I haven't watched the final three instalments of the latest Dynasty family drama on Netflix so this is just all hypothetical and I have no personal opinion whatsoever because I can't comment on something I haven't watched. But I am always interested in hypothetical ethical situations and so what if Netflix offered you £100 million… Continue reading When is it ok to trash your family on TV?
Tag: ethics
People who make the world a better place
In his book, Do No Evil, Michael Berumen writes that ethical judgements are universal and apply just as much to business as to any other social venue. He argues that death and suffering are evil or immoral and that this is universal; not subjective. For instance, in his chapter on the environment he says businesses… Continue reading People who make the world a better place
Second jab side-effects and the ethics of vaccination
I spoke too soon in my last post about not having any side-effects after the second Pfizer jab. A few hours later I developed a fever, headache, aches and pains, and a swollen lymph node in my armpit on the vaccinated arm. After the first dose it felt like I had a marble under my… Continue reading Second jab side-effects and the ethics of vaccination
The future of meat
Eating animals poses a major global health risk and the costs are enormous and they’re not borne only by the meat-eaters themselves nor by the animals but by everybody on the planet whether they eat meat or not. I say this because we’ve seen this over and over again that epidemics and pandemics have come… Continue reading The future of meat
How long should the lockdown last?
If there's anyone you absolutely must follow on Twitter it's Peter Singer. He's the world's most influential moral philosopher and someone I would describe as a modern-day Jesus. You can follow him here: https://twitter.com/PeterSinger In 100 years the world will look back and see Peter Singer as someone who did more than anyone else to… Continue reading How long should the lockdown last?
Sustainability
I've been thinking a lot about sustainability recently both through my work at Award Force and also on a more personal level. It has become fashionable for corporations to talk about sustainability and I think, when done sincerely, it represents the best of humanity. I know there's a certain level of green-washing where corporations will… Continue reading Sustainability
Be kind to living things
I've haven't written much lately because I've been busy. Everyone is busy, I know. All the snow has melted here but it hung around for a long time. Usually when we get snow it's all gone within a couple of days. The chances of a white Christmas now are very remote. It looks like we'll… Continue reading Be kind to living things
Bichon Burgers
I humbly suggest for consideration that the tens of thousands of dogs that are killed each year in Britain be offered for sale to feed the hungry and growing population. A German Shepherd could feed as many as 50 people while a chihuahua could feed a family of four. People in Britain are familiar and comfortable… Continue reading Bichon Burgers
Criticising our leaders and faith-based leadership
We live in a free society where we can criticise our leaders without fearing for our lives and I value that immensely. We ought to be challenging Theresa May on the appropriateness of a deal with the DUP. For the same reason, Labour's Diane Abbott can't now claim unfair treatment for the criticism that was… Continue reading Criticising our leaders and faith-based leadership
Is Donald Trump right to claim unfairness over Paris?
There's a brilliant article from Peter Singer in Project Syndicate this week about Donald Trump's whinging over the unfairness of the Paris climate agreement. Trump is basically the fat kid who ate 3/4 of the cake and then complained that it's unfair he didn't get more while 3 other kids shared the 1/4 remainder between them.… Continue reading Is Donald Trump right to claim unfairness over Paris?
Do animal rights activists care more for animals than humans?
Some people think that those who advocate for animal rights care more about non-human animals than human animals. That's not true at all. The ethicist, Peter Singer, who wrote Animal Liberation back in 1975 thinks we rich people ought to donate 10% of our salary to the world's poor. He gives around a quarter of his own… Continue reading Do animal rights activists care more for animals than humans?
The inconsistency of eating meat while objecting to abortion
For any woman having an abortion is a serious decision that she will only do if she has something quite important at stake. Whereas people who are prepared to go into the supermarket and buy some ham don't need to do that at all. They could easily eat something else. They are supporting the pain… Continue reading The inconsistency of eating meat while objecting to abortion
Stick insect abortions
I'm a murderer. I killed dozens of our pet stick insects yesterday with my bare hands, squishing them into green slime. I felt pretty awful about this and had nightmares last night about mistreating pets. I realise this self-imposed guilt is irrational because I frequently squish insects in my greenhouse. Why do I feel guilty… Continue reading Stick insect abortions
Ethics into Action
I'm reading this terrific book about the life of Henry Spira, a New Yorker who challenged large corporations over their abuse of animals, and he did so effectively, without money and with no large organisation behind him. The book is not so much a biography but a book about Henry's strategy and why he was so successful.… Continue reading Ethics into Action
How to argue with a vegan
I thought I'd do a part two of my "making fun of vegans" post from the other week. I like having my views challenged and engaging in difficult discussions about ethical issues. What I don't like are the inane and often offensive statements people make. I'm referring to people who lick their lips and claim to… Continue reading How to argue with a vegan
The wrongness of killing and abortion
I cried when I watched this clip this morning. The baby's mother has just died in a car accident and the infant is visibly distressed and mourning for her mother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK5AdkVTYtM Story in The Independent. We're not the only animals to mourn the loss of loved ones. We're not the only animals who love and care… Continue reading The wrongness of killing and abortion
Animals eat each other, so why shouldn’t we eat them?
People criticise and mock vegetarians quite a lot. I'm always happy to be laughed at and I've taught my kids that this is a good thing because it means you are making someone else happy and there's nothing bad about that. However I get annoyed when people say silly things or incorrect things. Maybe I just like… Continue reading Animals eat each other, so why shouldn’t we eat them?
Robert Burns Night and Donald Trump
It's Burns night in Scotland today. January 25th is an annual celebration of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. In school the children tasted some Scottish foods and learnt one of his poems off by heart. Daniel has come such a long way since we first moved here. In our first year he protested vehemently about having to learn a… Continue reading Robert Burns Night and Donald Trump
Goodbye, Derek Parfit
Imagine you're in a car crash and the only part of you that survives is your brain. Suppose your brain is transplanted into the body of a brain-dead patient. Does the person become you? Are you still alive? What if instead your brain is cut in half and transplanted into the bodies of two people. Are… Continue reading Goodbye, Derek Parfit
You’ve Been Trumped Too
Here's the trailer for the You've Been Trumped Too documentary about Donald Trump. The full documentary was screened on Facebook on Thursday night after a crowd-sourced funding campaign. I didn't see it because it was at a time suited for Americans which makes sense since they're about to decide whether to make this man president… Continue reading You’ve Been Trumped Too
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