Rules of Engagement

I am currently reading Daniel Dennett’s Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking before turning out the light at night. This is not because the book is tedious, and I need a non-pharmaceutical sedative. On the contrary, it is an interesting and engaging collection of thought-provoking ideas and anecdotes. It is ideal nighty night literature …

The wanton threat to democracy

University started yesterday on a perfect sunny autumn day. For the time being classes are live, and it was nice to see students back on campus after a three-semester hiatus. Teaching is so much more enjoyable in the classroom than online. As a student, I am focused on finishing my master’s thesis this semester, but …

Unbelievable but true

When Austria came out of the last corona lockdown, the above offer ran in the local freebie paper. For my non German-speaking readers, please allow me to translate and provide background information. The advertisement is for a flat-pack furniture chain store – think IKEA in green and purple with even crappier furniture – that operates …

Charitable Contributions

In 1987, “Baby Jessica” fell into a well in Midland Texas. It took rescue workers 56 hours to free her, and during this period individuals following the event donated about $700,000 to the rescue effort. While a nice humanitarian gesture, the contributions were essentially pointless as the community already had a functioning and well financed …

The troubling case of Mr. Goodman & Mr. Badman

I have been reading Peter Cave’s This Sentence is False, an excellent introduction to philosophical paradoxes written in an easily accessible style. A particularly interesting paradox he presents is the case of Mr. Badman and Mr. Goodman (Chapter 8, pp. 148-9). Mr. Badman is a bad man. Although married to an adoring wife and proclaiming …

Is that allowed?

My daily newspaper, Die Presse, recently ran a special Sunday edition about morality and ethics. Throughout the paper they asked a wide range of people – from politicians to philosophers, from captains of industry to curators of art – the same three questions: What should humans no longer be allowed to do?What should humans never …

The societal and economic cost of obesity

In 2010, the OECD issued a comprehensive report titled Fit Not Fat in which they noted that ‘before 1980, obesity rates were generally well below 10%. They have since doubled or tripled in many countries, and in almost half of the OECD, 50% or more of the population is overweight.’ The report outlined various approaches …

Obesity and public healthcare

One year ago Austria responded to the initial COVID-19 wave with tight restrictions. Being outside of your home was only permitted for essential work, to buy food, or to help others. Gatherings of more than five people were forbidden. These restrictions limited, and continue to limit, individuals’ agency – a common definition of harm. As …

Limitations of the harm principle

In previous posts I have argued in favor of consumer constraint as a viable measure for reducing GHG emissions. Further I have noted that in a liberal democracy for such policies to gain acceptance that proper narrative framing is crucial. Some limits and controls we will accept. Others we will not. The context of how …

Responsibility reloaded

Two posts ago I examined how stopping profligate bread waste could reduce C02 emissions. Earlier in a comment to my post on climate change responsibility, Jordan had astutely noted that while consumers bear some responsibility in reducing emissions major corporations should also be held accountable. Today I will explore how assigning responsibility to both consumers …