Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics

01/10/2026

Jonathan Pugh and the Institute of Art and Law's Alex Herman presented the DARCA tool for the restitution of cultural property to the UNESCO Regional Dialogue in Geneva last week.

The DARCA tool is a free online ethics tool designed to help people think carefully about whether there is a strong moral case for returning a cultural artefact in a particular situation.
The decision aid was developed by members of the Uehiro Oxford Institute and the Institute for Art and Law, in collaboration with several external contributors with experience of restitution cases or relevant expertise in ethics or policy-making. For more information, or to use the tool, visit https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/darca

Photo: Frédéric Choffat © CSU/OFC

24/09/2026

You can also join in the Wonder Wander by sending in questions:

24/09/2026

Last chance to take part in the 2026 Wonder Wander in Oxford! Get your philosophical hats on and enjoy an unusual walk around central Oxford with the wonderful Uncomfortable Oxford and our very own Jonny Pugh. Register here:
https://www.uncomfortableoxford.com/event/wonder-wander-2026-fundraiser-tour

Donations are in support of Thoughtful Society for Philosophical Enquiry

Donate to join a History of Medicine tour in aid of Thoughtful, a charity that brings philosophy into classrooms.

11/09/2026

Join us for Oxford's first Wonder Wander! (Fri 25th Sept at 5:30pm). Tickets are going fast, so bag them soon. Donations are also very warmly appreciated, if you can't attend in person - all donations go to Thoughtful Society for Philosophical Enquiry and support philosophical activities for children.

You can see more about the Wonder Wander campaign on Thoughtful's website: https://www.thoughtful.org.uk/projects/wonder-wander/

The Oxford Wonder Wander:
This ethics-based walking tour around central Oxford is in partnership with Uncomfortable Oxford and is fundraising for Thoughtful. We'll explore Oxford’s medical history and invite you to consider the ethical questions surrounding medical progress — and to explore how the past continues to shape contemporary debates in medical ethics.
https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/event/wonder-wander-2026


TORCH - The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Oxford TORCH Medical Humanities

08/09/2026

New blog post: Where Medicine Meets Ethics - https://blog.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/2026/09/where-medicine-meets-ethics/

Medicine is often associated with questions that have scientific answers. How does the body work? How do we become unwell? Which treatments can help with the symptoms of a medical condition? But some of the hardest questions in medicine cannot be answered by evidence alone. Read Jonny Pugh's blog post to find out more.

by Jonathan Pugh Cross-posted with the Uncomfortable Oxford blog. Medicine is often associated with questions that have scientific answers. How does the body work? How do we become unwell? Which treatments can help with the symptoms of a medical condition? What are the risks of a surgical operation?...

04/09/2026

How am I responsible for the environment? Should there be limits on how we can punish people who do wrong? If very ill patients want to die, should doctors be held responsible if they help them? Who is responsible for the global spread of infectious diseases?

If these and other questions about our responsibilities towards each other, our planet and our future make you think, and you're a UK student in years 11-13 then this video competition is for you!

Find out more here: https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/perc

28/08/2026

Join us for Oxford's first Wonder Wander!
Fri 25th Sept at 5:30pm.

This ethics-based walking tour around central Oxford is in partnership with Uncomfortable Oxford and is fundraising for Thoughtful Society for Philosophical Enquiry.

We'll explore Oxford’s medical history and invite you to consider the ethical questions surrounding medical progress — and to explore how the past continues to shape contemporary debates in medical ethics.

https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/event/wonder-wander-2026

26/08/2026

Would you want to test your embryos for traits like low IQ? In general people say they don't, but given the information they act on it, according to a new study.

A study of more than 2,000 people in the United States and China finds that the line between medical and non-medical traits, which underpins the rules on embryo testing in most countries, does not match the preferences of the public.

Read more about it here: https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/article/press-release-polygenic-testing

Awad, E., Colombatto, C., Demaree-Cotton, J., Earp, B. D., Everett, J. A. C., Liu, P., Schaefer, G. O., Singh, I., Wilkinson, D., & Savulescu, J. "Public perceptions of polygenic testing and embryo selection for non-medical traits." Nature Human Behaviour (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-026-02562-w

Findings of a new study published today "Public perceptions of polygenic testing and embryo selection for non-medical traits" in Nature Human Behaviour

21/08/2026

Have you ever found yourself thinking about what we should do, not just what we can do? If so, and if you're an undergraduate or graduate student in the UK, then we may have the competition for you!

The Uehiro Oxford Institute invites entries into its 2027 National Essay Prize in Practical Ethics. Send us 2000 words on any relevant topic, and top papers will be invited to Oxford for the final. Prizes include £500 for the winners, and your papers may be considered for publication in the Journal of Practical Ethics.

Deadline: 18th Jan 2027

For more info: https://www.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/uehiro-oxford-prize

20/08/2026

How can philosophy help us to reach practical conclusions when we face deep disagreements about what matters?
Jonathan Pugh concludes this year's Bitesize Ethics programme 'Life, death and difficult decisions' with his talk 'Difficult Decisions in Healthcare'.

https://youtu.be/Y9qxQkaJy9s?si=__7XrW3XginBqX0d