Video: Justice: What's The Right Thing to Do?
JUSTICE: WHAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO? invites viewers to think critically about the fundamental questions of justice, equality, democracy and citizenship. Each week, more than 1,000 students attend the lectures of Harvard University professor and author Michael Sandel, eager to expand their understanding of political and moral philosophy, as well as test long-held beliefs. Students learn about the great philosophers of the past - Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Locke -then apply the lessons to complex and sometimes volatile modern-day issues, including affirmative action, same-sex marriage, patriotism, loyalty and human rights. Sandel's teaching approach involves presenting students with an ethical dilemma - some hypothetical, others actual cases - then asking them to decide "what's the right thing to do?" He encourages students to stand up and defend their decisions, which leads to a lively and often humorous classroom debate. Sandel then twists the ethical question around, to further test the assumptions behind their different moral choices. The process reveals the often contradictory nature of moral reasoning.
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Displaying 1 to 12 of 12 results.
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 12: "DEBATING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE" | PBS (#112)
Full Program: PART ONE: DEBATING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE If principles of justice depend on the moral or intrinsic worth of the ends that rights serve, how should we deal with the fact that people hold different... 55:11
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 10: "THE GOOD CITIZEN" | PBS (#110)
Full Program: PART ONE: THE GOOD CITIZEN Aristotle believes the purpose of politics is to promote and cultivate the virtue of its citizens. The telos or goal of the state and political community is the good... 55:08
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 08: "WHATS A FAIR START?" | PBS (#108)
Full Program: PART ONE: WHAT'S A FAIR START? Is it just to tax the rich to help the poor? John Rawls says we should answer this question by asking what principles you would choose to govern the distribution of... 55:07
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 03: "FREE TO CHOOSE" | PBS (#103)
Full Program: PART ONE: FREE TO CHOOSE Sandel introduces the libertarian conception of individual rights, according to which only a minimal state is justified. Libertarians argue that government shouldnt have... 55:08
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 05: "HIRED GUNS" | PBS (#105)
Full Program: PART ONE: HIRED GUNS During the Civil War, men drafted into war had the option of hiring substitutes to fight in their place. Professor Sandel asks students whether they consider this policy... 55:10
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 06: "MIND YOUR MOTIVE" | PBS (#106)
Full Program: PART ONE: MIND YOUR MOTIVE Professor Sandel introduces Immanuel Kant, a challenging but influential philosopher. Kant rejects utilitarianism. He argues that each of us has certain fundamental... 55:14
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 04: "THIS LAND IS MY LAND" | PBS (#104)
Full Program: PART ONE: THIS LAND IS MY LAND The philosopher John Locke believes that individuals have certain rights so fundamental that no government can ever take them away. These rights—to life, liberty and... 54:59
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 11: "THE CLAIMS OF COMMUNITY" | PBS (#111)
Full Program: PART ONE: THE CLAIMS OF COMMUNITY Professor Sandel presents Kant's objections to Aristotle's theory. Kant believes politics must respect individual freedom. People must always respect other... 55:11
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 02: "PUTTING A PRICE TAG ON LIFE" | PBS (#102)
Full Program: PART ONE: PUTTING A PRICE TAG ON LIFE Today, companies and governments often use Jeremy Bentham's utilitarian logic under the name of cost-benefit analysis. Sandel presents some contemporary... 55:10
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? | Episode 09: "ARGUING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION" | PBS (#109)
Full Program: PART ONE: ARGUING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PART TWO: WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? Sandel describes the 1996 court case of a white woman named Cheryl Hopwood who was denied admission to a Texas law school, even... 55:01
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 07: "A LESSON IN LYING" | PBS (#107)
Full Program: PART ONE: A LESSON IN LYING Immanuel Kant's stringent theory of morality allows for no exceptions. Kant believed that telling a lie, even a white lie, is a violation of ones own dignity. Professor... 55:05
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Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 01 "THE MORAL SIDE OF MURDER" | PBS (#101)
Full Program: PART ONE: THE MORAL SIDE OF MURDER If you had to choose between (1) killing one person to save the lives of five others and (2) doing nothing even though you knew that five people would die right... 54:56
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