Measles, Mill, Madoff
April 26, 2013
What can the state legitimately compel its citizens to do? This is not a question about the means of compulsion (e.g. criminal vs. civil law; incentives vs. penalties) but the question of whether such compulsion is ever justified. There are good reasons to think not. One is that it is usually the individual who is …
Philosophy and the Living Wage
November 2, 2012
A report by accountants KPMG this week claimed that one fifth of the UK’s workers are paid less than is required for a basic standard of living. The current hourly ‘living wage’ is calculated to be £8.30 in London, and £7.20 in the rest of the UK. The current minimum wage throughout the UK is …
The bravery of burglars
September 12, 2012
On Tuesday 4th September a Teesside Crown Court judge said: ‘It takes a huge amount of courage…for somebody to burgle somebody’s house. I wouldn’t have the nerve.’ On Thursday 6th, David Cameron responded, saying: ‘I am very clear that burglary is not bravery. Burglary is cowardice. Burglary is a hateful crime‘ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-19503922). So, is burglary courageous …
Boris Johnson: To inevitable and beyond
June 26, 2012
Boris Johnson claimed last week that attempts to keep Greece in the Eurozone will fail. Whether or not his conclusion turns out to be right, it is instructive to look at the two reasons he gives. The first is that it is a mistake to believe in inevitable progress—that “history is a one-way ratchet, an …
Morality and the Law: A taxing problem
June 21, 2012
The recent hubbub about celebrity tax avoidance provides a neat demonstration of some of the connections between morality and the law. An initial response from many who employ strategies of ‘aggressive tax avoidance’ (to be sharply distinguished from the illegal practice of tax evasion) is to argue that since their actions are permitted by the …
Being funny is no laughing matter
June 8, 2012
Last week, Telegraph columnist Tom Chivers weighed in on an ongoing debate about whether men are more funny than women. He calls for an end to it: the nature vs. nurture debate is complex, and we shouldn’t expect any clear view on whether respective funniness is the result of genes or socialisation (the philosopher J.S …
Efficiency: Real or Imagined?
June 6, 2012
A recent report by the think tank Centreforum has recommended reforms to the system of childcare in the UK with the aim of making it more affordable. BBC News – UK childcare needs to be more affordable – CentreForum. One way of making it more affordable would be to decrease the quality of the service offered. …
