Emma•ism

In this episode, the first of a four-part series is presented. This episode covers the Nuremberg Trial (and Code), and human research ethics. In particular, the US human radiation experiments and the Guatemala STD studies are discussed.

In this podcast, informed consent is discussed. This discussion is organized by two article overviews. Beauchamp and Faden’s “The Concept of Informed Consent” and Katz’s “Informed Consent — Must it Remain a Fairy Tale?” are presented and evaluated with the progression of the history of bioethics in mind.

In this episode, medical confidentiality and privacy are discussed. Some of the highlighted authors include James Rachels, David C. Thomasma, and Shelly Schwartz. Is it ever okay to withhold the truth from patients? And, does the ideal conception of medical confidentiality actually exist? A discussion of the current scholarship on these questions may lead us to good answers.

In this episode, medical paternalism, the role of nurses, and truth-telling in clinical practice are discussed. This is the first episode of a three part short series. The articles of Goldman, Ackerman, Newton, and Kuhse are presented in order to adequately motivate the convictions being put forth.

In this episode, the connection between ideology and religious identity in India is discussed. Understanding practices of historicization, biased translation, and temple desecration as contributing to the religious ideological state apparatus can enhance our understanding of how ideology operated alongside identity in religion across India. Applying philosophy to historical concepts aids all students of knowledge in their pursuits of developing a robust understanding of what we ought to deduce about the world’s past development and what the potential is for helping in its future progression.

In this episode, a crash course in bioethics is presented. Everything from argument (re)construction to moral theories and case studies is discussed.

In this episode, Denmark’s “Free Town” is discussed. Christiania is reflected on as a potential implementation of ideal libertarian principles, and thus, may be able to be analyzed as a real-life minimal state. Is Nozick correct in his argument about the positives of creating and maintaining of, and operating in a minimal state? In what ways do ideal libertarian principles characterize important aspects of Christiania?

In this episode, the Barbie movie is discussed. I have a discussion with my mother about four core philosophical themes portrayed in the movie. These themes include existentialism, feminist political philosophy, the role of testimony in feminist epistemology, and questions of personal identity in relationship to others’ identities (especially within a unified and identity-centric community).

In this episode, the philosophical justification for the permissibility of race-blind affirmative action is discussed. Specifically, it is held that race-blind affirmative action in selective college admissions is not a racist institution. This argument is supported by the virtue ethics theory of racism put forth in J.L.A. Garcia’s “The Heart of Racism.” An AI Thought Experiment is presented on behalf of the argument. Two critical objections are discussed —one of an epidemiological nature, and the other concerned with the application of Garcia’s morally insufficient care route condition. Garcia’s framework is ultimately held supportive, and the thesis valid.

In this episode, ideology and U.S. law is discussed. It is held that we must understand the current U.S. system of laws as an Ideological State Apparatus, and that education can work to eliminate the racist ideology it perpetuates.