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
The Morality of Cooperation and Concern. The ethical issues of the greatest ongoing importance to the Australian community concern the conflicts between the interests of individuals and those of society. This project tackles those issues at a fundamental level. Its practical applications are of pressing importance to policy and public debate. It offers guidance to the many Australians whose work involves reflection on ethical principles - such as ethics committee members. It will contribute to t ....The Morality of Cooperation and Concern. The ethical issues of the greatest ongoing importance to the Australian community concern the conflicts between the interests of individuals and those of society. This project tackles those issues at a fundamental level. Its practical applications are of pressing importance to policy and public debate. It offers guidance to the many Australians whose work involves reflection on ethical principles - such as ethics committee members. It will contribute to the international profile of Australian moral philosophy, while broadening the knowledge base of the discipline in this country. And it will add to Australia's reputation as a country that takes ethics seriously.Read moreRead less
Structured Moral Pluralism. The Australian intellectual scene is characterized by intensely lively ethical debate, and a very high international reputation for the quality of its moral philosophy. This project will add significantly to the breadth of theoretical ethics in this country, by developing in detail an approach that has not previously been strongly represented. It offers a new approach to thinking about the foundations of ethics and reasoning from those foundations. Its practical appli ....Structured Moral Pluralism. The Australian intellectual scene is characterized by intensely lively ethical debate, and a very high international reputation for the quality of its moral philosophy. This project will add significantly to the breadth of theoretical ethics in this country, by developing in detail an approach that has not previously been strongly represented. It offers a new approach to thinking about the foundations of ethics and reasoning from those foundations. Its practical applications are of pressing importance to policy and public debate. It also offers guidance to the many Australians whose work involves applying ethical principles, such as ethics committee members. Read moreRead less
The Morality of Assistance. Other people's needs and interests give us reasons to help them - reasons that ground moral requirements. But how extensive are those requirements? How should our actions to assist other people be motivated? And what obligations does the receipt of assistance create? These questions are of foundational importance to moral philosophy, and underlie a range of practical issues of public policy, professional practice and moral education. In this project, the standard trea ....The Morality of Assistance. Other people's needs and interests give us reasons to help them - reasons that ground moral requirements. But how extensive are those requirements? How should our actions to assist other people be motivated? And what obligations does the receipt of assistance create? These questions are of foundational importance to moral philosophy, and underlie a range of practical issues of public policy, professional practice and moral education. In this project, the standard treatment of these questions is rejected. It shows how recent innovative work in theoretical ethics can be used to answer some of the most important questions of applied ethics.Read moreRead less
The Normative Value of Unified Agency. We aim to provide a philosophical account of the normative value of agency by showing (1) how those interpersonal relations which are a central source of value structures our agency, and (2) how our morally valuable engagement in social institutions enables agency. Through reflection on cases of psychopathology, we will present an analysis of the essential normativity of agency by examining what happens when agency breaks down. Our findings will have implic ....The Normative Value of Unified Agency. We aim to provide a philosophical account of the normative value of agency by showing (1) how those interpersonal relations which are a central source of value structures our agency, and (2) how our morally valuable engagement in social institutions enables agency. Through reflection on cases of psychopathology, we will present an analysis of the essential normativity of agency by examining what happens when agency breaks down. Our findings will have implications for standard theoretical accounts in moral psychology and for social and legal policy relating to the treatment of those with psychiatric disorders.Read moreRead less
Ethics of Historical Relationships: Evaluating Ethical Claims Based on History. Demands based on history, ideas about historical obligations, concerns about historical identity, what it is means and what duties it might require, are common causes of dispute within and among nations. This project, by developing an ethical theory that can make well-founded judgments about the legitimacy of a wide range of historical claims, and by showing how the theory can be applied to particular cases, will pro ....Ethics of Historical Relationships: Evaluating Ethical Claims Based on History. Demands based on history, ideas about historical obligations, concerns about historical identity, what it is means and what duties it might require, are common causes of dispute within and among nations. This project, by developing an ethical theory that can make well-founded judgments about the legitimacy of a wide range of historical claims, and by showing how the theory can be applied to particular cases, will provide a better understanding of the nature of these disputes and how they might be resolved. Read moreRead less
Ethics, responsibility and the carbon budget. This project aims to provide a rigorous ethical framework for dividing the world’s remaining ‘carbon budget’ (CB). In order to avoid climate change the world must drastically limit its emissions of greenhouse gases. The project will develop a new analysis of how our assumptions concerning risk and harm shape conception of the CB. It will also provide a new understanding of how future emission rights should be allocated given that countries have emitt ....Ethics, responsibility and the carbon budget. This project aims to provide a rigorous ethical framework for dividing the world’s remaining ‘carbon budget’ (CB). In order to avoid climate change the world must drastically limit its emissions of greenhouse gases. The project will develop a new analysis of how our assumptions concerning risk and harm shape conception of the CB. It will also provide a new understanding of how future emission rights should be allocated given that countries have emitted vastly different quantities of greenhouse gases in the past. The project will analyse how the CB will impact the climate transition plans of countries such as Australia. The project will thus bring significant new research in philosophy to bear on a practical issue.Read moreRead less
The ethics of international intervention for humanitarian, pro-democratic and anti-terrorist reasons: The legal, ethical and institutional means of regulating interventions. Interventions are increasingly demanded for humanitarian, pro-democratic and anti-terrorist reasons. Changed geo-politics and the waning sovereignty of many states increase their likelihood. Using ethical, legal and institutional analysis informed by interdisciplinary case studies, this project brings together those workin ....The ethics of international intervention for humanitarian, pro-democratic and anti-terrorist reasons: The legal, ethical and institutional means of regulating interventions. Interventions are increasingly demanded for humanitarian, pro-democratic and anti-terrorist reasons. Changed geo-politics and the waning sovereignty of many states increase their likelihood. Using ethical, legal and institutional analysis informed by interdisciplinary case studies, this project brings together those working on these separate areas - the US Council on Foreign Relations and its International Task Force on Threats to Democracy, three Canadian Research Centres and the Key Centre (drawing on its work and those of other Australians). The aim is to provide potential answers to when, whether, how and by whom interventions should occur and the institutional means for regulating such interventions.Read moreRead less
A study of Australia's ability to train soldiers to be effective and ethical. This project addresses the ARC's priority goals Protecting Australia from Terrorism and Crime and Transformational Defence Technologies. In the fight against terrorism and as defence technologies evolve it is crucial to uphold the Australian military's ethical commitments and international reputation. Australian soldiers must be responsive to rapidly changing threats in ways that maintain the military's core ethical co ....A study of Australia's ability to train soldiers to be effective and ethical. This project addresses the ARC's priority goals Protecting Australia from Terrorism and Crime and Transformational Defence Technologies. In the fight against terrorism and as defence technologies evolve it is crucial to uphold the Australian military's ethical commitments and international reputation. Australian soldiers must be responsive to rapidly changing threats in ways that maintain the military's core ethical commitments. By assessing current military practices in light of these commitments this project enhances the military's ability to train soldiers to be effective and ethical fighters. The internationally important outcomes of this project will also enhance Australia's high standing in the area of applied ethics.Read moreRead less
A narrative theory of ethics. The project aims to conduct a detailed investigation into a narrative approach to ethics. Narrative is an increasingly popular but relatively under-theorised concept. Taking as its basis work in narrative theory and ethics by Paul Ricoeur, the project aims to provide an innovative conceptual scheme which incorporates recent philosophical accounts of selfhood, emodiment, autonomy, action, and pluralistic conceptions of the good. The project will result in a major con ....A narrative theory of ethics. The project aims to conduct a detailed investigation into a narrative approach to ethics. Narrative is an increasingly popular but relatively under-theorised concept. Taking as its basis work in narrative theory and ethics by Paul Ricoeur, the project aims to provide an innovative conceptual scheme which incorporates recent philosophical accounts of selfhood, emodiment, autonomy, action, and pluralistic conceptions of the good. The project will result in a major contribution to scholarship in philosophy and ethics, as well as to the articulation of notions such as identity, subjectivity, trust, rights, obligation and accountability, across the social sciences.Read moreRead less