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Peter Singer
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2016
Should the world's oldest profession be legal?
As Amnesty Interational has pointed out, criminalizing the sex industry does far more harm than good.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 17, 2016
Should children be granted the right to die?
Minors with a demonstrable capacity for rational decision-making should have the right to request euthanasia.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2016
Why burkini bans are unwise
Using bans to force immigrants to assimilate isn't the best way to integrate them into mainstream society.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 14, 2016
Given the Zika threat, should the world go to Rio?
An independent fact-finding investigation should be made to determine the scale of the threat the Zika virus would pose to visitors attending the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2016
Time to teach ethics to artificial intelligence
With driverless cars already on California roads, it is not too soon to ask whether we can program a machine to act ethically.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2016
As perceptions of animals evolve, so does English
In a language like English, which implicitly categorizes animals as things rather than persons, adopting the personal pronoun would embody the same recognition — and remind us who animals really are.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2016
The hidden goods of 2015
If we were to judge the state of the world by the news headlines, 2015 was the year of Islamist terror, especially in Paris. But there were two major positive developments as well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2015
Fate of the Earth is on the line at Paris meeting
The lives of billions of people, for centuries to come, will be at stake at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of the month.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2015
Volkswagen and the future of corporate honesty
The plummet of Volkswagen's stock shows that honesty is the best policy for corporations that want to maximize value over the long term.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2015
Escaping the refugee crisis
The best way to help refugees would be for affluent countries to provide much more support for the poorer countries that are sheltering the vast majority of them.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 17, 2015
Jeremy Bentham's fallacies, then and now
Written in the early 19th century, Jeremy Bentham's 'The Book of Fallacies' still has resonance today.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 20, 2015
Reconsidering man's dominion over animals
If Pope Francis can change people's views of animal welfare, he will have done more good than any other pope in recent history.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 9, 2015
The Magna Carta, 800 years on
Written 800 years ago, Magna Carta elevated the law above the ruler's will. Unfortunately, that idea still is not accepted in many countries.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2015
Life-saving drugs for all can be achieved
With the right incentives, drugmakers could be induced to develop medicines that save lives in the Third World as well as the First.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 21, 2015
How altruism makes the world a better place
Studies show that people who are generous are typically happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who do not give.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2015
Countering Islamic extremism
Is shunning the use of the term 'radical Islam' helping or hurting U.S. President Barack Obama's effort to combat violent extremism?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2015
The pope prompts a rethink about contraception
As Pope Francis was returning from the Philippines to Rome last month, he raised the issue of whether it is legitimate for outside agencies to promote family planning in developing countries. There are several reasons why it is.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015
Magic moments of noncompetitive surfing
Many of the highlights of surfing have more to do with experiencing the splendor and power of the waves than with the competitive ability to ride them.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 12, 2014
West versus Islamic State: the ransom dilemma
The refusal to pay ransoms to terrorists can seem callous, but in truth it is the only ethical policy. Governments that pay ransoms to save some of their citizens' lives put the remainder of their citizens — and others — at greater risk.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2014
Battle against Ebola raises ethical questions
The tiny number of Ebola cases in rich countries — and the ensuing panic-inducing headlines and quarantine measures — have brought home the global nature of infectious disease today.

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Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?