World Philosophy Day, celebrated on the third Thursday of November, was created by UNESCO in 2005 to recognise that ‘philosophy is a discipline that encourages critical and independent thought and is capable of working towards a better understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and peace’1. In world increasingly overtaken by Fake News, with polarised debates on social media, these ideas and ideals should be promoted, shared and discussed perhaps now more than ever.
We’re celebrating World Philosophy Day 2021 by thinking about what the ethics of the future might look like, in company with David Edmonds, Philosophy Bites podcaster and author of the new book 'Future Morality'.
What does future morality look like to you? Do you think that robots should be held responsible for their actions? Should artificial intelligence be used to predict criminal activity? Should we strive to become post-human? Should we use drugs to improve our intimate relationships ― or to reduce crime? David and his fellow philosophers discuss these and other ethical challenges posed by scientific and technological advancement in the 21st century.
You can join in the debate over on twitter – tweet your thoughts to @ethics in the news #worldphilosophyday #futuremorality
Links
1. Records of the General Conference, 33rd session, Paris, 3-21 October 2005, v. 1: Resolution 33 C/Resolution 37
World Philosophy Day (UNESCO website)
David Edmonds
'Future Morality' by David Edmonds (OUP website)
Philosophy Bites Podcasts
Twitter: @ethics in the news
