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How did the U.S. civil rights movement and the Vietnam War encourage philosophers to address practical ethical issues?
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History of ethics
Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, portrait bust.
During the first six decades of the 20th century, moral philosophers largely neglected applied ethics, often viewing their discipline as separate from the task of moralizing. This changed in the 1960s as the U.S. civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the rise of student activism compelled philosophers to engage with pressing real-world issues.12
These events served as a catalyst for the revival of applied ethics by drawing philosophers into rigorous discussions regarding:
- Equality and Justice: The civil rights movement brought topics such as racial and gender equality, human rights, and justice to the forefront of philosophical inquiry.3
- War and Civil Disobedience: The Vietnam War prompted prominent debates concerning the justness of war, the legitimacy of conscription, and the moral justification for civil disobedience against unjust laws, even within a democracy.45
By addressing these topics, philosophers demonstrated that they could contribute effectively to public discourse without merely preaching, leading to the integration of applied ethics into university curricula globally.12