The Box – Philosophical and Psychological Thriller

Studying ethics? Why not spend an evening watching the screwed up psychological thriller ‘The Box‘ starring Cameron Diaz? This tense movie has an intriguing ethical premise.  ‘The Box’ definitely gets you thinking on a philosophical level. It is based on the short story ‘Button-Button‘ by Richard Matheson. The Box Set in 1976, ‘The Box’ is … Read more

Female Genital Mutilation – An Ethical Perspective

Comic Relief raised awareness about female genital mutilation in it’s documentary Stop Cutting our Girls  last Wednesday on BBC1 at 10pm. And rightly so – it is an issue that effects women worldwide, although predominantly in Africa.  From a philosophical perspective, what is the ethics behind female genital mutilation and what would be the feminist … Read more

The Utilitarian Principle – Was Robin Hood a Utilitarian?

Was Robin Hood a Utilitarian?

What is Utilitarianism? The Utilitarian Approach Utilitarianism is a teleologial ethical approach, which supports the consequences of an ethical decision, rather than the actions. According to Jeremy Bentham, the utilitarian principle is the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number‘.  Utilitarianism could, therefore, allow killing if it lead to the best possible outcome for the most … Read more