Robots are often used by emergency services to ensure the safety of first responders. On November 29, 2022, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to allow the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to deploy robots equipped with lethal weapons in extraordinary circumstances. Supporters argue that technology able to help end violence and save lives should be used, while the opposition suggests that lowering consequences of aggressive policing could increase the likelihood of police violence. Does the benefit of potential lives saved override the ethical concerns accompanying use of lethal robots?

Advocates of gun storage laws see it as a safety issue, and an important strategy for reducing gun injuries and deaths. Many gun enthusiasts balk at such legislation. Do safe storage laws violate gun owners’ right to self-defense? Why or why not?

In the wake of many recent mass shootings, gun control has taken center stage in public debate in the United States. Those who advocate much stricter gun control point to the bad effects of the continued availability of so many guns in the U.S. Opponents of gun control often appeal to the right to self-defense to argue for their position. How should a society balance the individual rights of its members to protect themselves with its responsibility to promote public safety, more generally?

Given that police violence disproportionately affects Black people, should police departments take away many of their guns? Do the good effects of disarming police outweigh the bad?

In the past, the U.S. has armed international military forces the State Department believed would advance US interests. Unfortunately, some of these weapons were later used against our own military forces. Is it ethical to arm rebels in countries we are not at war with? What criteria should be used to determine if a faction receives military aid?