What’s Wrong with Predictive Policing?
Dr. Duncan Purves (UF) articulates a pressing concern about bias in predictive policing in a recent blog post for the Stockholm Centre’s Public Ethics Blog.
Nietzsche’s Mock Interview
Richard Marshall, well known for his long series of interviews with contemporary philosophers, has posted a (mock) interview with none other than renown philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Why let the fact that he is long dead get in the way? If anyone could do it, Nietzsche could. @ 3:16am (blog)
Trust, Legitimacy, and Algorithms in Criminal Justice
“Public Trust, Institutional Legitimacy, and the Use of Algorithms in Criminal Justice”, Duncan Purves (UF) & Jeremy Davis. /Public Affairs Quarterly/ (forthcoming) @ Public Affair Quarterly
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Being Seen to Be Good
Most of us want to be good and be seen to be good. But aren’t these goals contradictory? Isn’t the desire to be seen to good a means of placing ourselves higher than others and wishing to gain status and position as a result? Should we conclude that the attempt to be seen to be good is immoral and call it out as hypocritical, including philanthropist donation, explicit piety on the part of the religious, and virtue signalling be it on campus or on social media? Or is being seen to be good vital to cement socially positive behaviour? And explicit public demonstration of morality the only morality worth having? Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah and joins other experts to discuss. [video] @ Institute for Art and Ideas
Free Speech: Are the Kids Alright?
A useful breakdown of various aspects of the complex of concepts associated with “free speech”. @ The Conversation
Why AI Ethics Is Needed All the Way Down the Line
When most organizations think about AI ethics, they often overlook some of the sources of greatest risk. @ Harvard Business Review
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Five Challenges for Data-driven Policing
“Five Ethical Challenges for Data-Driven Policing”, Jeremy Davis, Duncan Purves (UF), Juan Gilbert & Schuyler Sturm (UF). /AI and Ethics /(forthcoming). @ AI and Ethics
The Centrality of Ethics in Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes is best known for his account of why we should accept political authority. But, argues Arash Abizadeh, that was Hobbes’ solution to the problem of how we should live together in society that arises directly from his views about what human beings are and what obligations we have to one another. [audio] @ Philosophy Bites
In the Philosophy Reality Lab
What can extended reality (XR) technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) bring to the study of philosophy? A discussion with philosopher Andrew Kissel at the Virginia Philosophy Reality Lab. @ Daily Nous
Just How Fast Is Your Moral Compass?
Morality is something that develops over time. Even the briefest glance through human history reveals that cultural notions of good and evil change from one set of cultural and temporal circumstances to the next. But what if social changes happened so fast and so radically that our moral “evolution” couldn’t keep pace? [audio] @ Philosopher’s Zone
The Mind of Make-believe
“Mental Fictionalism: A Costly Combination of Magic and Mind”, Amber Ross (UF). In /Mental Fictionalism: Philosophical Explorations/. Forthcoming. @ PhilPapers
Forensic Ethics
Widely available global DNA databases are regualrly used now in forensic work to help solve crimes. What if large portions of this data was obtained coercively or without consent? @ Nature
Moral Neuromancy
Brain privacy? In the next ten years, will you trade that away for a cool neural device? Asking for a friend. @ Technology Networks
What Is Dignity?
Dignity is something we recognize and respect in others, and we feel it deeply when our own is threatened or attacked. But what exactly is it? This week we’re exploring different kinds of dignity, and the ways in which they can get in the way of each other. We also look at how one person’s appeal to dignity can be another person’s moral violation. [audio] @ Philosopher’s Zone
Metaphysical Explanation
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a new entry on /metaphysical explanation/. Metaphysical explanation is a form of explanation seemingly distinct from causal or logico-deductive explanations. What is it then and how is it to be understood? @ Stanford Ency of Philosophy
The Moral Oracle as Delphi
Researchers trained an AI to respond to moral questions. What could possibly go wrong? @ Wired
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
To believe something without sufficient evidence is not only a mistake, it may be morally blameworthy. Can philosophy help? A review of Nadler and Shapiro’s recent book /When Bad Things Happen to Good People/ — a book about better reasoning and schooling our beliefs in accordance with the evidence. @ Wall Street Journal
Welcome to the Sensorium!
Philosopher David Papineau discusses themes from his recent book /The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience/. [video] @ The Dissenter (YouTube)
To Live Long, Perchance to Prosper
If and when you are faced with the choice, might you have an obligation to prolong your life? And if so, when? @ The Conversation
Contemporary Africana Philosophy
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a new entry on Contemporary Africana Philosophy as it has developed since Africana philosophy began in earnest to consolidate its standing among professional philosophers. @ Stanford Ency of Philosophy
Clocking Newton
Philosopher Craig Callender talks about twins who grow older at different rates, broken vases that jump off the floor to reassemble themselves on the bench, and why quantum physicists are learning to do without time altogether. [audio] @ Philosopher’s Zone
When Is a Cover of a Song Not a Cover of a Song?
Philosopher P.D. Magnus discusses the Striking Cover Paradox. @ Fecundity (blog)
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Philosophy for Lockdowns
Is philosophy the perfect companion in lockdown? [audio] @ Evenings (podcast)
A Little Forgiveness Goes a Long Way ($1M)
Philosopher Felipe De Brigard has been awarded a grant of $1 million for a project on memory and forgiveness. @ Daily Nous
Riding the Wave
What if all of your thoughts, precious feelings, great dreams, and terrible fears are completely, utterly, spectacularly irrelevant? Irrelevant not just in the Great Scheme of things, but really irrelevant — like irrelevant to what you did yesterday or will do tomorrow. Welcome to epiphenomenalism. @ Big Think
In Praise of Casual Friendship
Philosopher Ben Davies brings Aristotle to help understand the special case of casual friendships — the kind of friendships which, though significant, are sustained largely by proximity and convenience. These are the friends that, when one moves, do not really stay in touch. Geez, were they even really friends? @ Practical Ethics (blog)
Understanding Causation for $1.4 Million
Norwegian philosopher Michael Baumgartner has been awarded a $1.4 million grant to pursue his project in causal modeling. @ Daily Nous
Intro Logic Class Draws 2200 Students
…And for the great preponderance of them it is an elective course. No, we are not talking about a class here at UF, but one at the University of Sydney. 🙂 And yeah, it is not really a good thing that those U Sydney students aren’t getting more individual attention. But they sure seem to like logic! @ Daily Nous
Study: Ethics Shortfall in Data Science Education
Undergraduate programs are springing up across the US to meet the burgeoning demand for workers trained in big data. Yet many of the programs lack training in the ethical use of data science, falling well below the expectations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Half of these programs include no ethics training at all. @ The Conversation
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Mary’s Room
Essayist Maria Popova discusses /There’s Something About Mary/ which is a collection of essays on phenomenal consciousness and the Knowledge Argument. @ BrainPickings
Ethics for Insect Farmers
Insect farming may be the next big thing in edible protein production, and it may just save the world. But insects (by the billions) don’t get a lot of love down on the farm. So, what is the moral status of insects? And is it ethically okay to raise billions of them to freeze, boil, bake, and crush? [audio] @ Philosopher’s Zone
Brain Privacy and Neural Nudging
Advances in and commercialization of neurotechnology — tech that directly interacts with your brain states — exacerbate many of the urgent ethical questions of our technological moment. @ Technology Networks
If You Gave $1 Million to Peter Singer…
What would happen if you gave one million dollars to renown ethicist Peter Singer. Singer has just been awarded the 2021 Berggruen Prize for $1 million. If you know Singer’s work you should not be surprised to learn he plans to give the money away to charity. @ Daily Nous
Is It Ethical to Travel Right Now?
A bioethicist, a doctor and an epidemiologist discuss the question of travel in this covid moment. @ Guardian [UK]
Srinivasan on The Right to Sex
A profile piece on philosopher Amia Srinivasan who has been appointed Chichele professor of social and political theory, one of the most distinguished university positions in Britain — and her new book /The Right to Sex/. As Vogue puts it, “Oxford’s star philosopher Amia Srinivasan sets the discourse around sexual politics ablaze in a new series of radical essays.” @ Vogue Magazine
Philosophers Cited in Climate Report
The latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change notably cites a number of contemporary philosophers. @ Daily Nous
Inwardness, Touch and the Internet of Bodies
Philosopher Kieran Setiya reviews three books on different aspects of virtuality: /Inwardness/, /Touch/, and /Intervolution/. @ LA Review of Books
Best Boring Idea Ever
Maintaining standards of evidence is the most important and least appreciated idea in science. @ Big Think