WGBH Station

Debating Same-Sex Marriage / The Good Life
Michael Sandel
November 29, 2009
00:55:10
Lecture Twenty-Two: "Debating Same-Sex Marriage" If principles of justice depend on the moral or intrinsic worth of the ends that rights serve, how does society deal with the fact that people hold different ideas and conceptions of what is good?
The Claims of Community / Where Our Loyalty Lies
Michael Sandel
November 22, 2009
00:55:10
Lecture Twenty-One: “The Claims of Community” Professor Sandel presents Immanuel Kant’s and John Rawl’s objections to Aristotle who believe that individuals should be free and capable of choosing his or her ends. This leads to an introduction to the communitarian view.
The Good Citizen / Freedom vs. Fit
Michael Sandel
November 15, 2009
Lecture Nineteen: "The Good Citizen" Aristotle's theory of justice leads to a contemporary debate about golf, specifically "the purpose" of golf. Students debate whether the PGA was wrong in not allowing a disabled golfer, Casey Martin, to use a golf cart during professional tournaments.
Audio-only
Conversation with Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
October 20, 2009
00:07:43
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf speaks with anchor Marco Werman in the studio of PRI’s The World at WGBH. He answers questions about US-Pakistani relations and the battle against extremists in Pakistan. Other stories from PRI’s The World.
This Land is My Land / Consenting Adults
Michael Sandel
October 4, 2009
00:54:58
Lecture Seven: "This Land is My Land" John Locke is both a supporter and detractor from the theory of Libertarianism. Locke argues that in the "state of nature," before any political structure has been established, every human has certain natural rights to life, liberty -- and property.
Free to Choose / Who Owns Me?
Michael Sandel
September 27, 2009
00:55:07
Lecture Five: "Free to Choose" Libertarians believe the ideal state is a society with minimal governmental interference. Sandel introduces Robert Nozick, a libertarian philosopher, who argues that individuals have the fundamental right to choose how they want to live their own lives.
Putting a Price Tag on Life / How to Measure Pleasure
Michael Sandel
September 20, 2009
00:55:09
Lecture Three: "Putting a Price Tag on Life" Jeremy Bentham's late 18th century Utilitarian theory -- summed up as "the greatest good for the greatest number" -- is often used today under the name of "cost-benefit analysis." Sandel presents some contemporary examples where corporations used this th
The Moral Side of Murder / The Case for Cannibalism
Michael Sandel
September 13, 2009
00:54:56
Lecture One: "The Moral Side of Murder" If you had to choose between killing one person or five, what would you do? What's the right thing to do?