Moral Competence of Teacher Education Students. The Role of Guided Reflection and Responsibility-Taking Opportunities

Teacher education needs to focus on moral development and prepare their students to face the moral dilemmas in the teacher profession. The present study shows the first results of a long term research between 2017 and 2022 in 3 Chilean Universities. The relationship of learning environment, according to Responsibility Taking (RT) and Guided Reflection (GR) opportunities, on the differences on moral competence, was evaluated with a cross sectional design, comparing last with first year students (n=671). Results suggest a significant influence of RT and GR on moral competence. Being tutor at university is identified as one of those opportunities

Is There Any Equal Opportunity Approach in Latin America? A Systematic Review 2014-2024

This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review examining the evolution of contemporary Theories of Justice, Egalitarianism, and the Principle of Equality of Opportunity in Latin American countries from 2014 to 2024. It seeks to contribute perspectives from the Global South to the philosophical field, thereby enriching the dialogue on how egalitarian justice operates across diverse contexts. The study used three academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A total of 864 articles were initially identified, and after applying the PRISMA methodology, 64 papers were selected according to the established criteria. The analysis reveals that these works reflect a distinctly Latin American approach characterized by: Intrinsic Pluralist Egalitarianism (relational-distributive), Decolonial and Feminist Theoretical Influence, and Pragmatic Equality of Opportunity

Deduction of the Concept of ‘Vitality’ in Hegel’s Philosophy

In Hegel’s philosophy, the dialectic of life is based on the expedient course of the concept. This contribution sets itself the task of conducting a hermeneutical and historical-critical reconstruction of the foundation of Hegel’s speculative-dialectical method. The aim is to reveal the philosophical genesis of the concept of ‘vitality’ and its interrelation with spirit. In such a perspective, the idea of the emergence of living matter, which is opposed to the processes of decomposition in the universe, is proposed. The hypothesis here offers a treatment of negative entropy (negentropy) in terms of Hegel’s speculative-dialectical methodology and the spiritual force of the concept that resists the decay of matter. Within such a philosophical conceptualisation arises the concept of vitality, which clarifies the relation between the form of consciousness that a subject can achieve and the energy it will expend to build and structure such a form of consciousness. Of interest is the result that the infinite growth of vitality simultaneously achieves absolute spiritualisation

Ethical AI in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review Addressing Privacy, Security, and Fairness

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into healthcare presents both transformative potential and profound ethical challenges. This paper examines how ethical principles, such as transparency, fairness, accountability, and privacy, are applied and operationalised in healthcare AI. Using a structured narrative review approach, we analysed over 70 peer-reviewed empirical studies, policy documents, and regulatory frameworks that span applications in clinical decision support systems, diagnostics, mental health interventions and personalised medicine. Particular attention is given to the perspectives of diverse stakeholders, including patients, clinicians, data scientists and regulators. We assess fairness using demographic parity and equalised odds and evaluate transparency via explainability metrics and auditability practices. Our findings highlight the persistent issues of demographic bias, lack of stakeholder participation, and regulatory fragmentation. We propose a typology of responsible AI metrics, including data representativeness indices, fairness-accuracy trade-off scores, and human-AI oversight benchmarks, that can guide the ethical evaluation and deployment of AI models. By emphasising intersectionality, contextual equity, and co-designed governance, this study moves beyond generic ethical appeals to concrete implementation strategies. Our contribution offers a practical and interdisciplinary roadmap for aligning AI innovation with patient-centred values, institutional accountability, and evolving EU regulatory standards in the healthcare sector

The Dialectic of Life in Hegel’s Thought. An Introduction

This issue of Ethics in Progress titled Unfolding Life – The Dialectic of the Living in Hegel’s Thought. Philosophical Foundations and Contemporary Resonances builds upon the discussions initiated in issue no. 2/2024 of the journal, which explored the enduring relevance of Hegel’s early philosophy through the theme Nature and Spirit. While continuing along that trajectory into Hegel’s mature philosophy, the present issue narrows its focus to a central dimension of Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature: the concept of life in its diverse manifestations. The contributions investigate various forms of living being – plant, animal, and human – examining their underlying impulses, structural dynamics, and vulnerabilities. Together, the essays highlight how Hegelian philosophy offers critical resources for engaging with contemporary questions about the nature and conditions of life

Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature

The aim of this paper is to examine the place of plants in G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy, highlighting their relevance for understanding the relationship between life and spirit within the Hegelian dialectical system. We will demonstrate how plants are situated in the context of the Philosophy of Nature proposed by the author, emphasizing how, despite being understood through their “incomplete subjectivity” and limited individuality (as there is no individual cohesion due to the separation of their organs), it is still possible to conceive of the basic metabolism of plants as the first expression of the dialectical relationship between inner life and the external environment. In this sense, plants represent a special transitional moment in the progressive realisation of the Idea. We will analyze how plants, for Hegel, embody a universal form of life – selforganized and oriented toward its relationship with the environment – that serves as a point of mediation, or the nexus, between the objectivity of nature and the subjectivity of spirit, which will develop more fully in animal life, especially human life. As we intend to demonstrate, referring to the subjective incompleteness of plant life does not deny it a place in the very history of spirit

Attitudes towards Medically Assisted Reproduction among Students in Three Euro-Mediterranean Countries

Human reproduction has traditionally been an important issue in medical ethics. Advances in medical technology and the development of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) procedures are creating new bioethical dilemmas. This study is based on a quantitative approach using the survey method on a convenience sample of students (N=1097) from five universities from four fields of study – Medicine, Law, Theology and Philosophy – in Croatia, Greece and Italy. The aim of this study was to investigate students’ attitudes towards various aspects of medically assisted reproduction. Three hypotheses were tested using t-tests and ANOVA to examine differences in attitudes based on variables such as country, field of study, gender, year of study, religiosity, political orientation, financial status and size of their place of residence. Despite sharing a common Mediterranean cultural heritage, students from Italy showed a greater disapproval of MAR, but due to the small effect size, this difference should be interpreted with caution and the hypothesis could not be fully confirmed. In addition, Theology students had statistically significantly more negative attitudes toward MAR. Regarding differences in students’ socio-demographic characteristics, women, older students, individuals who are not religious and those who are politically left-oriented tended to have more liberal attitudes toward MAR. The results enable further reflection on the concept of Mediterranean Bioethics. These findings highlight how disciplinary background and religiosity shape ethical attitudes toward MAR within the Mediterranean context

Aerial Digital Archaeology and Data Ethics through the Lens of Actor-Network Theory

Actor-network theory emphasizes the importance of technology in archaeological research, particularly in aerial digital archaeology. It deconstructs objective narratives by revealing the complexity of knowledge production, including the archaeologist’s expertise, excavation tools, technology, and the researcher’s cultural background. Data are a dynamic output of the network, influenced by factors like tools, environment, and survey timing. The researcher’s cultural context also plays a role, as Western archaeologists may have different approaches and interpretations from those of researchers from developing countries. The theory also highlights the power dynamics of the network, with those controlling it – through technology, funding, and interpretation – wielding greater influence. This raises ethical concerns, especially in cases of “parachute science”, where foreign researchers conduct research in developing countries. A strong ethical framework is therefore needed to address these issues, and to promote collaboration and knowledge transfer. Actor-network theory encourages a more collaborative, ethically sound approach to understanding the past, especially when using aerial digital archaeology. This article systematically argues for such an approach

Moral Foundations as Predictors of Academic Success: Examining GPA and Subject Preferences in Middle Adolescents

This study explores relationships between adolescents’ moral foundations and academic outcomes, extending existing psychological frameworks into educational research. A sample of 192 German high school students (aged 15–17) completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, although the analyses specifically focused on the Care, Fairness, and Authority foundations based on theoretical relevance to educational contexts. Academic achievement (grade point average, GPA) and subject preferences were measured through self-reported grades and subject rankings. Data were analyzed using non-parametric correlations, ordinal logistic regression, and group comparisons. Results indicated that higher scores in the Care foundation were significantly associated with better GPA, whereas Fairness showed no significant correlation. Moreover, students expressing dislike for natural sciences displayed significantly higher Authority foundation scores. These results suggest that specific moral foundations may be relevant in shaping academic performance and subject preferences among adolescents. Future studies should further explore underlying mechanisms to inform targeted educational practices

Tending and Logic between Bardili and Hegel: The Operativity of Reason beyond the Philosophy of the Subject

The paper traces some stages in the process of the speculative emancipation of the Trieb in Post-Kantian philosophy with the aim of reconstructing the context that allows explaining the outcomes of the treatment given to it by Hegel in the Science of Logic. Initially, some elements that underlie the speculative assimilation of the concept of Trieb in the course of the development of post-Kantian philosophy are presented, and in a second step, the position of an author central to the development of Hegel’s Logic, namely Christoph Gottfried Bardili, is discussed. The theory of the drive developed by Bardili in Grundriss der ersten Logik makes possible a clearer understanding of the different levels at which Hegel makes use of the notion of Trieb in the doctrine of the concept and particularly in the understanding of teleology developed in Wissenschaft der Logik. The overall purpose is to show how the debate on Trieb does not take the form of the evolution of a purely anthropological interpretation, oriented toward a supposed critique of ‘subjectivity’, but rather is the result of its integration in a speculative sense