•  127
    This book review responds to George Lucas's Ethics and Cyber Warfare: The Quest for Responsible Security in an Age of Digital Warfare, laying out the structure of the work as well as highlighting areas of strength.
  •  19
    Conflicts of Interest, Emoluments, and the Presidency
    International Journal of Applied Philosophy 31 (1): 45-67. 2017.
    The past presidential election reinvigorated interest in the applicability of conflict of interest legislation to the executive branch. In § 2, we survey various approaches to conflicts of interest, paying particular attention to 18 U.S.C. § 208. Under 18 U.S.C. § 202, this conflict of interest statute is straightforwardly inapplicable to the President. We then explore the normative foundations of such an exemption in § 3. While these sections are ultimately lenient, we go on to consider the Emo…Read more
  • Germ-Line Genetic Enhancement and Rawlsian Primary Goods
    Journal of Evolution and Technology 18 (1): 10-26. 2008.
    Genetic interventions raise a host of moral issues and, of its various species, germ-line genetic enhancement is the most morally contentious. This paper surveys various arguments against germ-line enhancement and attempts to demonstrate their inadequacies. A positive argument is advanced in favor of certain forms of germ-line enhancements, which holds that they are morally permissible if and only if they augment Rawlsian primary goods, either directly or by facilitating their acquisition.
  •  86
    Risk, Precaution, and Emerging Technologies
    Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology 3 (2). 2009.
    This paper explores a framework for thinking about risks inherent in emerging technologies; given uncertainty about the magnitude—or even nature—of those risks, deliberation about those technologies is challenged. §1 develops a conceptual framework for risk, and §2 integrates that conception into cost-benefit analysis. Given uncertainty, we are often pushed toward precautionary approaches, and such approaches are explored in §3. These first three sections are largely literature review, and then …Read more
  •  8
    Germ-line Genetic Enhancements and Rawlsian Primary Goods
    Journal of Philosophical Research 32 (9999): 217-230. 2007.
    Genetic interventions raise a host of moral issues and, of its various species, germ-line genetic enhancement is the most morally contentious. This paper surveys various arguments against germ-line enhancement and attempts to demonstrate their inadequacies. A positive argument is advanced in favor of certain forms of germ-line enhancements, which holds that they are morally permissible if and only if they augment Rawlsian primary goods, either directly or by facilitating their acquisition.
  •  1
    Whiskey and Philosophy (edited book)
    Wiley. 2009.
    From the Back Cover "After decades of cut-and-paste offerings on the subject, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in whisky—whether single malt, bourbon, or anything else—and all that makes it truly unique." —Jim McEwan, Production Director, Bruichladdich Distillery "Does being a philosopher require an appreciation of good whiskey or does having an appreciation of good whiskey make one philosophical? Whichever is the case, Whiskey & Philosophy makes for a thought-provoking and thirst-…Read more
  •  52
    Philosophies of the Sciences: A Guide (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2009.
    The essays are written by leading scholars in a highly accessible style for the student audience Presents and discusses central debates in the field, making it ...
  •  2
    Not Just Wars (edited book)
    Routledge. forthcoming.
    This volume seeks to divide challenges to the just war tradition into thematic categories, to better outline the changing landscape of the Just War tradition. The motivating idea and common thread that will carry through the collection is to engage in a process of reflective equilibrium where the various authors will not only present some element in the Just War tradition to see how it applies to modern warfare, but how the facts about modern warfare can and ought to bear upon/change different …Read more
  •  84
    Evolutionary Ethics from Darwin to Moore
    History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 25 (1). 2003.
    Evolutionary ethics has a long history, dating all the way back to Charles Darwin.1 Almost immediately after the publication of the Origin, an immense interest arose in the moral implications of Darwinism and whether the truth of Darwinism would undermine traditional ethics. Though the biological thesis was certainly exciting, nobody suspected that the impact of the Origin would be confined to the scientific arena. As one historian wrote, 'whether or not ancient populations of armadillos were tr…Read more
  •  37
    Fatherhood - Philosophy for Everyone: The Dao of Daddy (edited book)
    with Lon Nease and Michael W. Austin
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.
    _Fatherhood - Philosophy for Everyone_ offers fathers wisdom and practical advice drawn from the annals of philosophy. Both thought-provoking and humorous, it provides a valuable starting and ending point for reflecting on this crucial role. Address the roles, experiences, ethics, and challenges of fatherhood from a philosophical perspective Includes essays on Confucius, Socrates, the experience of African fatherhood, and the perspective of two women writers Explores the changing role of fatherh…Read more
  •  197
    What Are Applied Ethics?
    Science and Engineering Ethics 17 (1): 1-19. 2011.
    This paper explores the relationships that various applied ethics bear to each other, both in particular disciplines and more generally. The introductory section lays out the challenge of coming up with such an account and, drawing a parallel with the philosophy of science, offers that applied ethics may either be unified or disunified. The second section develops one simple account through which applied ethics are unified, vis-à-vis ethical theory. However, this is not taken to be a satisfying …Read more
  •  19
    Cannabis - Philosophy for Everyone: What Were We Just Talking About? (edited book)
    with Dale Jacquette
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.
    The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to gain momentum. Here, personal anecdotes combined with academic and scientific reports combine to sharpen some of the fascinating philosophical issues associated with cannabis use. A frank, professionally informed and playful discussion of cannabis usage in relation to philosophical inquiry Considers the meaning of a ‘high’, the morality of smoking marijuana for pleasure, the slippery slope to more dangerous drugs, and the human drive…Read more
  •  55
    The Coming Era of Nanomedicine
    American Journal of Bioethics 9 (10): 3-11. 2009.
    This essay presents some general background on nanomedicine, particularly focusing on some of the investment that is being made in this emerging field. The bulk of the essay, however, consists of explorations of two areas in which the impacts of nanomedicine are likely to be most significant: diagnostics and medical records and treatment, including surgery and drug delivery. Each discussion includes a survey some of the ethical and social issues that are likely to arise in these applications.
  •  152
    This article provides of review of the book A World without Values: Essays on John Mackie's Moral Error Theory, edited by Richard Joyce and Simon Kirchin.
  •  37
    This article examines a moral problem for the blastocyst transfer method of harvesting stem cells from embryos. Although BTM does not result in the destruction of an embryo, this article suggests that BTM nevertheless faces difficulty because it poses a threat to the autonomy of the embryo.
  •  107
    Early Modern Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary (edited book)
    with Aloysius Martinich and Anand Vaidya
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2007.
    Part of the Blackwell Readings in the History of Philosophy series, this survey of early modern philosophy focuses on the key texts and philosophers of the period whose beliefs changed the course of western thought.
  •  18
    Physicians at War: Lessons for Archaeologists?
    In Peter G. Stone (ed.), Cultural Heritage, Ethics and the Military, Boydell Press. pp. 4--43. 2011.
    This paper offers a brief examination of ethical health issues arising from military operations and outlines which, if any, of these ethical health issues apply to current Australian Defence Force (ADF) military operations. The transparency of military operations provided through real time global media reporting and the Internet, has raised public awareness of incidents that can be viewed broadly as ethical issues or dilemmas. While many of these issues are not new, it is the changing context of…Read more
  •  93
    Gardening - Philosophy for Everyone: Cultivating Wisdom (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.
    Philosophy and gardens have been closely connected from the dawn of philosophy, with many drawing on their beauty and peace for philosophical inspiration. Gardens in turn give rise to a broad spectrum of philosophical questions. For the green-fingered thinker, this book reflects on a whole host of fascinating philosophical themes. Gardens and philosophy present a fascinating combination of subjects, historically important, and yet scarcely covered within the realms of philosophy Contributions co…Read more
  •  272
    Neuroscience and metaphysics
    with Chris Buford
    American Journal of Bioethics 5 (2). 2005.
    In “Imaging or Imagining? A Neuroethics Challenge In- The assumption at issue here is the assumption that the formed by Genetics,” Judy Illes and Eric Racine (see this ismind literally is the brain (i.e., is numerically identical to sue) argue that “traditional bioethics analysis” (TBA), as de-.
  •  30
    Doctors and torture
    Hastings Center Report 42 (1): 8. 2012.
    This letter to the editor discusses Chiara Lepora and Joseph Millum's argument in "The Tortured Patient: A Medical Dilemma" and supports their conclusion (that physicians may justifiably be complicit in torture) while questioning the way in which they arrive at that conclusion.
  •  23
    Treating the military's wounded
    American Journal of Bioethics 8 (2). 2008.
    In response to Michael Gross (2008), this article explores the supposition that the goals of military medicine either are or should be characterized as returning wounded soldiers to duty and issues some comments on the negative part of Gross’s project (i.e., why military medicine does not have special obligations to soldiers who will not return to the battlefield).
  •  151
    _The philosophy of the blues_ From B.B. King to Billie Holiday, Blues music not only sounds good, but has an almost universal appeal in its reflection of the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Its ability to powerfully touch on a range of social and emotional issues is philosophically inspiring, and here, a diverse range of thinkers and musicians offer illuminating essays that make important connections between the human condition and the Blues that will appeal to music lovers and philoso…Read more
  •  15
    Telomers and the Ethics of Human Cloning
    Journal of Philosophical Research 32 (9999): 231-237. 2007.
    In search of a potential problem with cloning, I investigate the phenomenon of telomere shortening which is caused by cell replication; clones created from somatic cells will have shortened telomeres and therefore reach a state of senescence more rapidly. While genetic intervention might fix this problem at some point in the future, I ask whether, absent technological advances, this biological phenomenon undermines the moral permissibility of cloning.
  •  101
    A Defense of Torture
    International Journal of Applied Philosophy 19 (2): 243-264. 2005.
    In this paper, I argue for the permissibility of torture in idealized cases by application of separation of cases: if torture is permissible given any of the dominant moral theories (and if one of those is correct), then torture is permissible simpliciter and I can discharge the tricky business of trying to adjudicate among conflicting moral views. To be sure, torture is not permissible on all the dominant moral theories as at least Kantianism will prove especially recalcitrant to granting moral…Read more
  •  47
    Porn - Philosophy for Everyone: How to Think with Kink (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.
    This anthology takes the ever-controversial discussion of pornography out of solely academic circles; it expands the questions about porn that academics might tackle and opens the conversation to those who know it best—the creators and users of porn. Features essays on non-traditional issues in porn, including celebrity sex tapes, virtual sex, S&M, homosexual porn, and technology’s impact on the porn industry Features fascinating insights from psychologists, a lawyer, and an English professor, a…Read more
  •  19
    On Economic Justifications of Bioterrorism Defense Spending
    American Journal of Bioethics 5 (4): 52-54. 2005.
    *The opinions contained in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the American Medical Association
  •  31
    Physicians at War: The Dual-Loyalties Challenge
    Journal of Military Ethics 7 (4): 320-322. 2008.
    There are a range of ethical issues that confront physicians in times of war, as well as some of the uses of physicians during wars. This book presents a theoretical apparatus which undergirds those debates, namely by casting physicians as being confronted with dual-loyalties during times of war. While this theoretical apparatus has already been developed in other contexts, it has not been specifically brought to bear on the ethical conflicts that attain in wars. Arguably, wars thrust physicians…Read more
  •  223
    If you just can't decide what to wear, this enlightening guide will lead you through the diverse and sometimes contradictory aspects of fashion in a series of lively, entertaining and thoughtful essays from prominent philosophers and writers. A unique and enlightening insight into the underlying philosophy behind the power of fashion Contributions address issues in fashion from a variety of viewpoints, including aesthetics, the nature of fashion and fashionability, ethics, gender and identity po…Read more
  •  45
    Wine and Philosophy (edited book)
    Blackwell. 2008.
    In Wine & Philosophy, philosophers, wine critics, and winemakers share their passion for wine through well-crafted essays that explore wine’s deeper meaning, nature, and significance.
  •  61
    _Climbing - Philosophy for Everyone_ presents a collection of intellectually stimulating new essays that address the philosophical issues relating to risk, ethics, and other aspects of climbing that are of interest to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers. Represents the first collection of essays to exclusively address the many philosophical aspects of climbing Includes essays that challenge commonly accepted views of climbing and climbing ethics Written accessibly, this book w…Read more