Politics

Studying in the former Yugoslavia forced me to face the impossibilities of complexity.

In February, Dr. Danielle Wenner presented her talk “What Is the Meaning of Freedom?” as a part of the Young Philosophers Lecture Series hosted by the Prindle Institute and the DePauw Philosophy Department. Next week, we’ll post her research-level talk, “Autonomy and Non-Domination in International Clinical Research.” Throughout June, we’ll continue to post videos of each talk … Continue reading "What Is the Meaning of Freedom?"

Drawing on images of beauty and atrocity alike, the poems of ISIS spark questions of how literature is defined.

Indiana's First Church of Cannabis reveals the tensions between religious practice and the federal government.

One of the many reasons that weighing ethical dilemmas is such a challenge is because we’re often faced with a conflict between measurable and immeasurable value. We see this often in relation to environmental issues. Because we can’t place an exact value on the intrinsic worth of nature, we struggle to cognitively compare environmental health with economic benefits. Thus, many companies pursue profit over environmental wellness, … Continue reading "Mes Aynak’s Intrinsic Cultural Value"

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed ethics bill HEA 1002 this week in response to the recent unethical behavior of Rep. Eric Turner and former State Superintendent Tony Bennett. The newly signed bill is meant to require legislators to disclose investments over $5,000; the previous Indiana law required legislators to disclose investments over $10,000. This ensures that state legistlators cannot hide … Continue reading "Ethics in Indiana"

Two years ago, Boston Marathon runners and spectators endured a gruesome crime at the hands of the Chechnyan Tsarnaev brothers. Although the older brother and supposed mastermind of the operation, Tamerlan, was killed shortly after the bombing, American is still left asking: how do we punish Dzhokhar?

There has been much debate recently over the potential Iran nuclear deal. The US and Iran have a long and complicated history and this diplomatic move is certainly a continuation of this. For more info on the deal itself and the potential benefits and consequences, take a look at this Prindle Post article on the subject. … Continue reading "Ethical Dilemma: Iran’s “Signing Bonus”"

On Thursday, President Obama announced that a U.S. drone strike accidentally killed one American and one Italian hostage in January. Both men were aid workers who had been held captive for a couple of years. Mr. Obama took the blame for the deaths as commander in chief, but officials stated that they did not know the hostages … Continue reading "Obama, Drones, and Hostages"

Every week, the Prindle Intern team weighs in on an ethical issue together. Each intern is challenged to keep their response to five sentences – Ethics in 5. Click on an intern’s name to check out their previous posts on The Prindle Post! This week’s question: Water and California California is, and has been, experiencing an … Continue reading "Ethics in 5: Printerns on Water"

Recently, the P5+1 powers (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, plus Germany) have taken interest in reducing the amount of nuclear weaponry in Iran. In light of historically strained relations with post-revoluntionary Iran, the major world powers have reason to be feel threatened by the prospect of a nuclear program in the country. Suspicions were confirmed as a … Continue reading "Ethics of the Iranian Nuclear Deal"

In the most recent election in India, the Hindu Nationalist Party (BJP) won. In the state of Maharashtra, the new government has banned the possession and sale of beef. Since it is against their religion to consume beef, the government has now forced religious dietary restrictions onto followers of Hinduism and non-Hindus. Violators of the new … Continue reading "Banning Beef in India"

The recent shooting death of Walter Scott in South Carolina is rekindling a national debate about police and body cameras.  It was caught on video, and many surmise that this would have easily been covered up had the video not been taken by a brave bystander. Paul Butler, a Georgetown Law Professor says, “In the … Continue reading "Should police wear body cameras?"

At the age of 18, all male citizens of the United States are legally required to register for the Selective Service, so that they may be called to serve in the military in the event of a draft. Although there has not been a draft since the Vietnam War, selective service registration resumed in 1980 … Continue reading "Gender and the Draft"

Virginia just became the newest state to “ban the box“. State employers can no longer ask about a job applicant’s criminal record during the application process. Once they have determined that an applicant is qualified for the job, they are still permitted to do a criminal background check. The rationale is that it gives people … Continue reading "Asking About Criminal History on Job Applications"

Every week, the Prindle Intern team weighs in on an ethical issue together. Each intern is challenged to keep their response to five sentences – Ethics in 5. Click on an intern’s name to check out their previous posts on The Prindle Post! Issue: Religious Freedom Restoration Act The RFRA has stirred up nationwide controversy. … Continue reading "Ethics in 5: Printerns on Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act"

If liberty is so fundamentally important to libertarians, then they should readily support means of achieving and maintaining it. Taking it as a given that libertarians care about liberty as a primary sociopolitical value and aren’t going to change their minds about that, should they include public education amongst these means? Dr. Cullison has argued that … Continue reading "Education and a Free Society: A Libertarian Perspective (Part One)"

As if the Religious Freedom Restoration Act wasn’t controversial enough, Indiana is the setting for another story that hits right at the heart of social policy debates that have come to grip American politics. Purvi Patel,  from Mishawaka, IN, has just been charged with feticide and neglect of a dependent. She is the first person to be … Continue reading "Indiana Controversies Continue: New Developments in the Abortion Debate"

The Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act has put Indiana in the national spotlight. People on both sides feel that there has been an affront to deeply held personal convictions. Some believe that the legislation provides a “license to discriminate,” especially against members of the LGBTQ community, while supporters argue that the legislation protects everyone’s religious … Continue reading "Prindle to Host Discussion on Religious Freedom Bill"

State Senate Bill 101, recently signed into law by Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has not just Indiana, but the entire nation up in arms. Also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, it proposes to equally protect everyone’s religious beliefs. Supporters have compared it to a bill that grounded a ruling which allowed a Muslim … Continue reading "Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act"