Ethical Record Articles

The journal began in 1895 and is produced on an monthly basis. Primarily it has provided abstracts and edited essays of the Society’s Sunday Lectures. It has developed into a showcase journal of the Society’s activities and events at Conway Hall.

The increasing role of market mechanisms and the changing types of health care providers together with the use of choice and competition to drive improvements in quality in the National Health Service (NHS), all have important ethical implications. Dr Frith will explore these developments and consider how the NHS can respond to the challenges of […]

Rosa Parks, Gandhi and Active Non-Violence[1] Unviolence is Passive; Nonviolence is Active For Gandhi, nonviolence is to be distinguished from unviolence. Unviolence is a form of passivity, the failure to act in the face of provocation, say. Nonviolence, on the other hand, is active not passive. Rosa Park’s refusal to give up her seat on […]

Every day, we hear claims about what is good for our health, bad for the environment, how to improve education, cut crime, and treat disease. Some are based on reliable evidence and scientific rigour. Many are not. These claims can’t be regulated; every time one is debunked another pops up – like a game of […]

Invited to contribute about an aspect of energy policy, I find that my talk is about a personal progress that started from probably just this same spot, the (Fenner) Brockway Room. In 2006 a distinguished physicist, Felix Pirani, gave us insights into dark matter, comprising, it appears, much of the cosmos. When he had concluded, […]

Alex Rosenberg, a Professor of Philosophy at Duke University and co-director of its Center for Philosophy of Biology, wrote the book for “Non-believers who embrace the reality-driven life.” It’s a book for “Atheists who want to face up to its consequences” – i.e. that “the physical facts fix all the facts”. Alex expounded these ideas […]

In this fascinating event Andrew Leigh will take a hard but informed look at the relationship between business and ethics. He will consider what ethics in business actually means, and ask the question what are the realistic prospects of changing the culture under which businesses operate? He will discuss why ethical behaviour is highly advantageous in the […]

Dr. Ben Goldacre is a best-selling author, broadcaster, campaigner, medical doctor and academic who specialises in unpicking the misuse of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, quacks, drug companies, and more. https://youtu.be/DUmJxKEEeYI

Peter Singer‘s ideas have been disturbing our complacency ever since the appearance of Animal Liberation. Now he directs our attention to a new movement in which his own ideas have played a crucial role: effective altruism. Effective altruism is built upon the simple but profound idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the […]

Join Brian Cox as he talks with Adam Rutherford about particle physics, the importance of getting people engaged with science and why the UK needs to aspire to be the best place for science in the world. Particle physicist, retired rock star and star of the BBC’s Wonders of the Solar System, Brian Cox is […]

Prof Tim Spector, Prof Barbara Prainsack and Sue Nelson explore how recent advances in the science of microbes change our understanding of health and disease, and give a revolutionary approach to losing weight and staying slim.

The Church of Scientology has a problem with free speech, according to three speakers who have dared to question the Church’s self-certification of itself as a religion and the claim made by its apostles, Tom Cruise and John Travolta, that it is a force for good. N.B. We have contacted the London branch of the […]

What Could Sentient Machines Mean for Humanity? For decades, we’ve imagined the rise of computer-based life forms, super-intelligences whose intellects could far surpass our own and trigger a new phase in non-human evolution. Could these visions become real, and why do they have such a grip on our imaginations? How has culture informed AI research? […]

Ethical Record Articles

The changing face of the NHS: Markets and Morality

Rosa Parks, Gandhi and Active Nonviolence

Ask for Evidence

Millions of times Greener than Green?

The Athiest’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions

Business – the search for an ethical compass

London Thinks: Ben Goldacre Q & As

London Thinks – Prof Peter Singer – What’s the most good you can do?

London Thinks – In Conversation: Prof Brian Cox and Dr Adam Rutherford

London Thinks – Facts and Fantasy About Your Diet and Health

London Thinks – What Has Scientology Got To Hide?

London Thinks: Waiting for GLaDOS