Category Archives: Ethics

Compensating for Evil

Posted on September 22, 2008 by shaunmiller

An interesting article is at the Philosophers’ Carnival deals with compensating evil which you can read here.  The idea is this: if you’re working for an institution that makes you evil, are you aloud to get compensation because that institution … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Race | 6 Comments

Personal Morality and Public Morality

Posted on September 14, 2008 by shaunmiller

I am a demi-vegetarian.  If you want to know more about it, read my previous post here.  When I go out to eat, I try to find something that’s vegetarian or something as close as I can based on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Ethics, Paper Topic, Politics, Religion, Vegetarianism | 12 Comments

Are military drafts unethical or immoral?

Posted on August 28, 2008 by shaunmiller

Someone posed this question to askphilosophers.com. You can read the philosopher’s response here.  I thought the reply was interesting and I’m still pondering over it.  Basically, the philosopher replied saying that military drafts in democracies should be considered mandatory.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Experts, Soldiers, War | 4 Comments

Epicurus on Politics: So What?

Posted on August 23, 2008 by shaunmiller

Epicurus, known as the founder of Hedonism, says a lot about how the meaning of life is to aim for pleasure.  But this isn’t crude pleasure, these are the finest pleasures: music, intellectual creativity, food, friends and family.  When I … Continue reading →

Posted in 2008 Election, Epicurus, Ethics, Government, Politics | Tagged | 14 Comments

The Worst of Crimes?

Posted on August 12, 2008 by shaunmiller

I’m thinking about what is the worst possible thing one can do.  I think there’s a disconnect between acting morally and acting legally. Legally speaking, the worst that one can do is murder.  Depending on the circumstances, one can get … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Government, Law, Paper Topic, Politics, Sexuality | 10 Comments

Reparations for Slavery

Posted on August 8, 2008 by shaunmiller

This is posted at PEA Soup (a site dedicated to philosophy, ethics, and academia).  I will just present the argument here but if read the rest of the comments on the site, it’s interesting what the replies have been towards … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Ethics, Government, Politics, Race | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Banning Trans Fats in California

Posted on July 28, 2008 by shaunmiller

Last Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill to make California the first state to ban trans fats from all restaurants and bakeries.  This would affect about 88,000 food outlets.  Last October, he also signed a bill banning trans fats … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Ethics, Government, Health | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Kant, Mormons, and Pragmatism

Posted on July 11, 2008 by shaunmiller

I’ve only taught for about four years so this may not be a general thing.  I’ve noticed that when I teach Kant’s ethics, the people who are LDS don’t particularly like it.  Actually, the people who are very religious and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Mormons, Pragmatism | 15 Comments

Castle Doctrine: Shifting Burden of Proof from Shooter to the State

Posted on July 4, 2008 by shaunmiller

In November 2007, Joe Horn, citizen of Texas shot two intruders.  According to the Castle Doctrine, he had the right to do this.  If someone is breaking in your house or your neighbor’s house, you have the right to defend … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Guns | 18 Comments

Bill Moyers & Michael Winship: It Was Oil, All Along

Posted on June 30, 2008 by shaunmiller

Bill Moyers does an excellent article relating oil with the War in Iraq: Oh, no, they told us, Iraq isn’t a war about oil. That’s cynical and simplistic, they said. It’s about terror and al Qaeda and toppling a dictator … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | Leave a comment