The chapter uncovers the role that Grotius’ philosophy of virtues plays in defining and renegotiating the sphere of law in peace; its distinct roles during and after war; the conditions in which Grotius used virtues as a benchmark to correct and evolve law; and the conditions in which he thought that law can rightfully ignore the calls of virtue. Grotius’ function for virtue in law is then compared to conventional roles assigned to religion in correcting and stimulating law. The chapter brings out the coherence of Grotius’ theory of virtue and law as he applied it to diverse real-life problems and themes, ranging from Iberian-Dutch encounters through his justification of free trade to the doctrinal minimalism that Grotius regarded as the best chance of saving the United Provinces from religious strife. The distinctive rights and duties of sovereigns, magistrates, soldiers, slaves, citizens and Christians are finally explained in light of Grotius’ virtue - law dynamic.

Personalisation can provide notable efficiencies and economic gains, but also unintended negative effects. Most accounts focus on potential negative impacts on individuals or categories of individuals and not the broader consequences or ripple effects of incorporating AI into existing social systems. This chapter explores such issues via an ‘AI ethics’ perspective, the dominant overarching discourse for ‘regulating’ AI for the good of society, commonly characterised as self-policing of AI system use by private corporate actors, sanctioned by government. The discussion critiques that self-policing by locating AI ethics within established traditions of corporate social responsibility and institutional ethical frameworks whose shortcomings translate into a systemic inability to be truly Other-regarding. It shows, referencing the recent EU AI ethics initiative, that even well-intentioned initiatives may miss their target by assuming the desirability of AI applications, regardless of their wider impacts. This approach simply tinkers with system details of minor consequence compared to the broader impacts of AI within social systems, captured by the idea of ‘algorithmic assemblage’.

The CAVE experience is an immersive virtual reality (IVR) environment employing high-resolution, 3D video and audio technology. Using the CAVE, researchers at University College London designed an IVR scenario intended to echo the logical structure of a traditional ‘trolley scenario’ problem, and deployed this activity within an undergraduate Law and Ethics Course. In this chapter we explore how the use of virtual reality can offer students an unparalleled opportunity to reflect on the dissonance between the behaviour they adopt when faced with an ethical dilemma, and the theoretical stance they propose during class discussion. We explore how this personalisation gives rise to sustained student engagement borne out of a desire to understand the discrepancy between principle and practice. Our chapter considers the potential of IVR technology when teaching ethics to future and current professionals. We conclude by considering how such technology can offer more dynamic opportunities for student reflection and how IVR might be sensibly integrated into a broader legal ethics curriculum.