Andreas Brøgger Albertsen comments on the government's proposal to change organ donation to an opt-out model, which directly opposes the recommendation of the Danish Council of Ethics. According to Albertsen, there is research supporting the idea that more people sign up for organ donation under an opt-out model compared to an opt-in model. This contrasts with the Danish Council of Ethics, which states in their recommendation that they assume the registration rate would decrease under an opt-out model. Albertsen argues that a new opt-out model would provide more clarity about people's stance on organ donation, which would place fewer families in the difficult situation where it is unclear what their loved ones' wishes are. The podcast was aired by Radio4 on February 19, 2024: https://radio4.dk/podcasts/det-roede-hjoerne/organdonation-hvem-ejer-din-krop. The podcast is in Danish.
Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen addresses the concept of hypocritical silence following the case in which Alex Vanopslagh, leader of the Liberal Alliance (LA), received an unjustified tax-free allowance for dual residence after LA's "Du kan godt" (You Can Do It) campaign in 2022. Hypocritical silence defines the branch of ethics that examines the ethical norms regulating when it is morally justifiable to blame or refrain from blaming. Hypocritical silence occurs when one refrains from blaming, for example, oneself, friends, or party members for their mistakes, while still blaming others, including political opponents, for the very same mistakes. This concept highlights how we often let friends off the hook easily while being more critical of people we don't like.
Lippert-Rasmussen discusses the consequences of hypocritical silence and hypocritical blame, hypothesizing that it should always be right to blame others (whether hypocritically or not) because it improves people's moral compass. The article was published on videnskab.dk on March 3, 2024.
Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen discusses algorithmic fairness after a controversial algorithm was criticized for racial discrimination. The algorithm, used as a tool to assess the risk of recidivism among offenders and to determine the severity of prison sentences in the United States, exhibited two types of errors distributed by race: false positives and false negatives in risk assessments. According to an analysis of court decisions from 2013-2014 in Broward County, Florida, the algorithm was more likely to produce false negatives for white offenders, resulting in lighter prison sentences for criminals who should have received longer sentences. At the same time, the algorithm was twice as likely to produce false positives for Black offenders, who consequently served harsher prison sentences than they should have. This issue typically needs to be addressed through algorithm calibration.
Lippert-Rasmussen points out that as we see an increasing use of algorithms in various contexts, the dilemma of algorithmic fairness is, in fact, a much broader societal challenge. He also notes that in some non-algorithmic contexts, we do not consider calibration a necessary condition for fairness. The article was published on videnskab.dk on April 18, 2024.
Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen argues that hiring people based on their personality is discriminatory. His argument is based on two central points from research on gender discrimination in hiring processes, which he contends are applicable to discrimination based on personality types. The first argument is based on the irrelevance objection, which posits that it is morally wrong to hire individuals based on anything other than their qualifications. The second argument is based on the fairness objection, which asserts that it is morally wrong to hire individuals based on characteristics they have no control over. The article was published on videnskab.dk on May 24, 2024.
Lasse Laustsen comments on why Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Inger Støjberg appear on campaign posters for the 2024 European Parliament election. According to Laustsen, research shows that unknown candidates can perform well on election day if they appear attractive or seem competent based on their face on the campaign poster. The news was reported by DR on May 18, 2024: https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/de-stiller-ikke-op-alligevel-vil-stoejberg-og-loekke-vaere-paa-deres-partiers-eu. The article is in Danish.
Søren Flinch Midtgaard comments on vigilantism and the legal and moral boundaries following several incidents in the past year where Danes have taken the law into their own hands, a phenomenon referred to as the "Batman syndrome." Several online groups have emerged, posing as minors to lure allegedly pedophilic men to deserted areas, where they are then assaulted. This behavior can undermine the rule of law, prompting politicians to consider tightening legislation. The article was published by Weekendavisen on August 13, 2024.
