The Ethics Network

About the Network

The Ethics Network at Ryerson University began its work in the early 1990s. The need for such a Network was seen to be pressing then, and still is now. There was an acute awareness, among the founders of the Ethics Network, of the crucial importance of ethical considerations in public policy.  The Ethics Network, as part of its mandate, seeks to provide a bridge between academics and scholars working in specialized areas of ethics or political philosophy and those who are working in public policy, professional ethics, and other applied fields.

Four of the central aims of The Ethics Network are:

1. To explore connections between public policy decisions and ethics
2. To disseminate the results in a fashion that achieves a balance between standards appropriate to the relevant academic disciplines and standards that allow the material as wide an audience as possible
3. To forge links between researchers within, and outside of, the Ryerson community, who have interests in the normative implications of public policies
4. To emphasize the variety of different perspectives that may exist with respect to any topic where normative and ethical considerations overlap with public policy questions

The central aims of the Ethics Network fit well with Ryerson's dedication to the advancement of "applied knowledge and research to address societal need."

Issues explored by the Network over the past decade include:

• Informed Consent and Decision-Making Capacity in health care;
• Early Parenting;
• Health Care Restructuring;
• Determinants of  Health of Populations;
• Ethical Guidelines for Interpersonal Relationships in the social services;
• Social Cohesion, Civic Knowledge, and the Role of the Media;
• Commercialization and Intellectual Property in the Academic Sector
• Labour Relations and Intellectual Property in the Academic Sector
• Distance Education

Work undertaken by the members of the Ethics Network includes:

• Organizing conferences and other forums for public discussion
• Engaging in research on issues related to the mandate of the Network
• Writing and publishing of papers and reports
• Consulting with groups, individuals, and other Networks both within Ryerson and in the wider community

Current Initiatives

Beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year, Ethics@Ryerson will be presenting an ongoing Speaker Series of monthly talks on "Human Rights Across the Professions". Prospective themes include: Privacy and Access to Information; Social Justice and Access to Professional Services.

See Speaker Series under Current Activities 

See Online Resources for links to information about Professional Ethics and Human Rights