International Journal of Ethics

International Journal of Ethics
Title	International Journal of Ethics
Discipline	Ethics; Moral Philosophy
Abbreviation	Int. J. Ethics
Publisher	University of Chicago Press
Country	United States
History	1890–present
Frequency	Quarterly
Issn	0019-739X

International Journal of Ethics The International Journal of Ethics is a peer-reviewed academic periodical established in 1890 that publishes scholarly work in moral philosophy, applied ethics, and normative theory. The journal has long been associated with prominent figures and institutions in Anglo-American philosophy and has contributed articles that intersect with debates in political theory, theology, law, and social thought. Over its history it has featured contributions from philosophers, theologians, jurists, and historians affiliated with leading universities and learned societies.

History

Founded in 1890 in the United States, the journal emerged amid intellectual networks that included figures connected to Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago. Early editorial leadership and contributors drew from circles that engaged with the Social Gospel, Progressive Era, Chicago School (sociology), and transatlantic exchanges with scholars at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King's College London, and University of Edinburgh. Throughout the 20th century the publication reflected shifts from classical moral philosophy to analytic ethics, incorporating debates associated with G. E. Moore, John Dewey, W. E. B. Du Bois, T. H. Green, and later figures influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein and G. E. M. Anscombe. The mid-century lists of contributors included scholars affiliated with Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and thinkers who participated in gatherings at Princeton Theological Seminary and the American Philosophical Association. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the journal adapted to changes traced to discussions at venues like New York University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and international forums such as The Hague conferences and workshops hosted by European University Institute.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes original research articles, critical essays, review essays, and occasional translations that address normative ethics, metaethics, and applied domains. Articles have engaged with canonical texts by Immanuel Kant, Aristotle, Plato, Thomas Aquinas, and modern thinkers including David Hume, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant (again in contemporary readings), Bertrand Russell, and John Rawls. Applied pieces have explored intersections with jurisprudence through dialogue with scholars from Supreme Court of the United States-related scholarship, international law debates tied to Nuremberg Trials and Geneva Conventions, bioethical controversies connected to institutions such as World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health, as well as environmental ethics discussed alongside work from United Nations Environment Programme and scholars at University of Oxford's environmental institutes. Content spans comparative ethics engaging with texts from Confucius, Mencius, Nagarjuna, and commentators tied to University of Tokyo and Tsinghua University.

Editorial Board and Peer Review

The journal's editorial board has historically comprised eminent scholars drawn from universities and research centers such as Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and London School of Economics. Editors have included prominent philosophers, theologians, and legal theorists who participated in professional associations including the American Philosophical Association, Society for Applied Philosophy, and international bodies like the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. Peer review follows a double-blind model administered by the editorial office in conjunction with an international pool of referees who serve as reviewers and associate editors affiliated with institutions such as King's College London, Australian National University, University of Toronto, McGill University, and European University Institute.

Publication and Access

Published by the University of Chicago Press on a quarterly schedule, the journal is distributed in print and through academic libraries worldwide, including holdings in national libraries like the Library of Congress and the British Library. Subscription access is available to university libraries and individuals; selected back issues are digitized in major repositories and aggregation services used by institutions including JSTOR, Project MUSE, and academic consortia at University of Oxford and Harvard University. Special issues and symposia have been co-sponsored with centers such as the Kellogg Institute, Harvard Divinity School, Oxford Internet Institute, and international conferences convened at venues like United Nations Headquarters and European Parliament fora.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited in philosophical literature, legal scholarship, and policy debates, influencing discussions that appear in citations connected to John Rawls's followers, critics of Utilitarianism streams associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and debates in bioethics that involve institutions like World Health Organization and national ethics committees. Reviews and commentary about the journal have been published in outlets tied to The New York Times, The Times (London), and scholarly reviews in journals such as Philosophy and Public Affairs, Ethics (journal), Mind (journal), and The Journal of Philosophy. Its articles have informed reports by bodies including UNESCO, national commissions, and judicial opinions referencing ethical theory in cases adjudicated in courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States and appellate tribunals.

Notable Articles and Contributors

Notable contributors have included scholars and public intellectuals associated with Harvard University (including figures in moral and political thought), Princeton University philosophers, legal theorists from Columbia Law School, Yale Law School jurists, theologians from Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School, and international voices from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and University of Tokyo. Seminal articles have addressed topics ranging from classical virtue ethics linked to Aristotle to modern rights theory influenced by John Rawls and critiques invoking scholars like Michael Sandel, Martha Nussbaum, Alasdair MacIntyre, Philippa Foot, Elizabeth Anscombe, Thomas Nagel, and Peter Singer. Special symposia have featured exchanges with legal and political figures whose work intersects with ethics debates, drawing participation from academics and practitioners associated with United Nations, International Criminal Court, and national research councils.

Category:Ethics journals