Confluence of Philosophy and Law in Applied Ethics

Norbert Paulo is a lecturer in practical philosophy at the University of Salzburg, Austria. He holds a PhD in philosophy from Hamburg University, Germany, where he studied both philosophy and law. His primary research concerns applied ethics, ethical theory, philosophy of law, and empirical ethics.

• PART I: ETHICS AND LAW.- 1 The Black-Box Problem.- METHODS.- OUTLINE.- 2 Ethics, Applied Ethics, and Law.- TERMINOLOGY: ETHICS AND MORALITY.- ETHICS, APPLIED ETHICS, BIOETHICS.- ETHICS AND LAW.- CONCLUSION.- PART II: METHODS IN LEGAL THEORY.- 3 Norms.- ABSTRACT AND GENERAL NORMS.- PRINCIPLES AND RULES.- Dworkin on Principles.- Principles as Optimization Requirements.- 4 Norm Application.- DEDUCTIVE STRUCTURE.- INTERPRETATION.- RULES OF INTERPRETATION.- Some Intricacies.- REASONING WITH PRECEDENTS.- Precedents.- What is binding?.- Strict binding force?.- ANALOGICAL REASONING.- Brewer’s Theory of Analogical Reasoning.- The sequence of processes.- CONCLUSION.- 5 Norm Development.- EXPANSIONS.- Supplementation.- Conflict of principles: proportionality test.- The four steps.- Critique.- Gap-Filling.- Distinguishing.- REVISIONS.- Overruling.- Correction of Mistakes.- NEW LEGISLATION.- CONCLUSION.- PART III: METHODS IN CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL THEORIES.- 6 Principlism.- THE STRUCTURE OF PRINCIPLISM.- Clusters of Principles and the Common Morality.- Principles and Rules.- Ideals, Virtues, and Rights.- PRINCIPLISM’s NORMATIVE CONTENT.- Respect for Autonomy.- Nonmaleficence.- Beneficence, Impartiality, and Moral Status.- Justice.- Relationship.- THEORY OF JUSTIFICATION.- METHODS.- Specification.- The importance of revisions and expansions.- Richardson’s definition.- Interpretation.- Abandoning specification.- Balancing.- The constraining conditions and proportionality.- Critique and alternatives.- CONCLUSION.- 7 Casuistry.- THE BASICS.- THE STRUCTURE OF CASUISTRY.- Morphology.- Taxonomy.- Kinetics.- CRITIQUE.- Cases do not speak forthemselves.- What rules the case?.- Importance of the Taxonomy.- The Role of Paradigms.- Arbitrary Kinetics.- Casuistry’s Conventionality.- A BETTER STRUCTURE FOR CAUSISTRY.- Rules: Maxims and Paradigms.- Application of Paradigms.- Overruling and Distinguishing Paradigms.- Analogical Reasoning.- CONCLUSION.- 8 Consequentialism.- PETER SINGER’s PREFERENCE UTILITARIANISM.- The Practice of Singer’s Theory.- BRAD HOOKER’s RULE-CONSEQUENTIALISM.- The Basic Theory.- Structure.- Impartiality, Reflective Equilibrium, and Pluralism.- Prima Facie Rules, Interpretation, and Conflicts.- Hooker on Euthanasia.- CONCLUSION.- 9 The Morisprudence Model for Applied Ethics.- DEDUCTIVE NORM APPLICATION.- APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT.- WHY THE MORISPRIDENCE MODEL?.- Notes.- Bibliography.- Index