Eric Scarffe
Connect with Eric
About Eric
Scarffe’s research examines how the use of concepts such as dignity, disease, and law ought to inform our philosophical understandings of them. Working at the intersection of philosophy of law and political philosophy, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, Scarffe argues for a methodological turn in philosophy—where philosophers do well when they pay attention to the developments and insights from practitioners and scholars in other disciplines and fields. Previously, Scarffe has served as President and Lead Negotiator for his institution's chapter of the United Faculty of Florida.
Contributions
In the News
Publications
Explores how the concept of dignity is used in legal, philosophical, and bioethical debates about abortion. Argues that appeals to dignity can support different positions in abortion debates and that a careful understanding of dignity has important implications for reproductive rights and ethical decision-making.
Explores the role that legal rules and institutions play in shaping collective bargaining between employers and workers. Suggests that law can support and structure collective bargaining processes but cannot, by itself, resolve the underlying conflicts and power dynamics that influence labor relations.
Questions whether scientific inquiry can or should be entirely separated from social, ethical, and legal values. Argues that understanding science requires recognizing the role that values play in shaping scientific practice and decision-making, while still preserving standards of evidence and objectivity.
Analyzes how the concept of dignity is used in international law and the role it plays in shaping human rights protections. Shows that dignity functions as a foundational principle in international legal frameworks, helping to justify and guide the recognition of fundamental rights and freedoms.
Examines the role of dignity in Justice Kennedy’s constitutional jurisprudence and its significance for debates about civil rights and constitutional interpretation. Argues that dignity served as a coherent principle linking Kennedy’s decisions across diverse legal issues and provides a compelling foundation for protecting individual rights, particularly those of LGBTQ+ individuals.