Global Ethics Corner Podcast

Do immigrants help or hurt America? Closed borders cut off the world's best and brightest, while open borders may invite the world's desperate, criminal, and crazy. Should we err on the side of opening doors or building walls?

Should you ever deal with dictators? Two American journalists held hostage in North Korea were released as a result of Bill Clinton's recent meeting with Kim Jong-il. Did the positive outcome justify lending credibility to one of the world's worst regimes?

If you don't know the roots under a farmers' market or a colleague's produce, should you trust the food you get from them? How does the joy of growing and giving fresh vegetables weigh against potential soil hazards? Does even a carrot require an ethical choice?

Should government supplement markets to increase the public good? Should it regulate markets to protect the public good? How much is too much regulation?

Policies are often debated along three dimensions: effectiveness, efficiency, and expediency. In place of a fourth dimension—applied ethics—we usually find sensationalism and polarization. Can public discourse rise above shouting?

Modern self-determination and the concept of nationality are closely linked, and have frequently led to instances of ethnic cleansing. Can nationalism and multi-ethnic societies co-exist? Must self-determination imply ethnic cleansing?

Is it ever ethical to violate a democratic constitution? If the rationale for military intervention is to save democracy, does that make it legitimate?

Why can't the U.S. negotiate a domestic solution to health care? Individuals are certainly responsible for their health. A wealthy society can also be responsible for its members. Is health care a primary right, or a personal responsibility?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently declared that burqas are not welcome in France. To some, the burqa represents the suppression of women. Yet many Muslim women embrace it. Should states have control over what people wear?

When are elections legitimate? What about Iran? Elections assume that losers accept results. Because many disagree, can they overturn an election? Should we believe authorities that declare elections valid?

Fairness is a universal concept, but its application depends on time and place. The three pillars of ethical choice—pluralism, rights and responsibilities, and fairness—are thus codependent, and balancing them demands dialogue among people.

Balancing rights and responsibilities is one of the pillars supporting ethical choice. How far do our rights extend? Do responsibilities diminish our entitlements?

How do we celebrate differences without falling into the trap of cultural relativism?

To become ethical, must behavior be grounded in a religious faith or other system of belief? How do we judge the behavior of states and people?

New York is no longer viewed as the financial capital of the world, or even of the United States. Given the recent government intervention in states' economies, will the free-market model be able to compete?