Philosophers Margaret Little and Rosalind Hursthouse contributed nuance to the ethics of abortion debate by arguing that while autonomy and privacy concerns are important, sui generis considerations of obligation and virtue are ethically relevant to decisions about terminating a pregnancy (Little 1999; Hursthouse 1991).
While those surveyed offered little insight into the nature of the legal obligations they owed in this role, the responses seem to represent a thoughtful balancing of an evidence based approach and a consideration of ethical obligations.
And as the reign of George W. Bush comes to an end, it is certainly worth revisiting the play's considerations of the obligations of law and of governmental control of private beliefs.
Mr Straw said that in personally considering each of the asylum claims he had taken proper consideration of Britain's obligations under the 1951 convention on refugees, but the home secretary made clear that he was unhappy with the way that international law operated in this area.
The two call for prior consideration of the moral obligations of researchers (and funding institutions) that arise once individuals and groups participate in health related research, including the identification of the benefits to be shared, the beneficiaries and where the responsibility for providing the benefits lie.
Candidate qualities include the ability to be moved by considerations of moral obligation, the ability to value appropriately, the ability to reason, and the ability to engage in reciprocal relationships.
Other demands like adapted information requirements, the separate consideration of different nanoforms for testing obligations and for the chemical safety report, the possibility of scientifically justified waiving and read across, and the handling of surface-treated nanomaterials could at least partly be implemented by amending the REACH annexes and guidance documents only.
Some moral dilemmas, for example, may involve not a conflict of values, but a conflict of obligations that arises from the same consideration.
"Apart from compelling considerations of diplomacy and obligations under international humanitarian law, let us remember that these victims are children," the statement added.
"My final decision … reflects my consideration of [CASAC's] advice and my obligation to weigh the science, including the uncertainties that remain," McCarthy said.
