| 1. |
- Munthe, Christian, 1962
(author)
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The Price of Precaution and the Ethics of Risk
- 2011
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Book (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Since a couple of decades, the notion of a precautionary principle plays a central and increasingly influential role in international as well as national policy and regulation regarding the environment and the use of technology. Urging society to take action in the face of potential risks of human activities in these areas, the recent focus on climate change has further sharpened the importance of this idea. However, the idea of a precautionary principle has also been problematised and criticised by scientists, scholars and policy activists, and been accused of almost every intellectual sin imaginable: unclarity, impracticality, arbitrariness and moral as well as political unsoundness. In that light, the very idea of precaution as an ideal for policy making rather comes out as a dead end. On the basis of these contrasting starting points, Christian Munthe undertakes an innovative, in-depth philosophical analysis of what the idea of a precautionary principle is and should be about. A novel theory of the ethics of imposing risks is developed and used as a foundation for defending the idea of precaution in environmental and technological policy making against its critics, while at the same time avoiding a number of identified flaws. The theory is shown to have far-reaching consequences for areas such as bio-, information- and nuclear technology, and global environmental policy in areas such as climate change. The author argues that, while the price we pay for precaution must not be too high, we have to be prepared to pay it in order to act ethically defensible. A number of practical suggestions for precautionary regulation and policy making are made on the basis of this, and some challenges to basic ethical theory as well as consumerist societies, the global political order and liberal democracy are identified
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Munthe, Christian, 1962
(author)
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Pragmatic Challenges in Practical Ethics
- 2023
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In: In: Garcia, A., Gunnemyr, M. & Werkmäster, J. Value, Morality & Social Reality: Essays dedicated to Dan Egonsson, Björn Petersson & Toni Rønnow-Rasmussen.. - Lund : Department of Philosophy, Lund University. - 9789189415669 ; , s. 275-285
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This brief essay traces a development of orthodox applied ethics into a present-day variant of practical ethics, where pragmatic reasons may upset ideal theoretically and empirically informed epistemically supported ethical prescriptions when these are to be implemented in a real context. This shift comes with a development where the applied ethicists of older days are nowadays aiming for much more specific and practically useful action-guidance, and for activist involvement to support feasible implementation of ethical prescriptions. This results in a strongly and moderately activist variant of practical ethics, both of which face specific challenges due to the necessity of considering pragmatic reasons. I argue that the radical variant has trouble managing these challenges. The moderate variant may manage them, but this may require substantial methodological development.
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| 5. |
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Posthumanistiska nyckelstexter
- 2012. - 1
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Editorial collection (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Den här boken introducerar några viktiga författare på samtidsaktuella teoriområden. Donna Haraway, Karen Barad, Rosi Braidotti, Michel Callon, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Michel Serres och Annemarie Mol presenteras i boken, som också innehåller översatta texter av dessa namn. Boken ger en bakgrund till och en överblick över ett område i intensiv teoriutveckling. Här presenteras den så kallade materiella, posthumana eller ontologiska vändningen. Här kartläggs grunderna för olika posthumanistiska förhållningssätt till de både mänskliga och icke-mänskliga (djur, miljö, teknik) krafterna i vår värld så som de begreppsliggjorts inom filosofi, feministisk teori, kulturstudier och samhällsvetenskapliga studier av naturvetenskap, medicin och teknik. Genom lästips och en omfattande litteraturlista öppnar boken för fortsatta studier och vidare diskussioner. Avslutningsvis finns också en omfattande ordlista med viktiga nyckelbegrepp som i sig ger en introduktion till ett heterogent forskningsfält. Boken riktar sig till studenter, doktorander och andra nyfikna forskare inom olika tvärvetenskapliga eller disciplinära former av humaniora och samhällsvetenskap.POSTHUMANISTISKA NYCKELTEXTER ger i de inledande kapitlen en överblick och en introduktion till posthumanistiska studier och till materiell-semiotik. Här behandlas tankeströmningar som rör det humanas natur, humanismens etik och humanvetenskapernas framtid. Boken ger en introduktion till det som inom genusvetenskap och tekniksociologi kommit att kallas den ontologiska vändningen mot de materiaaliteter och världsliga relationer som både gör och förgör oss. Här kartläggs grunderna för posthumanistiska förhållningssätt till de både mänskliga och icke-mänskliga (djur, miljö, teknik) dimensionerna av vår värld så som de begreppsliggjorts inom filosofi, feministisk teori, kulturstudier och sociala studier av vetenskap och teknik. POSTHUMANISTISKA NYCKELTEXTER erbjuder introduktioner till viktiga författare och översättningar av nyckeltexter skrivna av Donna Haraway, Karen Barad, Rosi Braidotti, Michel Callon, Gilles Deleuze med Felix Guattari, Michel Serres och Annemarie Mol. Boken innehåller även en omfattande ordlista med viktiga nyckelbegrepp som i sig ger en introduktion till ett mångfaldigt forskningsfält.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Farisco, Michele, et al.
(author)
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Neuroethics: A Conceptual Approach
- 2018
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In: Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. - 0963-1801 .- 1469-2147. ; 27:4, s. 717-727
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we begin by identifying three main neuroethical approaches: neurobioethics, empirical neuroethics, and conceptual neuroethics. Our focus is on conceptual approaches that generally emphasize the need to develop and use a methodological modus operandi for effectively linking scientific (i.e., neuroscience) and philosophical (i.e., ethics) interpretations. We explain and assess the value of conceptual neuroethics approaches and explain and defend one such approach that we propose as being particularly fruitful for addressing the various issues raised by neuroscience: fundamental neuroethics.
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| 8. |
- Hallengren, Anders, 1950-
(author)
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The code of Concord : Emerson's search for universal laws
- 1994. - 1
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of this work is to detect a pattern: the concordance of Ethics and Aesthetics, Poetics and Politics in the most influential American thinker of the nineteenth century. It is an attempt to trace a basic concept of the Emersonian transcendentalist doctrine, its development, its philosophical meaning and practical implications. Emerson’s thought is analyzed genetically in search of the generating paradigm, or the set of axioms from which his aesthetic ideas as well as his political reasoning are derived. Such a basic structure, or point of convergence, is sought in the emergence of Emerson’s idea of universal laws that repeat themselves on all levels of reality.A general introduction is given in Part One, where the crisis in Emerson’s life is seen as representing and foreshadowing the deeper existential crisis of modern man.In Part 2 we follow the increasingly skeptical theologian’s turn to science, where he tries to secure a safe secular foundation for ethical good and right and to solve the problem of evil.Part 3 shows how Emerson’s conception of the laws of nature and ethics is applied in his political philosophy.In Part 4, Emerson’s ideas of the arts are seen as corresponding to his views of nature, morality, and individuality.Finally, in Part 5, the ancient and classical nature of Concord philosophy is brought into focus.The book concludes with a short summary.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Juth, Niklas, 1973, et al.
(author)
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The Ethics of Screening in Health Care and Medicine: Serving Society or Serving the Patient?
- 2012
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Book (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Medical or health-oriented screening programs are amongst the most debated aspects of health care and public health practices in health care and public health ethics, as well as health policy discussions. In spite of this, most treatments of screening in the research literature restrict themselves to isolated scientific aspects, sometimes complemented by economic analyses or loose speculations regarding policy aspects. At the same time, recent advances in medical genetics and technology, as well as a rapidly growing societal focus on public health concerns, inspires an increase in suggested or recently started screening programs. This book involves an in-depth analysis of the ethical, political and philosophical issues related to health-oriented screening programs. It explores the considerations that arise when heath care interacts with other societal institutions on a large scale, as is the case with screening: What values may be promoted or compromised by screening programs? What conflicts of values do typically arise – both internally and in relation to the goals of health care, on the one hand, and the goals of public health and the general society, on the other? What aspects of screening are relevant for determining whether it should be undertaken or not and how it should be organised in order to remain defensible? What implications does the ethics of screening have for health care ethics as a whole? These questions are addressed by applying philosophical methods of conceptual analysis, as well as models and theories from moral and political philosophy, medical ethics, and public health ethics, to a large number of ongoing and proposed screening programs which makes this book the first comprehensive work on the ethics of screening. Analyses and suggestions are made that are of potential interest to health care staff, medical researchers, policy makers and the general public.
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| 13. |
- Munthe, Christian, 1962, et al.
(author)
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Person centred care and shared decision making: Implications for ethics, public health and research
- 2012
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In: Health Care Analysis. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1065-3058 .- 1573-3394. ; 20:3, s. 231-249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a systematic account of ethical issues actualised in different areas, as well as at different levels and stages of health care, by introducing organisational and other procedures that embody a shift towards person centred care and shared decision-making (PCC/SDM). The analysis builds on general ethical theory and earlier work on aspects of PCC/SDM relevant from an ethics perspective. This account leads up to a number of theoretical as well as empirical and practice oriented issues that, in view of broad advancements towards PCC/SDM, need to be considered by health care ethics researchers. Given a PCC/SDM-based reorientation of health care practice, such ethics research is essential from a quality assurance perspective.
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| 14. |
- Törnegren, Gull, 1955-
(author)
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Utmaningen från andra berättelser : En studie om moraliskt omdöme, utvidgat tänkande och kritiskt reflekterande berättelser i dialogbaserad feministisk etik
- 2013
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The present study has a threefold aim: First, the theoretical aim is to give a contribution to refinement of the theory of dialogue based feminist ethics, concerning the understanding of judgment and narration within such an ethics. The study also has an empirical aim, defined as to clarify what kind of knowledge, relevant to the moral judgment of an engaged outsider actor, can be received from dialogical interpretation and analysis of a limited selection of critically reflecting life stories. Third, a methodological aim is defined as to develop an approach to interpretation and analysis of reflecting life stories, which renders the storyteller visible as a reflecting moral subject, and makes the story accessible as a source of knowledge for the moral judgment of an engaged outsider actor.The thesis combines philosophical reflection and argumentation, with a narrative-hermeneutic method for interpretation of life stories, relating the two to each other in a hermeneutic process. The theoretical reflection draws on Seyla Benhabibs theory of communicative ethics. A dialogue based model for moral justification and a likewise dialogue based model for political legitimacy are at the heart of this universalistic theory, although in combination with a conception of a narratively and hermeneutically constituted context sensitive moral judgment, based on Hannah Arendt’s concept “enlarged thought”.In the reflection, this model is related to other feminist theorizing within the tradition of dialogue based feminist ethics, as found in the works of Iris M. Young, Georgia Warnke and Shari Stone-Mediatore. The empirical study draws on three critically reflecting life stories from Israeli-Palestinian women activists for a just peace. The methodology for interpretation and analysis that is worked out combines dialogical interpretation as presented in Arthur W. Frank’s socio-narratology with a method for structural analysis derived from Shari Stone-Mediatores theory of storytelling as an expression of political resistance struggle.The results show that some stories drawing on marginalized experiences have a potential to stimulate further public debate through their capacity to enable a stereoscopic seeing, elucidating a tension between ideologically structured discourse and non-linguistic experience; implying that narrative-hermeneutic competence should be considered crucial for public debate.
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| 15. |
- Mindus, Patricia
(author)
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Austin and Scandinavian Realism
- 2013
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In: The Legacy of John Austin's Jurisprudence. - : Springer-Verlag New York. ; , s. 73-106
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The imperative theory of law exemplified in the work of John Austin is the object of much criticism in the movement of Scandinavian legal realism (SLR). The very core notions of command, sovereignty and will are targeted. This paper explores the Scandinavian readings of Austin’s theory, chiefly by reconstructing the main arguments of Axel Hägerström’s criticism of the will-theory and Karl Olivecrona’s reading of the imperative character of law. Special attention is paid to the affinities between the various outlooks and to their core differences. On one hand, strong resemblances can be discovered in the common methodological afflatus and respect for Hume’s principle. On the other hand – apart from contrasting opinions on minor aspects (such as tacit consent grounding custom) – among the unbridgeable divergences mention should be made of the view on morals: Austin embraced a form of cognitivism, while the Scandinavians supported a strict form of non-cognitivism. In order to assess the originality of the Scandinavian attack on the imperative theory of law, the aim of the paper is to test to what extent it stimulated the seminal work on the question of law’s authoritative dimension in SLR.
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| 16. |
- Svensson, Frans
(author)
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Non-Eudaimonism, The Sufficiency of Virtue for Happiness, and Two Senses of the Highest Good in Descartes’s Ethics
- 2015
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In: British Journal for the History of Philosophy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0960-8788 .- 1469-3526. ; 23:2, s. 277-296
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In his reflections on ethics, Descartes distances himself from the eudaimonistic tradition in moral philosophy by introducing a distinction between happiness and the highest good. While happiness, in Descartes's view, consists in an inner state of complete harmony and satisfaction, the highest good instead consists in virtue, i.e. in 'a firm and constant resolution' (e.g. CSMK: 325/AT 5: 83) to always use our free will well or correctly. In Section 1 of this paper, I pursue the Cartesian distinction between happiness and the highest good in some detail. In Section 2, I discuss the question of how the motivation to virtue should be accounted for within Descartes's ethical framework. In Section 3, I turn to Descartes's defence of the view that virtue, while fundamentally distinct from happiness, is nevertheless sufficient for obtaining it. In the final section of the paper (Section 4), my concern is instead with a second and sometimes neglected distinction that Descartes makes between two different senses of the highest good. I show that this distinction does not remove the non-eudaimonistic character of Descartes's ethics suggested in Section 1, and present two reasons for why the distinction is important for Descartes's purposes.
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| 17. |
- Dodig-Crnkovic, Gordana, 1955
(author)
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Cognitive Architectures Based on Natural Info-Computation
- 2022
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In: Studies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics. - Cham : Springer. - 2192-6255 .- 2192-6263. ; , s. 3-13, s. 3-13
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At the time when the first models of cognitive architectures have been proposed, some forty years ago, understanding of cognition, embodiment and evolution was substantially different from today’s. So was the state of the art of information physics, information chemistry, bioinformatics, neuroinformatics, computational neuroscience, complexity theory, self-organization, theory of evolution, as well as the basic concepts of information and computation. Novel developments support a constructive interdisciplinary framework for cognitive architectures based on natural morphological computing, where interactions between constituents at different levels of organization of matter-energy and their corresponding time-dependent dynamics, lead to complexification of agency and increased cognitive capacities of living organisms that unfold through evolution. Proposed info-computational framework for naturalizing cognition considers present updates (generalizations) of the concepts of information, computation, cognition, and evolution in order to attain an alignment with the current state of the art in corresponding research fields. Some important open questions are suggested for future research with implications for further development of cognitive and intelligent technologies.
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| 18. |
- Cutas, Daniela, et al.
(author)
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Infertility, ethics, and the future : an exploration
- 2017
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In: The Palgrave handbook of infertility in history. - London : Palgrave Macmillan. - 9781137520807 - 9781137520791 ; , s. 609-624
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter explores current and prospective reproductive technologies and some of their likely implications for reproductive and family ethics and policymaking. The technologies discussed include uterus transplants, mitochondrial transfer, ectogenesis, the development of in vitro gametes, and solo reproduction. The chapter considers the impact of these developments on the content of concepts such as 'infertility', 'mother', or 'father'. Another layer to this process of redefinition originates in ongoing socio-cultural changes that shift the focus in parenting from the way in which children have come into the world, to relationships within the family. Considering these scenarios beforehand can help to clarify some of the current challenges in defining and regulating infertility. The chapter therefore aims to raise a number of questions rather than provide answers.
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| 19. |
- Samuelsson, Lars, 1975-, et al.
(author)
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A Counterfactual Argument for Environmentalists to Endorse Non-Instrumental Value in Nature
- 2021
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In: Abstract Book. - Aten : Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER). - 9789605984045 ; , s. 27-28
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmentalists care about nature. Often, they reason and act as if they consider nature to be valuable for its own sake, i.e., to have non-instrumental value (often referred to as intrinsic value). Yet, there is a rather widespread reluctance, even among environmentalists, to explicitly ascribe such value to nature. One important explanation for this is probably the thought that such value, at least when attached to nature, is mysterious in one way or another. Anthropocentrists within environmental ethics have argued that the idea of non-instrumental value in nature is problematic in various ways (see Samuelsson, 2010a, for references), and some so called environmental pragmatists have maintained that a focus on non-instrumental value in nature among environmentalists is counter-productive (see Samuelsson, 2010b, for a critical account of such environmental pragmatism). In addition, Bryan Norton‘s influential convergence hypothesis states that from a practical point of view it makes no or little difference whether we ascribe noninstrumental value to nature, given the depth and variety of instrumental value that it possesses (Norton, 1991, 237-43).Several environmental ethicists have provided replies to this pessimistic outlook on the prospects for non-instrumental value in nature (e.g., Callicott, 1995; McShane, 2007). In this paper we add to this list of replies by providing a counter-factual argument, applying to anyone who genuinely cares about nature, for ascribing non-instrumental value to it. Even if we accept, for the sake of argument, something like the convergence hypothesis, relying on nature‘s instrumental value for preservational purposes is risky business for environmentalists. We can easily imagine a scenario where some crucial instrumental value that is in fact (now) possessed by some preservation-worthy natural entity (such as a species or a diverse and unique ecosystem) is absent. Yet, even under such circumstances, environmentalists would generally want to preserve this entity. In other words, the convergence hypothesis can only be contingently true, and once we acknowledge this fact it becomes clear that giving up on the non-instrumental value of nature means losing an important source for providing arguments to the effect that we ought to preserve certain natural entities.In the paper we develop this argument, go through some possible replies to it and briefly consider the theoretical costs that might be involved in ascribing non-instrumental value to nature. We argue that with respect to most accounts of such value, whatever theoretical costs one might claim to be involved in ascribing such value to nature, these costs are not higher than the costs of ascribing it to anything else.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Munthe, Christian, 1962
(author)
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Reproductive liberty through a public health ethics lens: from individual rights to the public good of procreating populations
- 2016
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In: 13th World Congress of Bioethics, Edinburgh, June 14-17, 2016.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Reproductive bioethics has almost entirely proceeded within an individualist paradigm, where rights of parties are set against each other or societal interests. This paper takes some steps to analyse what happens if the ethical analysis of reproductive medicine and policy is instead approached based on public health ethical assumptions. That is, the general issues are about how society should organise itself with regard to the procreation of its population, and particular issues regarding, e.g., abortion, ART, contraception, pregnancy care, prenatal testing, etc. are analysed from that standpoint. Albeit there has been some public health ethical attention to sexual health issues, this way of approaching reproductive ethics has been ignored almost entirely, with a handful of exceptions the last few years taking account of, e.g., public expenditure on ART and environmental concerns linked to population policy. This presentation aims to sketch a preliminary theoretical framework for a general theory of reproductive public health ethics, within which such and further attempts may be placed and critically analysed, and to compare it to the traditional formats of reproductive bioethics. A general theory of reproductive public health ethics will view reproductition as a social rather than biological process, taking place at a collective level, and its values will hence be public goods and aggregates, while notions of individual rights will not be primary. This view also means that there is no basic relevant distinction to be made between procreating a population through migration and through biological reproduction.
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| 22. |
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Jesus och politiken
- 2024
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Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Syftet med projektet är att granska och att reflektera kring Jesu politiska aktörsskap i relation till nutida samtidsdiskussioner. Som en teoretisk utgångspunkt för att möta den frågan kommer Jesus liv och lära att diskuteras genom att relatera hans politiska verksamhet till begreppen aktivism, revolution, populism, och anarki. Syftet är inte att erbjuda en anakronistisk läsning av Jesus liv och lära, i tron att någondera av dessa politiska praktiker enkelt låter sig tillämpas på den politiska kontext som Jesus fungerade i. Inte heller är det i tron att de erbjuder någon definitiv tolkning av Jesu politiska verksamhet. Syftet är snarare att bruka nutida politiska teoretiska begrepp för att tolka Jesu politiska verksamhet, med förhoppningen att denna association ska underlätta arbetet med att nyttja Jesu liv och lära som en resurs för att föreställa det allmänna goda och tackla nutida utmaningar. Orsaken till varför just aktivism, revolution, populism och anarkism valts som en teoretisk-begreppslig grund, är för att vardera av dessa politiska praktiker försöker få till stånd en förändring av något slag, dock utifrån olika logiska förutsättningar och på olika sätt. Trots att man kan tolka Jesu politiska aktörsskap på olika sätt, är det däremot mer eller mindre uppenbart att han försökte få till stånd en förändring i den rådande samhällsordningen. Utifrån denna insikt har framför allt kristna genom tiderna inspirerats av Jesus för att förverkliga den vision om det goda som hans liv och lära innehåller, samt utvecklat en kritik av de aktörer som motarbetar denna vision.
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| 25. |
- Cutas, Daniela, 1978, et al.
(author)
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Legal imperialism in the regulation of stem cell research and therapy: the problem of extraterritorial jurisdiction
- 2010
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In: Capps BJ & Campbell AV (eds.). CONTESTED CELLS: Global Perspectives on the Stem Cell Debate. - London : Imperial College Press. - 9781848164376 ; , s. 95-119
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Countries worldwide have very different national regulations on human embryonic stem (ES) cell research, informed by a range of ethical values. Some countries find reason to extend the applicability of their regulations on such research to its citizens when they visit other countries. Extraterritorial jurisdiction has recently been identified as a potential challenge towards global regulation of ES cell research. This chapter explores the implications and impact of extraterritorial jurisdiction and global regulation of ES cell research on researchers, clinicians and national health systems, and how this may affect patients. The authors argue that it would make ethical sense for ES cell restrictive countries to extend its regulations on ES cell research beyond its borders, because, if these countries really consider embryo destruction to be objectionable on the basis on the status of the embryo, then they ought to count it morally on par with murder (and thus have a moral imperative to protect embryos from the actions of its own citizens). However, doing so could lead to a legal situation that would result in substantial harm to central values in areas besides research, such as health care, the job market, basic freedom of movement, and strategic international finance and politics. Thus, it seems that restrictive extraterritorial jurisdiction in respect to ES cell research would be deeply problematic, given that the ethical permissibility of ES cell research is characterised by deep and wide disagreement.
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