ethics

Can Pornography be Feminist in a Mass Market Economy?

  • by

Undergraduate Highly Commended paper in the 2026 National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. By Leela Kainth. Mainstream pornography refers to conventional, mass-marketed, sexually explicit material produced at commercial scale, typically for consumers to masturbate to. This is distinct from so-called ‘feminist pornography’, which self-consciously aims to resist these norms through alternative representations and… Read More »Can Pornography be Feminist in a Mass Market Economy?

Is Prostitution Just a Job?

  • by

Undergraduate Finalist paper in the 2026 National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. By Ethan Beri. Despite being the “oldest profession”, prostitution is still hotly debated, both in the academy and in public discourse. Prostitution is often considered worse than other jobs, in part because it wrongs the prostitute: a woman who sells sex… Read More »Is Prostitution Just a Job?

Photo by James Forsdyke.

‘It’s Physical, Not Intellectual’: The Ethics of Correcting Assumptions About Disability

  • by

Graduate Highly Commended paper in the 2026 National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. By James Forsdyke. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2446-4586 In this paper, I will discuss ethical considerations when it comes to correcting assumptions about people with physical disabilities. In particular, I will discuss the assumption some individuals make that physical disabilities are necessarily accompanied… Read More »‘It’s Physical, Not Intellectual’: The Ethics of Correcting Assumptions About Disability

The competition finalists and judges stand in St Anne's college, in early spring sunshine.

National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics

  • by

The National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics is an annual competition held in the autumn/spring each year. It is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in UK universities, and the 2025/6 competition is now open for entries. Students are invited to enter by submitting an essay of up to 2000 words… Read More »National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics

Bring Back Shame: Does the Ethical Value of Shame Justify Shaming?

  • by

Undergraduate Highly Commended paper in the 2025 National Uehiro Oxford Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. By Nicole Chinenyenwa Oboko. I  have always been told that if a person has nothing nice to say, they should say nothing at all. For most of my life, I’ve upheld this belief. A decent person, as part of a decent… Read More »Bring Back Shame: Does the Ethical Value of Shame Justify Shaming?