British and American common law traditionally prohibited abortion only after quickening (when the mother feels fetal movements). But after the U.S. Civil War, states began absolutely...

For most of human history, killing animals presented few moral problems; they seemed made for our use. But the rapid growth and increasing dominance of human civilization, along with the discovery...

Concern for others is the basis of human decency; without it, our communities are increasingly degraded by selfishness and corruption. Some think that crime and racial conflict naturally follow the...

"Drugs," a broad and vague term, usually refers to mind-altering chemicals that people ingest. But this covers a wide range, including medical prescriptions, legal stimulants (e.g. caffeine...

A family is a social institution, a network of intimate relationships, a psychological shelter from a chaotic world-and much more. Family relationships invoke special expectations and commitments,...

Only a few hundred years ago there emerged the ideal of inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, free speech, freedom of conscience and religion, etc. Yet rights now are routinely claimed to...

Love and sex provide two of the primary motives of human life; the need for intimate human contact and to propagate our species. Sex is a powerful, sometimes irrational urge or...

Most people think it's wrong to lie, but sometimes telling the truth seems more hurtful than lying. Secrecy protects the truth and maintains our privacy, but it also can be a way of covering up...

Ownership has long been a basic principle of western society. Yet during the last century, property rights have been increasingly curbed by courts and legislatures, as they grapple with collective...

Punishment involves authority and the exercise of power by one of more humans over another, usually to preserve order and security. But any understanding of punishment depends heavily on our...