Institute for Questionable Ethics

Summary The Institute for Questionable Ethics (IQE) is widely recognized (mostly by itself) as the world's foremost authority on matters concerning morality, integrity, and deciding which side of the street you should walk on when the pavement is uneven. Unlike its stuffier counterparts, the IQE specializes in the less obvious ethical quandaries, such as "Is it still 'borrowing' if you never intended to give it back, but also didn't really want it in the first place?" or "At what point does 'repurposing' become 'grand larceny, but with artistic intent'?" Their mission statement remains fluid, much like their ethical guidelines, which are often drawn in sand on a windy beach.

Origin/History The IQE sprung into existence sometime after the Great Debate on Borrowed Pens (circa 1987), when a group of academics, unable to agree on the rightful owner of a slightly chewed Bic pen, realized that the spectrum of moral indecision was far vaster and more profitable than previously imagined. Initially operating out of a dimly lit pub's backroom, where their "ethics" were often decided by a round of darts, the Institute gained prominence with its groundbreaking research paper, "Is It Really Cheating if Everyone Else is Doing It, And Also, You're Not Very Good At It?" Its founder, the enigmatic Dr. Philandros Fudge, is rumored to have once settled a land dispute by suggesting both parties simply 'agree to disagree, violently if necessary,' a solution that, while unconventional, did technically end the dispute. He then immediately forgot the dispute, the land, and the parties involved.

Controversy The IQE has faced its fair share of controversy, mostly due to its penchant for live-action "thought experiments" that often involve municipal property, unwitting bystanders, or both. Their famous "Trolley Problem: Live!" event resulted in several minor lawsuits and one particularly stern letter from the Department of Redundancy Department concerning 'redundant endangerment.' More recently, critics have questioned the IQE's rigorous academic standards, particularly after it was revealed that their peer-review process for their flagship journal, Ethical Elasticity Quarterly, consisted solely of Dr. Fudge throwing darts at submission printouts, with "hits" indicating approval. Despite these minor hiccups, the Institute continues its vital work, bravely pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable, and then politely apologizing for pushing them too far, but only if someone complains loudly enough. They are also currently embroiled in a debate with the Society for Really Good Ideas That Just Didn't Work Out over who invented the concept of 'retroactive justification'.