The central problem addressed in this thesis has two parts. First, how can an educator respect the developing autonomy of a student's rational capacities while nurturing'the development of particular moral sensibilities and a particular moral perspective? Second, if a moral educator challenges a group of students to consider an alternative moral position, how can she or he be justified in presenting the new perspective as superior to the old one? My argument, in summary, is that an ideal of strong objectivity, as it is conceived by Sandra Harding in the context of feminist standpoint theory, works as a set of standards against which to evaluate the adequacy of one's moral perspective, and it offers a valuable means for comparing this perspective to others. Strong objectivity is an ideal which employs a set of standards including respect, reflexivity, and critical evaluation of social situations to challenge inquirers to maximise their objectivity. They do this through recognising and testing not only the content of their knowledge claims but also the purpose these claims play in the development of research programs, A commitment to strong objectivity entails attempting to understand the partiality of one's own perspective and recognising how that partiality distorts one's perception. The process of learning from others' perspectives is central to revising and enriching one's own perspective, and this revision and enrichment is an . ongoing responsibility for any teacher. Through the application of strong objectivity to moral theory building, a moral educator can be justified in believing that her or his own moral perspective is the most adequate one available. If a moral educator understands Harding's conception of strong objectivity, and embraces it as an ideal, the result will be a more justly equitable learning environment and a more complete understanding of the moral perspective which is being developed within the classroom. These are fundamental to the legitimacy of the work of a moral educator.

In this study I tackle the problem of justifying criminal punishment. Although I take heed of a traditional line of theorizing which says that punishment is an expressive and communicative endeavour, my theory breaks away from traditional approaches. This break is motivated by a recognition that theorists working in the traditional framework have failed to resolve the tension between retributivist and consequentialist reasons for punishment. I argue that punishment is justified as a type of communication from those affected by the crime to distinct and varied audiences. My naturalistic theory is structured around two fundamental themes, naturalism and pluralism about aims. The naturalism consists in the fact that the theory takes an empirically informed descriptive approach to the problem of justifying punishment. This foundation provides the resources for developing a balanced view of the moral agent which takes into account not only cognitive but also emotional capacities. This broader, deeper view of agency permits, indeed calls for, an analysis of the moral psychologies of those involved in the social practice. That analysis leads to the explanation that punishment is a type of communication of, among other things, strong but justified moral sentiments. Further development of this view suggests that punishment's various messages are intended for a variety of audiences - not just the wrongdoer but also the victim and community. That explication supports my other fundamental theme, pluralism about aims. The social institution of punishment is a complex one involving stakeholders who have differing motives and needs. Consequently, we should reject strategies which claim that punishment's justification can be reduced to one reason such as, for example, that the criminal deserves it. I argue that punishment's justification is multifaceted and complex. The arguments I put forward to justify punishment also bring to light aspects of the existing social institution that need reform. In general, they point to the need to design penal measures that promote communication among wrongdoer, victim and community. But I also call for a specific reform. I argue that the victim, whose concerns have traditionally been disregarded, should also be given a voice within the social institution.

The aim of the study was to analyse and to evaluate ethical climate in Kaunas Sanciai outpatient clinic. Tasks – to evaluate ethical climate in Kaunas Sanciai outpatient clinic; to determine and evaluate ethical climate relationship between varies workers group depending from age, education, work expierence; to identify mostly occurred ethical disturbances in Kaunas Sanciai outpatient clinic. Methods. Investigative were workers (n=237) of Kaunas Sanciai outpatient clinic, interviewed in October-November 2005. The data analysis was performed in 233 (98.3%) persons, using MS Excel and EpiInfo 6.0 statistical programme packages. Results. The major part of Kaunas Sanciai outpatient clinic workers the ethical climate evaluate positive: 77.3% respondents answer, that in the outpatient clinic predominant confidence and honor ambience, 91.9% of persons answer, that each workers committed for own decisions, 73.0% of respondents answer, that predominant friendliness, 67.8% of workers aggreed with affirmation, that the directors of outpatient clinic promote ethical behavior, so the directors are ethical decorum example in 85.5% of persons. Majority (81.1%) respondents answer, that in the outpatient clinic necessary organization members ethical education. Majority of youngest persons and working until one year disagreed with affirmation, that each workers commited for own decision, that in the outpatient clinic predominant friendliness, that organization directors promote workers ethical... [to full text]

How are we to combat terrosrism? Is terrorism ever morally justified? When is it rational to become a terrorist? What is so terrorizing about terrorism? The answers to these important questions depend on the most fundamental one: what is terrorism? In this thesis I utilize a practice analysis to discover how we in the West think about war. From that analysis, a definition of terrorism, captured in military categories, is offered. This definition is then used to discover what makes terrorism so terrifying for us. Finally, the definition of terrorism argued for in this thesis is tested for its applicability to further analysis by using the definition to analyze the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Pentagon and World Trade Center attacks on events of September 11th, and nuclear deterrence. / vi, 86 leaves ; 29 cm.

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Discourse ethics relates to an argumentative discussion about our moral norms and their foundations. The purpose of my research is to describe and evaluate the functioning of several institutions of discourse ethics as sources of normativity for the regulation of new medical technologies and to propose some possible interactions between law and these institutions. / The institutions of discourse ethics I will look at are: national commissions of experts, national ethics committees, technology assessment committees and consensus conferences. Used in these institutions, argumentative discussion has the capacity to influence the meaning we give to our moral norms as well as the context and the conditions for their application. These discussions generate a special kind of normativity, which ought to be recognised by our legal system. Law itself would benefit from an interaction with such normativity.

This paper focuses on the possible input of African Ethics into the global warming and climate change discourse in light of the economic dilemma of sustainability. The paper argues that African Ethics through its concept of Ubuntu can make a worthy contribution to the issues surrounding sustainable development, ecological debt and international climate change talks. In a world where the lives of the affluent nations impact drastically on our climate and necessitate calamitous climate disasters and cause the poor to suffer, why is it that the international community has not reached any noteworthy climate change solutions? The same poor countries are also burdened by payment of huge debts and poor climate change adaptation and development. Can African ethics make some contribution to these challenging issues brought by global warming and climate change? The dissertation seeks to tackle these questions by employing a qualitative methodology informed by Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics and using the research design of Boff’s ecological holism and Murove’s relational paradigm. However, in order for African ethics to make such a viable contribution the paper seeks to reveal the philosophical and economic substrata sustaining the incessant degradation of the ecology. This opens us the entry point for African ethics through Ubuntu to engage with other voices in the search for solutions to the global warming and climate change crises. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

This study aimed to explore the extent to which managers supported ambitious employees. The research endeavoured to establish relationships among key variables of gender, age, mentoring and ambition. This allowed for the determination of the more supportive gender as well as the age category of the most supportive managers. It also determined the extent to which workplace jealousy existed from a managerial perspective towards ambitious employees. This study was conducted using a questionnaire methodology and within this context of field research, respondents were made up of 100 managers selected through snowball sampling from diverse sectors of the economy. A quantitative research design was employed using a realism paradigm. The main research findings indicate that managers themselves were highly ambitious by nature and were most likely to support ambitious employees. In particular, male managers demonstrated marginally more support towards ambitious employees. The relationship between age and ambition showed that older managers were more supportive of ambitious employees. Finally, the link between lack of support and managerial jealousy was established to a very limited extent through the findings of this study. Further research to extend the current investigation can be achieved through the insight of employees who could be included as potential respondents. This study is biased towards the manager, where only manager’s responses towards ambitious employees were solicited. Future avenues of research involving both employees and managers would allow for a more articulated discussion on managerial response to ambitious employees. The study is unique since it will contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of managerial attitude to ambitious employees and is based on empirical research findings using the opinions of practicing managers from various sectors of the economy. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

The current state of preimplantation genetic diagnosis technology is presented, as are the biological principles and medical procedures that make it possible. The arguments of both proponents and those with social and ethical reservations about the broader implications of the technique are carefully reviewed, and the limitations of the dominant medical model approach to the technique are exposed. A discussion of reproductive autonomy in light of emerging testing applications of PGD not directly related to the avoidance of serious genetic abnormalities in the resulting child demonstrates the complexity of both clinical decision-making and public policy formulation with regard to PGD. Recently proposed legislation in Canada reflects such complexities, and highlights the lack of social consensus on the appropriate uses of, and restrictions on, PGD. A variety of "soft law" instruments, notably professional codes of practice and research guidelines implemented by institutional ethics committees, may mitigate some of the uncertainty surrounding PGD in Canada, but their limited applicability and espousal of the medical model approach render questionable their capacity to reconcile tolerance of pluralism with respect for human life, diversity, and reproductive autonomy.

Given the considerable advances in the field of biotechnology in the last decades, new issues of scientific, social, legal and ethical nature have been raised, particularly concerning inventions making use of living material, and their patentability. / Notwithstanding some reluctance at the outset, most of patent offices as well as courts and tribunals in the United States, Canada and Europe have finally accepted patentability of living organisms. Oppositions are however numerous and, more than a criticism towards the patent system itself, it is genetic engineering that is put into question. / Europe has recently regulated the legal protection of biotechnological inventions. Being a text of compromise, the Directive is already subject of controversies. The United States and Canada have not yet decided to explicitly legislate in this field. Some decisions taken in particular cases allow to determine the state of the question in these two countries. It is however not certain that they can be satisfied with an unregulated technology that raises so many moral questions. / The question of the foremost importance concerns the research branch, as well as the use that will be done with inventions emerging from the biotechnology industry. Patent law being unable to prevent technological creations, it is above all the utilisation of it that will allow to retain the most beneficial inventions for humankind and its environment.