Ethics and Value Theory
With technology rapidly changing society, Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Philosophy leverages creative interdisciplinary research to tackle emerging ethical issues.
Spanning areas like artificial intelligence, biomedicine, political theory, and investigative methodology, faculty and students explore conceptual dimensions of problems involving shifting social values and structures. The goal is generating insights to guide policies, practices, and products toward ethical futures benefitting humanity.
Exploring pillars like these establishes a strong foundation for anyone passionate about assessing ethical dimensions of technological innovation and social evolution. We welcome you to join vital discussions that influence better futures.
Ethics in Medicine and Scientific Research
Clinical studies advance science but involve weighing individual rights against social goods. Faculty contribute interdisciplinary expertise in medicine, statistics, decision theory, and moral reasoning to inform policies enabling high value research without exploitation. Issues include balancing stakeholder interests, equitable access in underprivileged populations, and appropriate risk assessment.
Ethics & Artificial Intelligence
Faculty examine issues emerging from integrating innovative computational systems into sectors like defense, healthcare, and transportation. Questions around trust, accountability, bias, and social impact in contexts ranging from autonomous vehicles to AI-assisted diagnostics receive thoughtful assessment. The focus remains on shaping development toward ethical processes and outcomes.
Social & Political Philosophy
Technology shapes society, requiring conceptual clarity when evaluating policy issues. Faculty research leverages ethical analysis and economics modeling to tackle problems involving domestic and global justice, democratic legitimacy, public health ethics, development economics, and more. The goal is understanding conditions enabling all people to live freely.
Methodology in Theoretical and Practical Ethics
Establishing rigorous investigative techniques to examine emerging issues represents a key priority. Faculty advance formal approaches integrating decision theory and analytic perspectives to compare procedures from democratic institutions to international oversight organizations. Methodology research also focuses on reconciling social goods production with individual rights.