Three views on privacy in the digital age, part 1: the value of the self
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the…
Morality
Has the postmodern revolution gone full circle?
While discussions about the philosophical foundations of judgements of right and wrong are often framed in terms of rational versus irrational perspectives, viz. those based…
The Just Society: Equality or Freedom?
In A Theory of Justice John Rawls conducted a famous thought experiment. He asked, if we were to imagine, behind a ‘veil of ignorance’, being…
Lexicon for the Moral Maze
Do you find yourself confused or bewildered by what passes for moral debate in the social milieu these days? Asking yourself why so many people…
The coming struggle: individualism versus the bureaucratic state
Introduction Modernity has been characterised not only by the great benefits brought by the increase in scientific knowledge and the technologies that have flowed…
Who Will Mind the Minders?
We often, particularly around this time each year, pride ourselves here in the UK on our having given birth to modern democracy in the context…
Legality and Morality: Can Man Serve Two Masters?
It is often suggested that obedience to the law is a virtue and by implication that respect for the law is a requirement of morality….
Is It Inhumane to Oppose Freedom of Movement?
The idea of freedom of movement is often in the news these days, whether in relation to Britain’s seeking control over immigration from the EU…
The Morality of Markets?
Following the forced resignation of Travis Kalanick as CEO of Uber last month amidst allegations of rampant sexism, harassment, and misogyny in the workplace, the morality…
Values and Identity
We hear much about “values” and “identity” in discussions in the media these days. Often the debate about values is specifically around so-called “British values”;…