Background 

The Editorial Policy of The Ethics Centre is informed by three core principles:

  • the ‘unexamined life is not worth living’;
  • we should act according to a well-informed conscience; and
  • we should respect the intrinsic dignity of every person.

The application of these principles leads us to:

  • create safe spaces in which people can explore a broad range of ethical issues and engage with the ethical dimension of questions arising in daily life; and
  • publish a range of alternative perspectives – including those with which we might disagree.

We do this because we believe that better decision making will lead to a better world.

The Policy 

In its editorial coverage, The Ethics Centre will:

  • remain staunchly ‘apolitical’ – willing to engage with all without being partial to any;
  • exercise sound judgement – ensuring that the views published are reasonable, sincere and credible;
  • be respectful and fair to all concerned – ensuring that the published views of our contributors are not misrepresented. A commitment to ‘balance’ does not mean that every opinion will be published;
  • enable people to make informed decisions. That is, The Ethics Centre will not seek to direct the thinking of its audience but, rather, assist them to think and act in good conscience;
  • be focused on the ethical dimension of each issue being addressed – rather than offer general coverage or perspectives;
  • be courageous in its selection of issues to be covered – including those deemed to be controversial or unpopular (the views expressed in published articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Ethics Centre)
  • avoid publishing material that is ‘stuffy’, ‘sanctimonious’ or laced with ‘righteous indignation’. That is, we will address serious issues without taking ourselves too seriously.
  • remain independent from its board

Copyright & Republishing 

The Ethics Centre’s published written, audio or visual content may be freely used by individuals for their own personal use and – to the extent not already permitted by relevant copyright law – by non-profit educational institutions for educational purposes. Permission is granted on the condition that attribution is given to The Ethics Centre, and a link is included to our website (www.ethics.org.au).

Please contact The Ethics Centre (communications@ethics.org.au) if you would like to use or license our materials in any other way.