Journal of Practical Ethics
The Journal of Practical Ethics is an open access journal in moral and political philosophy (and related areas), published by the Uehiro Oxford Institute, located at the University of Oxford.
Our vision is to build an open access journal that will bring the best work in philosophy to bear on pressing issues of public, political or interdisciplinary interest. We believe that the ideas and arguments of many moral and political philosophers are of significant relevance to problems in contemporary life. Not only are these arguments of interest to a wide general public, but they are of relevance to many other academics, political and social leaders. However, there is less than optimal penetration of this philosophical work. It will aim to disseminate excellent research in practical and applied ethics to a broad, global audience comprised of both academic and non-academic readers, with high impact.
Every issue of the Journal of Practical Ethics is available online, free of charge. It is an invitation only, blind-peer-reviewed journal. It is entirely open access online, and print copies may be ordered at cost price via a print-on-demand service. Authors and reviewers are offered an honorarium. The Journal aims to bring the best in academic moral and political philosophy, applied to practical matters, to a broader student or interested public audience. It seeks to promote informed, rational debate, and is not tied to any one particular viewpoint. The Journal will present a range of views and conclusions within the analytic philosophy tradition. It is funded through the generous support of the Uehiro Foundation in Ethics and Education.
This upcoming special issue features a target article by Professor Jonathan Birch, with commentaries by Dr Angie Pepper, Dr Gary O'Brien, Dr Samantha Hurn & Dr Alexander Badman-King (co-authored), and concludes with an author reply.
We extend our thanks to all contributors to this special issue (13:2), which is scheduled for publication in summer 2026.
Description
Positions that link rights to sentience face an insect challenge: insects are plausibly sentient, yet recognizing individual insects as rights-bearers would problematize public health, veterinary and agricultural benefits obtained by harming them. The most obvious responses seem inadequate. Indian animal ethics, which has always taken the idea of insect sentience seriously, is a promising place to look for further options. Of particular relevance is the idea of ahimsa (nonviolence, noninjury), but ahimsa in its ancient form has metaphysical commitments that secular animal ethics should not accept. More promising still is the progressive ahimsaism developed by Gandhi in the 1920s, on which duties of non-maleficence can be overridden by duties of care, provided the duty of care is adopted, interpreted and exercised in accordance with the guiding ideal of ahimsa. Birch's target article provides an exposition and analysis of the view and relates it to the insect challenge.
All articles available to read on the JPE's forthcoming page
Contents
Target article
'Ethics for a large sentient world: Insects, ahimsa, and Gandhi’s progressive ahimsaism', Jonathan Birch (The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, London School of Economics and Political Science) | Assigned DOI doi.org/10.3998/jpe.10745
Commentaries
'In Defence of Robust Rights for All Sentient Creatures', Angie Pepper (University of Roehampton) | Assigned DOI: doi.org/10.3998/jpe.10746
'Ethics for a tragic world: Humanity, insects, and doing good', Gary David O’Brien (Lingnan University) | Assigned DOI doi.org/10.3998/jpe.10747
'The ‘insect challenge’ – a response to Birch', Samantha Hurn (University of Exeter) and Alexander Badman-King (University of Exeter) | Assigned DOI doi.org/10.3998/jpe.10748
Author reply
'How to Live Nonviolently in a Large Sentient World: Replies to Pepper, Hurn and Badman-King, and O’Brien', Jonathan Birch (The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, London School of Economics and Political Science) | Assigned DOI 10.3998/jpe.10749
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