David Boutland | University of Calgary (original) (raw)
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Journal Articles by David Boutland
We understand compassion as an emotion of sorrow in response to the understood suffering of anoth... more We understand compassion as an emotion of sorrow in response to the understood suffering of another person; acknowledgement of that suffering and a motivation to assist the suffering person are central elements of a compassionate response. In connection with moral considerations concerning compassion, we examine a number of concerns about compassion and its object. As to the latter, we describe recent accounts of the phenomenon known as ‘poverty porn.’ ‘Poverty porn’ is a pejorative label for portrayals that vividly emphasize the sorrowful condition of needy persons. It has been criticized as disrespectful of the persons depicted and counterproductive as a means of contributing to meaningful change in their conditions. We outline several pitfalls of compassion and connect our account with a recent account of the fallacy of appealing to pity. We relate our account to three pathologies of compassion: (a) the exploitation by some of the compassionate feelings of others; (b) indulgence in commiseration at the cost of action; and (c) compassion fatigue. Shifting to the theme of persons experiencing compassion, we argue that here, as in other contexts, emotional appeals are relevant to the rationality of actions to be undertaken but insufficient to provide good reasons for those actions. Our treatment bears intriguing similarities to that of Sophie Condorcet in her late eighteenth century work, Letters on Sympathy, appended to her 1798 translation of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments into French.
Papers by David Boutland
AJOB Neuroscience, 2013
Addressing concerns about framing addiction as disease, Hammer and colleagues (2013) argue that w... more Addressing concerns about framing addiction as disease, Hammer and colleagues (2013) argue that we should refrain from doing so as such a categorization may unfairly stigmatize the addict. They suggest that an analysis of disease metaphors bolsters their view, and the utility that could be had by labeling addiction as disease is outweighed by the potential disutility in doing so. To lend support to their view, they appeal to intuitions about the common folk’s analysis of diseased individuals. Their claim is that a common understanding of disease unfairly depicts addicts as “wretches” or “sinners.” They use this as evidence in favor of rejecting the addiction-as-disease model. We argue that the author’s metaphoric framing of how common folks often view diseased individuals is misguided for a number of reasons. We focus on three points of contention. First, the negative attitude associated with disease seems to arise because of the nature of disease and not with the agent. If this is true, then their claims regarding the negative affects to individuals would be mistaken as they seem directed toward the disease and not the individual. Second, we suggest that the addiction-as-disease model itself encourages rather than discourages a positive perception of individuals suffering from addiction. We point to developments in the treatment of AIDS to support this claim. Lastly, pointing to a study by Nahmias and colleagues (2005) we argue that the addiction-as-disease model does not affect our reactive attitudes toward addicts. The findings of Nahmias and colleagues indicate that addicts are considered free in the sense required for moral responsibility. If so, then the claims by Hammer and colleagues suggesting that the common folk see addicted individuals as lacking moral culpability are contentious at best. In defining disease and the potential disutility associated with the addiction-as-disease model, the authors offer a number of cultural metaphors representing how disease is often perceived by others. Disease is represented as “evil, plague, contamination, scourge, affliction, curse, blight and bane,” and those afflicted with disease are considered “wretches and sinners.” While it appears that identifying disease with such negative connotations may be seen
We present the findings from a mixed methods study that provides preliminary support to a Vygotsk... more We present the findings from a mixed methods study that provides preliminary support to a Vygotskian, social constructivist, and peer dialogue approach to teaching and learning business ethics. This study has provided an early indication of the possible positive effects of group discussions on students’ ability to comprehend complex ethical scenarios in business, the students’ ability to discuss and arrive at a consensus regarding these scenarios, and make ethical decisions themselves. The implications for teaching business ethics, we believe, are important. First, case studies are an effective tool for teaching ethics, stimulating group discussion, and encouraging independent thought. Second, group discussion, with the aid of structured questions, can improve student understanding of ethical concepts. Third, journaling, both group and individual, can improve student recognition of moral issues, and increase their ability to reflect and think about potential solutions. Four, group d...
Ethics & Global Politics
The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syr... more The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syria and Iraq, and the anti-ISIS forces are inclined to declare victory. On the presumption that we are in a context of aftermath to this struggle, that aftermath will itself be characterized by serious difficulties. A crucial problem in this context is that of returning foreign fighters. It is estimated that some 5600 persons left western countries to join the ISIS forces. Many of these men and women have been killed or imprisoned. Some will remain abroad to continue violent activities in alliance with ISIS or other jihadist forces. And some will seek to return home to the country they left. Regarding these people, referred to here as returnees, important issues of ethics and policy arise. These issues are likely to be disturbing and polarizing, with the result that some governments hold back from discussing them. Thinking that dodging the issues is a mistake, we explore some of them here, first setting the context in which they arise and then describing the central ethical dilemmas, which the tension between efforts to protect public safety and concern for the rights of suspected persons.
Ethics & Global Politics
The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syr... more The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syria and Iraq, and the anti-ISIS forces are inclined to declare victory. On the presumption that we are in a context of aftermath to this struggle, that aftermath will itself be characterized by serious difficulties. A crucial problem in this context is that of returning foreign fighters. It is estimated that some 5600 persons left western countries to join the ISIS forces. Many of these men and women have been killed or imprisoned. Some will remain abroad to continue violent activities in alliance with ISIS or other jihadist forces. And some will seek to return home to the country they left. Regarding these people, referred to here as returnees, important issues of ethics and policy arise. These issues are likely to be disturbing and polarizing, with the result that some governments hold back from discussing them. Thinking that dodging the issues is a mistake, we explore some of them here, first setting the context in which they arise and then describing the central ethical dilemmas, which the tension between efforts to protect public safety and concern for the rights of suspected persons.
We understand compassion as an emotion of sorrow in response to the understood suffering of anoth... more We understand compassion as an emotion of sorrow in response to the understood suffering of another person; acknowledgement of that suffering and a motivation to assist the suffering person are central elements of a compassionate response. In connection with moral considerations concerning compassion, we examine a number of concerns about compassion and its object. As to the latter, we describe recent accounts of the phenomenon known as ‘poverty porn.’ ‘Poverty porn’ is a pejorative label for portrayals that vividly emphasize the sorrowful condition of needy persons. It has been criticized as disrespectful of the persons depicted and counterproductive as a means of contributing to meaningful change in their conditions. We outline several pitfalls of compassion and connect our account with a recent account of the fallacy of appealing to pity. We relate our account to three pathologies of compassion: (a) the exploitation by some of the compassionate feelings of others; (b) indulgence in commiseration at the cost of action; and (c) compassion fatigue. Shifting to the theme of persons experiencing compassion, we argue that here, as in other contexts, emotional appeals are relevant to the rationality of actions to be undertaken but insufficient to provide good reasons for those actions. Our treatment bears intriguing similarities to that of Sophie Condorcet in her late eighteenth century work, Letters on Sympathy, appended to her 1798 translation of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments into French.
AJOB Neuroscience, 2013
Addressing concerns about framing addiction as disease, Hammer and colleagues (2013) argue that w... more Addressing concerns about framing addiction as disease, Hammer and colleagues (2013) argue that we should refrain from doing so as such a categorization may unfairly stigmatize the addict. They suggest that an analysis of disease metaphors bolsters their view, and the utility that could be had by labeling addiction as disease is outweighed by the potential disutility in doing so. To lend support to their view, they appeal to intuitions about the common folk’s analysis of diseased individuals. Their claim is that a common understanding of disease unfairly depicts addicts as “wretches” or “sinners.” They use this as evidence in favor of rejecting the addiction-as-disease model. We argue that the author’s metaphoric framing of how common folks often view diseased individuals is misguided for a number of reasons. We focus on three points of contention. First, the negative attitude associated with disease seems to arise because of the nature of disease and not with the agent. If this is true, then their claims regarding the negative affects to individuals would be mistaken as they seem directed toward the disease and not the individual. Second, we suggest that the addiction-as-disease model itself encourages rather than discourages a positive perception of individuals suffering from addiction. We point to developments in the treatment of AIDS to support this claim. Lastly, pointing to a study by Nahmias and colleagues (2005) we argue that the addiction-as-disease model does not affect our reactive attitudes toward addicts. The findings of Nahmias and colleagues indicate that addicts are considered free in the sense required for moral responsibility. If so, then the claims by Hammer and colleagues suggesting that the common folk see addicted individuals as lacking moral culpability are contentious at best. In defining disease and the potential disutility associated with the addiction-as-disease model, the authors offer a number of cultural metaphors representing how disease is often perceived by others. Disease is represented as “evil, plague, contamination, scourge, affliction, curse, blight and bane,” and those afflicted with disease are considered “wretches and sinners.” While it appears that identifying disease with such negative connotations may be seen
We present the findings from a mixed methods study that provides preliminary support to a Vygotsk... more We present the findings from a mixed methods study that provides preliminary support to a Vygotskian, social constructivist, and peer dialogue approach to teaching and learning business ethics. This study has provided an early indication of the possible positive effects of group discussions on students’ ability to comprehend complex ethical scenarios in business, the students’ ability to discuss and arrive at a consensus regarding these scenarios, and make ethical decisions themselves. The implications for teaching business ethics, we believe, are important. First, case studies are an effective tool for teaching ethics, stimulating group discussion, and encouraging independent thought. Second, group discussion, with the aid of structured questions, can improve student understanding of ethical concepts. Third, journaling, both group and individual, can improve student recognition of moral issues, and increase their ability to reflect and think about potential solutions. Four, group d...
Ethics & Global Politics
The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syr... more The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syria and Iraq, and the anti-ISIS forces are inclined to declare victory. On the presumption that we are in a context of aftermath to this struggle, that aftermath will itself be characterized by serious difficulties. A crucial problem in this context is that of returning foreign fighters. It is estimated that some 5600 persons left western countries to join the ISIS forces. Many of these men and women have been killed or imprisoned. Some will remain abroad to continue violent activities in alliance with ISIS or other jihadist forces. And some will seek to return home to the country they left. Regarding these people, referred to here as returnees, important issues of ethics and policy arise. These issues are likely to be disturbing and polarizing, with the result that some governments hold back from discussing them. Thinking that dodging the issues is a mistake, we explore some of them here, first setting the context in which they arise and then describing the central ethical dilemmas, which the tension between efforts to protect public safety and concern for the rights of suspected persons.
Ethics & Global Politics
The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syr... more The forces of ISIS (the so-called Islamic State) have lost most of the territory they held in Syria and Iraq, and the anti-ISIS forces are inclined to declare victory. On the presumption that we are in a context of aftermath to this struggle, that aftermath will itself be characterized by serious difficulties. A crucial problem in this context is that of returning foreign fighters. It is estimated that some 5600 persons left western countries to join the ISIS forces. Many of these men and women have been killed or imprisoned. Some will remain abroad to continue violent activities in alliance with ISIS or other jihadist forces. And some will seek to return home to the country they left. Regarding these people, referred to here as returnees, important issues of ethics and policy arise. These issues are likely to be disturbing and polarizing, with the result that some governments hold back from discussing them. Thinking that dodging the issues is a mistake, we explore some of them here, first setting the context in which they arise and then describing the central ethical dilemmas, which the tension between efforts to protect public safety and concern for the rights of suspected persons.