The following questions will be answered by ethicists from around the world:
1.- What do you mean with "applied ethics"?
2.- According to your view, which are its main problems at the present?
3.- In which way applied ethicists might help to solve society's problems?
4.- What is the importance of applied ethics teaching in your country?
Ethicists may write their answers either in the below section of comments or in e-mail messages to: mapaz_y_mino@yahoo.es.
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Hi Manuel, congratulations for opening the blog. This looks really useful. I'll try to answer your questions:
ReplyDelete1. I can't say too much here in the comments. Applied ethics is a branch of ethics dealing concrete issues in society and how best to deal with them. For example, we have the problem of corruption by the government in many developing countries. This is a real world issue and when philosophers use the tool and vocabulary to analyze them and to make judgments then this is usually called applied ethics.
2. The problems are so many. Many are due to the technological advances in IT, biotech and so on, but many more are much more "traditional" like corruption, inequality, discrimination, etc.
3. If you follow Karl Marx, the point of philosophy is not only to understand the world, but "to change it." That is, philosophers and academics are fronts in the struggle for political power. But I don't think I go that far.
4. It's very important, not only in Thailand, but elsewhere too. Because it opens up the space for deliberation through rational means.
This is all for now. Hope you do well in your studies.
Hi Manuel,
ReplyDeletejust a small thing. I know you speak Spanish, but if you want this blog to attract people who don't, maybe you might want to change the language of the blog. Just a thought though.
1.- What do you mean with "applied ethics"?
ReplyDeleteI think applied ethics should be seen as the application of competence rather than theory. Being an applied ethicist is not about simply bringing your knowledge of ethical theory to the table, but rather your competence in analyzing and evaluating arguments, making precise distinctions, disclosing potential side-effects and so forth. This calls for a dual competency in both ethics and the domain in question. As such, applied ethics should be an interdisciplinary field where domain experts increase their ethical competency and ethicists increase their knowledge of the domain.
2.- According to your view, which are its main problems at the present?
Generally speaking, one of the problems with applied ethics is that the ethical reflection often takes place when the problems have already surfaced. Ideally, applied ethics should disclose potential problems before they occur, which is especially challenging when cutting-edge technology is at the heart of a discipline. Thus, I find problems related to bio-medicine, nano-technology, computing and the like some of the domains where ethics is most needed.
3.- In which way applied ethicists might help to solve society's problems?
As mentioned, by bringing new ways of addressing a problem to the table, as well as actively cooperating with the domain experts in an attempt to disclose potential problems before they occur.
4.- What is the importance of applied ethics teaching in your country?
Mu current country is the Netherlands, where applied ethics has a high standing. Ethics of technology is particularly important, as evidenced by the recent initiative '3TU. Centre for Ethics and Technology' comprising some of the most prominent technology ethicists in the world, and regularly involved in policymaking and setting the public agenda.
- Johnny Hartz Søraker, Department of Philosophy, University of Twente
Answers e-mailed to the blogmaster:
ReplyDeleteDear Mr Paz-y-Mino
It is good to hear from you
Quick answers to your questions:
1.- What do you mean with "applied ethics"?
Hard to say. The underlying idea is that we should not be concerned only with meta-ethics and that the study of ethics at a theoretical level can legitimately make a contribution to ethics in practice.
2.- According to your view, which are its main problems at the present?
for me the issues surrounding the environment, medical ethics and the ethics of war and torture are most important
3.- In which way applied ethicists might help to solve society's problems?
Mostly through doing what they do well: they should continue to analyse and construct their ethical ideas. Their contribution is that of the theorist informing the understanding of practitioners
4.- What is the importance of applied ethics teaching in your country?
It is increasingly important an attracting an increasing amount of interest and funding support.
best wishes
James
________________________________
James Connelly
Professor of Politics
Department of Politics and International Studies
University of Hull
Cottingham Road
Hull
HU6 7RX
01482 465754
http://www.hull.ac.uk/pas/staff/academic_staff/Prof_James_Connelly/index.html
Answer e-mailed to the blogmaster:
ReplyDeleteFirst, I must apologise for the delay in responding - a combination of circumstances I am afraid. Anyway, I take applied ethics to mean the interaction between principled thinking and real problems that confront individuals and communities. For the moment, I believe that the most important problem confronting some (liberal western) societies is the question of assisted dying. As you will know, there has been a fair amount of legislative and political interest in this area over recent years and it engages every one of us. I believe that applying ethical principles to debates such as this can help to shape humane and consistent laws which ultimately will govern our behaviour. There is a reasonable amount of teaching of applied ethics in the United Kingdom - most particularly in relation to medicine, science and healthcare.
I trust that this information is useful and good luck with your project.
Best wishes
Professor Sheila A.M. McLean LLB. MLitt, PhD, LLD, LLD, FRSE, FRCGP, F Med Sci, FRCP(Edin), FRSA
International Bar Association Professor of Law and Ethics in Medicine
Telephone: 0141 330 5577
Fax: 0141 330 4698
'The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401'