Everyday Ethics

Positive thinking is something of a new age mantra in contemporary society. As the study of the mind becomes more sophisticated, there is an increasing awareness of our ability to control our emotions, manipulate our moods, and make choices about how happy we are as people. The merits of positive thinking are usually [...]

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I recently returned from a short vacation in Las Vegas with a new take on the role of culture in ethical decision-making.  Las Vegas is associated with a myriad of slogans that promote debauchery and immoral behavior, and the results of a zeitgeist like this are not surprising.  What is a surprise is the extent [...]

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As the quagmire that is the Iraq war continues unabated, everyday Americans seem to be pushing strongly for a withdrawal with an enthusiasm that increases nearly every day.  We have now watched this misguided undertaking drag on for over five years, and despite the declaration of “mission accomplished” by our president, both Iraqis and Americans [...]

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I resisted the Facebook phenomenon as long as I could, but the lure of rekindling connections with long-lost friends proved to be too much to resist.  Now that I have joined “the Book,” I find myself somewhat troubled by certain types of posts that many individuals find perfectly acceptable, but that are reasonably worth questioning [...]

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As cliché as it may sound, there are basically two types of people in the world, those who are willing to offer criticism and those who would rather die than risk sharing their actual opinion.  The extreme versions of both positions are a bit tough to take, as the openly critical often come across as [...]

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Most of us don’t give much thought to the fact that many of our relationships with other people are defined by some degree of reciprocity.  To some extent, reciprocity is the very nature of human interpersonal relations.  Although these relationships can be extremely beneficial for the parties involved, it is important to be aware of [...]

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The U.S. economy continues its unstable wavering despite the election of a potentially competent future president in Barack Obama.  The $700 billion bailout has given way to individual requests from companies like AIG, Citigroup, and GM for bailout packages of their own.  As a Toyota owner and a firm believer that the American auto industry [...]

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     In an era when the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese has agreed to a settlement of $660 million dollars with the numerous victims of sexual abuse at the hands of their clergy members, it only seems fitting to discuss the relationship between religion, ethics, and behavior.  There is a simple yet significant point to be [...]

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Morality seems like the sort of thing that involves individual action.  We ask questions about what individuals ought to do, or how persons ought to be treated.  However, the role of communities in ethical deliberations should not be understated, and our own ethical decision-making can be enhanced by thinking about the ways that communities might [...]

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Traveling by air has rapidly transformed from a moderately affordable activity to something that most cannot typically afford.  I am currently attempting to book a trip to Roanoke, Virginia for the Virginia Tech Philosophy Conference.  After much frustration due to not finding a reasonable flight price, I opted to contact a travel agent.  Unbeknownst to [...]

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