Ethics, Politics, and Society
Adi Levy, Ph.D.
My name is Adi Levy. I am an Israel Institute post-doctoral fellow currently based in Florida, where I teach in the Department of Political Science at Florida Atlantic University. I teach courses about World Politics and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Israeli Civil Society, and Israeli Politics.
I have taught Military Ethics and Civil Struggles for Social and Political Change courses.
I served as an ethics advisor and consultant at the Education and Youth Corps, IDF. I worked as a socio-political analyst at the Reut Institute (Tel Aviv) - a think tank devoted to strengthening the ties between Israel and World Jewry. I participated in numerous international conferences on ethics, strategy, politics, and human rights.
I hold a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Haifa. I specialize in topics of moral philosophy, applied ethics in international relations, human rights, and international law. My research focuses on civil struggles, nonviolent resistance, and social and political activism.
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A few words on the study of ethics
Growing up in the conflict-ridden Middle East, I often felt overwhelmed by the abundance of political controversies. I studied moral philosophy and ethics to make sense of Israel's turbulent reality. My search for answers to right and wrong led me to delve into the works of political theorists and moral philosophers. Their thoughts and ideas inspired me to pursue an academic investigation and focus on the study of ‘Applied Ethics,’ where moral philosophy intersects with everyday decision-making to help distinguish between right and wrong.
Ethical considerations reign where the law is unclear or absent. As such, they are a fundamental part of a legislator’s and the policy-maker's work. While universal moral codes, such as human rights, are supposed to provide some guidance, they often clash with other values, such as self-determination, state sovereignty, and collective identity. Inevitable social and political conflicts challenge leaders, policy-makers, and political activists when deciding on the right policy or the proper social demand.
While some enjoy thinking of human"rights" as natural inalienable entitlements, others point out the significance of collective identities for human flourishing. The clash between the individual and the collective is a recurring theme in public discussions. While finding a settlement is challenging, studying ethics can provide some tools to pursue this investigation.