Category Archives: Social and Political Philosophy

Moral Reasoning in the Context of Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS)

Bioethics, Legal Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy April 21, 2020 Leave a comment

A Statement of Values — Proponents versus Opponents

Collectively, the proponents of physician assisted suicide value personal autonomy and responsibility, the quality of life, and compassion towards others. Proponents of physician assisted suicide feel that by being allowed to choose between life and death as a personal and medical decision, patients are able to exercise personal autonomy, a freedom that they take to be fundamental to the nature of humanity. This autonomy ties directly into their perceptions about quality of life, in that some view life as undesirable or lackluster if they are not able to enjoy activities, events, and relationships that they previously did due to terminal or incurable medical conditions. They do not view life as inherently valuable and worth living, but derive life’s value from its pragmatic and functional elements. When the level and intensity of physical and mental suffering crosses a certain threshold, these proponents value the actions of those who will show compassion and act in accordance with their final wishes. Thus, proponents of physician assisted suicide feel obligated to protect the personal rights of patients as well as to ensure that they are being treated with compassion to alleviate their pain and suffering. Any events or legislation that interfere with those conditions are intolerable.

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What’s More Preposterous? A Survey of the Beliefs of Professional Philosophers

Epistemology, Morality and Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy February 17, 2020 Leave a comment

Recently, Brian Leiter (of the blog The Leiter Reports) published the results of an internet poll about various philosophical views. More specifically, this internet poll sought to rank the most to least preposterous philosophical belief systems or concepts (reread that again to make sure you got them in the right order). In total, over 1300 current professional philosophers were surveyed and the 6 philosophical belief systems or concepts that were utilized (and in this particular order) include…

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An Analysis of the Obama Administration’s Use of Combat Drone Strikes from Classical Realist and Liberal Perspectives

Legal Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy September 22, 2018 Leave a comment

Introduction

The drone strikes carried out in various locations in the Middle East under the authority of President Obama and his administration have sparked public outrage due to numerous leaked reports of innocent civilian casualties combined with immense collateral damage to the countries in which the drone strikes had been executed.

What is remarkable from an academic perspective is that it represents a classic example of the quintessential differences between a realist and liberal perspective on international law. Within this context, there are certain aspects of each theoretical approach to international relations that are extremely pertinent to the discussion of drone attacks as a case study.

Viewing realism and liberalism as antitheses, the former (i.) focuses its attention on the state as the primary actor in international relations, (ii.) values security over freedom in the international system, and (iii.) prefers power to interdependence with regard to relationships with other countries. Meanwhile classical liberalism (i.) places an emphasis on the individual (whether alone or as part of a larger governmental or non-governmental organization), (ii.) generally denounces unilateral action, and (iii.) stresses interdependence through cooperation for solving collective international problems. Continue reading →

On Inadequate Definitions and Measures of Islamophobia: A Response to Geisser

Social and Political Philosophy September 21, 2018 Leave a comment

In his article Islamophobia: a French Specificity in Europe? Vincent Geisser argues that while French society and culture exhibit symptoms of Islamophobia, there is no official prejudice against Muslims and that those who claim that France or the French government is Islamophobic are guilty of inappropriately using the term. Instead, Geisser asserts, these perceived symptoms of Islamophobia are more nuanced and derived from cultural and historical causes within French society. What ultimately happens is that French society aims to convert or transform potentially dangerous aspects of political Islam into a more Western and Francophone friendly version of itself. In what follows, I will offer a critical response to Geisser’s proposed definition of Islamophobia, arguing ultimately that it is inadequate.

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