Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics

19/10/2026

New blog post: 'Some reflections on “Prosthetic Bodies: The Human, the Human-Like, and the Monstrous”', based on the Medical Humanities workshop held on 13th October. Reflections by Alberto Giubilini.

https://blog.uehiro.ox.ac.uk/2026/10/some-reflections-on-prosthetic-bodies-the-human-the-human-like-and-the-monstrous/

Oxford TORCH Medical Humanities Oxford TORCH Medical Humanities

Written by Alberto Giubilini (crossposted with the TORCH Medical Humanities Blog) Based on the Medical Humanities workshop held on 13th October (with the support of the Uehiro Oxford Institute) As is often the case in discussion around technology, thinking about the artificial requires thinking abou...

16/10/2026

2026 Oxford Wander Wonder - exploring the history of medical ethics around Oxford's historic centre.

16/10/2026

Did you take part in Thoughtful Society for Philosophical Enquiry's this year? We were delighted to partner with Uncomfortable Oxford to deliver Oxford's first Wander, and we had a great turnout, raising lots of money to support the brilliant work of Thoughtful. Huge thanks to everyone who took part, and especially to UO guide Devika, and the UOI's Jonathan Pugh for leading such a 'wonder'ful event :)

15/10/2026

After a little summer break, we’re excited to kick off the new term of with more inspiring women! 💜

Ethics is full of ideas that reshape how we think about the world and many of them come from women whose work deserves to be celebrated. With Women in Ethics, we’re shining a light on these thinkers and the questions they bring to the field.

This week, we’re delighted to feature Lydia Tsiakiri!

And there’s plenty more to come! Join us every Thursday as we introduce more remarkable women in ethics and celebrate their work.
Stay curious ✨

12/10/2026

Often in life, we find ourselves being accused of being lazy or accusing others of acting lazily, or maybe even becoming frustrated by what we see as laziness in our own actions. But what do we really mean by the term laziness, why is it viewed as a taboo that transcends cultures, and what effect does considering ourselves or others lazy have on our mental health?

Professor Katrien Devolder, Director of Public Philosophy at the Uehiro Oxford Institute, University of Oxford and research lead of Project Lazy, recently joined the BBC Science Focus Instant Genius podcast to explore these questions.

In this episode, she discusses the different ways we view laziness in ourselves and others, why working smarter and more efficiently is often misconstrued as laziness, and the impact AI is having on our views of laziness.

Listen to the podcast episode here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1v9Woy65URvwzG4mgta0f9?si=yEuSuXdiRV2CCrRQfv8Kzw

09/10/2026

This UOI’s Academic Visitor Koji Tachibana is asking the question ‘What is Space Exploration for?’
Find out more in his new book: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-space-exploration-for?

06/10/2026

Film screening of Mauvais Sang and Q&A
19 November 17:45
The Ultimate Picture Palace (Jeune St, Cowley Rd, Oxford OX4 1BN) Tickets £6
This one-off screening of Leos Carax’s masterful take on the danger and beauty of modern love is followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with experts from the fields of , and modern .

Presented by Oxford TORCH Medical Humanities, the UOI and The Ultimate Picture Palace

This one-off screening is followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with experts from the fields of history, ethics and modern languages.

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.