Affirmative action

By Boxill, Bernard R.

The term ‘affirmative action’ originated in the USA under President Kennedy. Originally it was designed to ensure that employees and applicants for jobs with government contractors did not ...

Feminist philosophy

By Mason, Elinor

Feminist philosophy is philosophy that is aimed at understanding and challenging the oppression of women. Feminist philosophy examines issues that are traditionally found in practical ethics and political ...

Discrimination

By Nickel, James W.

A principle forbidding discrimination is widely used to criticize and prohibit actions and policies that disadvantage racial, ethnic and religious groups, women and homosexuals. Discriminatory actions often rely ...

Respect for persons

By Dillon, Robin S.

The idea that persons should treated with respect and that disrespecting someone is wrong is an important element of everyday morality and of moral philosophy and social and ...

Political philosophy

By Miller, David

Political philosophy can be defined as philosophical reflection on how best to arrange our collective life - our political institutions and our social practices, such as our economic ...

Desert and merit

By Miller, David

The ideas of desert and merit are fundamental to the way we normally think about our personal relationships and our social institutions. We believe that people who perform ...

Historical redress

By Vernon, Richard

Historical redress comprises restitution (the return of unjustly appropriated items), compensation (transfers of resources made in acknowledgment of unjust appropriations), and apologies or memorial events; all with respect ...

Education, philosophy of

By Curren, Randall R.

The philosophy of education is primarily concerned with the nature, aims and means of education, and also with the character and structure of educational theory, and its own ...

Applied ethics

Applied ethics is marked out from ethics in general by its special focus on issues of practical concern. It is concerned with ethical issues in various fields of ...

Sexuality, philosophy of

By Soble, Alan

The philosophy of sexuality, like the philosophy of science, art or law, is the study of the concepts and propositions surrounding its central protagonist, in this case ‘sex’. ...