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Cocaine, Loss, and the Liberal View of Addiction
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience (behind a paywall here, but see also a media report here a a few days ago suggests that cocaine addicts may have impairments in the neural circuits that are responsible for the prediction of emotional loss. In this post, I shall consider the implications that this finding might…
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On the supposed distinction between culture and religion: A brief comment on Sir James Munby’s decision in the matter of B and G (children)
On the supposed distinction between culture and religion: A brief comment on Sir James Munby’s decision in the matter of B and G (children) By Brian D. Earp (@briandavidearp) Introduction What is the difference between “culture” and “religion” … ? From a legal standpoint, this question is important: practices which may be described as being…
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The Ethics of Checking People Out
You’re walking down the street. In the opposite direction comes a person whom you find very attractive. As he or she passes by, you feel tempted to turn your head so as to, well, check them out. I assume that you have felt this temptation. I, at least, have felt it many times. I have resisted turning my head,…
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Should Hitler have been able to speak at the Oxford Union?
@JimACEverett www.jimaceverett.com The Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) recently voted to “condemn” the invitation of Marine LePen to speak at the Oxford Union (which is an entirely separate organization, for those outside of Oxford). In addition to condemning LePen and the Union for inviting her, the OUSU President was mandated to send an emergency letter…
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The Welfare State: who should pay for the transportation of a rich person’s child to and from school?
Suppose you have a child with special educational needs. Suppose the only school that could meet your child’s needs (as set out by their Statement of Special Educational Needs) was over an hour away (as can often happen). It falls under your local authority’s duties, who agree that they cannot provide a school within your…
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Living to 150
The Treasurer of Australia, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, recently received widespread attention with the statement: It’s kind of remarkable that somewhere in the world today, it’s highly probable that a child has been born who will live to be 150.[1] Hockey made the claim while discussing some of the problems Australia faces as a…
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If you’re an egalitarian, how come you’re a speciesist?
According to Oxfam’s latest report, by 2016 the richest 1% will own more than all the rest of people in the world. For many, the current and increasing inequality among individuals is deeply worrying. For many of us this is because we believe that equality matters. That is, we hold the view that how desirable a…
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Facebook’s new Terms of Service: Choosing between your privacy and your relationships
Facebook has changed its privacy settings this January. For Europeans, the changes have come into effect on January 30, 2015. Apart from collecting data from your contacts, the information you provide, and from everything you see and do in Facebook, the new data policy enables the Facebook app to use your GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi…
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Video: Julian Savulescu on the Ethics of Mitochondrial Transfer
Julian Savulescu discusses the ethics of mitochondrial transfer
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Mitochondrial disease kills 150 children a year. A micro-transplant can cure it
Imagine that there was a law which prevented 150 children a year suffering from a life threatening liver or kidney failure from receiving a transplant. This would be unethical. But this is precisely the current state of affairs for around 150 children every year in the UK suffering from mitochondrial disease, or mitochondrial failure. From…