Introduction

CAPPE, the University of Brighton's Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics, provides a locus for ethical debate across the university's disciplines and introduces new voices through regular conferences, lectures and seminars.

It is the home for course development in the area of ethics and applied philosophy, creating specialist courses around the ethical questions that arise in subject disciplines such as Healthcare and Art & Design, as well as a two-day course in research ethics.

The centre engenders an innovative environment within which to explore relationships between theory and practice in the interrogation of moral and political concerns and works collaboratively with colleagues both within the university and across other academic institutions, as well as seeking active collaboration with a wide range of bodies and individuals outside the academy.

CAPPE developed from the understanding that, across the public and private sectors, ethical questions inform discussions and decisions about everything ranging from medical decisions concerning life, death and allocation of funding, to corporate decisions about investment, particularly in light of public awareness concerning the origin of our food, clothes and other products. Some of this entails genuine ethical debate: much does not.

CAPPE aims to intervene in the public arena on the basis of a commitment to rigour, clarity and criticism and to extend the practice of philosophy beyond its narrowly academic boundaries. In short, the centre sees its role as furthering both the practice of ‘the public intellectual’ and an interrogation of it. Its understanding of philosophy and of ethics, and of their application, places them firmly in the context both of history and of contemporary political debate. This emphasis is reflected in its interdisciplinary approach to both practice and theory. 

Conferences

CAPPE holds an annual conference which aims to subject topics of contemporary significance to critical interrogation, questioning the assumptions behind and implications of commonly held views. The CAPPE conferences provide an inter-disciplinary forum for debate between those working in a variety of different fields. Our inter-disciplinary approach is grounded in the firm belief that intensive conversation and brining together those of a variety of different perspectives can reveal new and unexpected insights.

Public Events

CAPPE holds regular public events where audiences are invited to listen, discuss and critically debate key controversial issues for our contemporary era.

Courses

CAPPE offers a Master’s Programme in Applied Ethics with a common core in basic philosophy and critical thinking, together with dedicated courses in the ethics of Art and Design, Education, Healthcare, Media, Medicine and Politics.

The Centre aims to attract research fellows and PhD students around two themes: the ethics and politics of medicine and science; and an analysis and critique of 'applied philosophy and ethics' itself.

CAPPE also offers short-courses on a range of subjects as well as tailor-made short courses in ethics aimed at professionals.

Research

CAPPE has an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to research and is concerned to reach beyond the academic world. The centre is currently working with a multidisciplinary group of practitioners and academics to debate the moral issues around images of suffering through the MARS (Morality and the Representation of Suffering) Project.