Global Ethics Corner Podcast

In a difficult and protracted war democracies may accept a draw due to a lack of public support. If you were caught between bowing to public opinion and taking bold positions that may alienate the electorate, which would you choose?

What is the U.S. role in the world? There are two extremes. Being an example, or employing forceful U.S. engagement and being a moral champion. Neither pole will or should prevail, but which might best drive America's interests?

Should there be formal or informal standards for compensation? Can you ever earn too much?

Inequality in America has been accelerating rapidly since the 1980s. But capping income levels could put liberty and competitiveness at risk. This short audio on ethics asks: What is the right balance between liberty and equality?

Private contractors bring important skills to tasks outside the capability or mission of military personnel, but they are not accountable to the government or American people. Is this political cover valuable? What about the hidden costs?

When balancing life's complex tensions, how do you know when you've crossed a line?

When war is a foreign insurgency, balancing human risks and possibility of success is a fundamental ethical dilemma for leaders. What do you think should happen in Afghanistan?

When choosing Nobel Peace Prize winners, should the Nobel Committee think of the future, using the Nobel's prestige to encourage peace-making? Or should they identify achievements over time, rewarding those shown worthy?

By 2050 some estimate that climate change will displace 150 million people, but the displaced won't qualify as refugees under international law. What should be done about relocation?

Should cultural treasures, acquired under dubious circumstances, be returned to their places of origin?

Can we regulate international space like the oceans? Pollution and illegal or unregulated fishing plague international waters. How can the problem be managed to maintain the health and beauty of our seas?

The global circulation of goods is a major source of both prosperity and carbon emissions. This short audio on ethics asks: Can trade be regulated to maximize development and reduce environmental harm?

This short clip on ethics asks: Who pays to stop global warming? How to allocate emissions allowances? If people are entitled to an equal share of the world's resources, should national allowances be allocated on a per capita basis? How about the billionaire in India who pollutes more than a poor person in urban Paris?

How do we put value on the forests as an indispensable element of our survival? Can we balance market mechanisms with regulations and consumption with sustainability?

Do states have a responsibility to protect the planet? If so, who would decide when environmental protection is a legitimate reason to interfere in the affairs of another state?