Controversies of legal interpretation: a philosophical investigation of reasoning and adjudication in some recent contentious cases. A series of High Court decisions in Australia since the 1980's generated a public controversy about the role of moral and political values in adjudication. It has been charged that judges are engaged, not in an exercise of technical legal interpretation, but rather in illegitimate and politically partisan ?judicial activism.? The project investigates the theoretica ....Controversies of legal interpretation: a philosophical investigation of reasoning and adjudication in some recent contentious cases. A series of High Court decisions in Australia since the 1980's generated a public controversy about the role of moral and political values in adjudication. It has been charged that judges are engaged, not in an exercise of technical legal interpretation, but rather in illegitimate and politically partisan ?judicial activism.? The project investigates the theoretical and applied questions of legal interpretation implicit in this argument. It rejects the charge of judicial activism. It proposes a ?value-maximizing? theory of reasoning and interpretation that characterizes adjudication in contentious cases as precisely a process of theorizing about relevant moral and political values.Read moreRead less
Reassessing Egalitarianism. Ever since the French revolution the issues of equality and egalitarianism have had enormous significance for modern democracies. These topics are also particularly important in Australian life. Indeed, Australia is often described as an 'egalitarian society'. Clarifying contemporary accounts of egalitarianism and developing our own original account will be of major national significance. In addition, this project will focus on the important areas of health and unempl ....Reassessing Egalitarianism. Ever since the French revolution the issues of equality and egalitarianism have had enormous significance for modern democracies. These topics are also particularly important in Australian life. Indeed, Australia is often described as an 'egalitarian society'. Clarifying contemporary accounts of egalitarianism and developing our own original account will be of major national significance. In addition, this project will focus on the important areas of health and unemployment, with specific consideration given to the role of individual responsibility in determining eligibility for unemployment and health benefits. The project will also help maintain Australia's place as a leader in the areas of political and social philosophy.Read moreRead less
Self-control and pathologies of agency. This project will develop a philosophically and scientifically sophisticated account of the nature of self-control. This account will provide tools for allocating responsibility for failures of self-control and will contribute to the development of means for enhancing it, thereby aiding in addressing major social problems.
Conferring dignity in law and health care. This project aims to develop a new and more inclusive philosophical conception of dignity. It expects to generate an alternative to the exclusionary view that dignity is inherent since not all human beings possess the relevant inherent traits. The project will develop a conception of dignity as something conferred, and expects to show that such dignity can and should be conferred on all human beings. The expected outcome is a new understanding of the im ....Conferring dignity in law and health care. This project aims to develop a new and more inclusive philosophical conception of dignity. It expects to generate an alternative to the exclusionary view that dignity is inherent since not all human beings possess the relevant inherent traits. The project will develop a conception of dignity as something conferred, and expects to show that such dignity can and should be conferred on all human beings. The expected outcome is a new understanding of the importance of dignity in human rights law and in health care services. The intended benefits are better appreciation of the role of dignity in human rights, and guidance for health and aged care services on how they can promote the dignity of all of their clients.Read moreRead less
Challenges to moral responsibility. Agents deserve various kinds of benefits and burdens (such as punishment) only if they are morally responsible for their actions. This project aims to assess several sorts of alleged threats to our moral responsibility, and thereby to better the social allocation of goods to individuals.
Contemporary Terrorism: Ethical and Conceptual Perspectives. This is the first systematic and comprehensive philosophical exploration of contemporary terrorism and responses to it. It will test the theoretical approaches?realism, consequentialism, just war theory, and pacifism?and provide an account of all major conceptual and moral issues: the nature of terrorism and how it differs from other types of political violence, war, and guerilla war; the distinctive traits of contemporary terrorism; w ....Contemporary Terrorism: Ethical and Conceptual Perspectives. This is the first systematic and comprehensive philosophical exploration of contemporary terrorism and responses to it. It will test the theoretical approaches?realism, consequentialism, just war theory, and pacifism?and provide an account of all major conceptual and moral issues: the nature of terrorism and how it differs from other types of political violence, war, and guerilla war; the distinctive traits of contemporary terrorism; whether states can, and do, employ terrorism; whether terrorism can ever be morally justified and, if so, under what circumstances; the moral constraints on counterterrorist measures taken by states, coalitions of states, and the world community.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Justice. The project aims to overcome a major deficiency in philosophical approaches to justice by developing a comprehensive theory about our rights and responsibilities in respect to people who are differently situated in time or in their stage of life. The theory will explain a) why we have responsibilities in respect to future and past people and what these duties are; b) how people in different age groups ought to treat each other; c) what responsibilities belong to genera ....Intergenerational Justice. The project aims to overcome a major deficiency in philosophical approaches to justice by developing a comprehensive theory about our rights and responsibilities in respect to people who are differently situated in time or in their stage of life. The theory will explain a) why we have responsibilities in respect to future and past people and what these duties are; b) how people in different age groups ought to treat each other; c) what responsibilities belong to generational roles (such as ?parent? or ?child?); and d) how all of these duties fit into a more general theory of justice.Read moreRead less
Religion and Political Thought. Why do so many Australian political leaders increasingly profess religious belief, while the public becomes more secular? What does this mean for our politics? Religion and Political Thought (RAPT's) interdisciplinary, rigorous analysis contributes both to a large international project (Asia, Europe and North America), and to developing an Australian tradition of political theory.
The Ethical Responsibilities of Consumers. This project will explore the responsibilities of individuals with respect to the wrongful harms that occur in producing the goods and services that they consume. It examines the grounds and stringencies of such alleged responsibilities. It develops detailed case studies of three consumer products, coffee, mobile phones, and paper and cardboard, that present consumers with distinct ethical challenges, and evaluates ethical purchasing, consumer boycotts, ....The Ethical Responsibilities of Consumers. This project will explore the responsibilities of individuals with respect to the wrongful harms that occur in producing the goods and services that they consume. It examines the grounds and stringencies of such alleged responsibilities. It develops detailed case studies of three consumer products, coffee, mobile phones, and paper and cardboard, that present consumers with distinct ethical challenges, and evaluates ethical purchasing, consumer boycotts, and consumer activism as potential strategies for consumers to discharge their corresponding responsibilities. Read moreRead less
Climate Justice. The project will offer significant insights into the effects of climate change and adaptation policy on the key area of rural well being and energy use. The project will be able to gauge whether current and proposed carbon trading schemes are just and how in particular, Australia's climate policy interacts with the Pacific region. In addition, the project will also consider the important political issue of whether democratic participation in the formation of climate policy is re ....Climate Justice. The project will offer significant insights into the effects of climate change and adaptation policy on the key area of rural well being and energy use. The project will be able to gauge whether current and proposed carbon trading schemes are just and how in particular, Australia's climate policy interacts with the Pacific region. In addition, the project will also consider the important political issue of whether democratic participation in the formation of climate policy is required and in what ways.Read moreRead less