dwight commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 12.20.09
The "Whats a fair start? What do we deserve?" episode is a stimulating, concise exposition of Rawlss theories that are a justification of our current social system. Nevertheless, it does bring to mind the following story Its annual budget time at the College. The Math Department Chairman is alarmed to receive notice that his departments budget has been halved. He hurries off to speak with the Dean. He says, “Dean, we didn’t ask for anything new only the usual. Why did you halve our budget?” The Dean says, “Well, times are tough. Besides, you always get exactly the same items and exactly the same budget as the Philosophy Department. I halved their budget and the Philosophy Chairman didn’t complain.” The Math Chairman says, “It’s true that Math and Philosophy always get the same items and budget, but really….All we ask for is chalk, pencils, paper, and trash cans.” “Yes,” says the Dean. “And the Philosophy Chairman said they never use the trash cans.”

milly commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 11.16.09
Excellent program! I will certainly tune in for the remainder.

Marc commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 10.26.09
Taxation concerns a proportion of the income (and indirectly of the work) no income, no tax. Slavery concerns an arbitrary amount of work (whether 24 hours a day or less). The assimilation of the two is not serious. More serious in fact, is the marxist theory of the work value, and its alienation in addedvalue. But this only shows that libertarian and utilitarian theories do not define a range they are just two spots in a wide space.

commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 10.18.09
How many citizens consent to the massive taxation imposed upon them? If everything I own, use, or do is taxed by the government, how much of myself do I "own"?

commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 10.18.09
This Libertarian argument is ethnocentric and egocentric with only few redeeming values. Of course there is a collective stake in the wealth of Bill Gates... who do they make their prophets out of. There is the idea of the Common, or Commonwealth, such as the current debasement of the environment. Despite Michael Jordans success there is a greater probability that a black person will be born and die poor. This is a historical fact and a systematic inequity in what is being incorrectly viewed as a Western political phenomenon in what has been a Globalized economy for hundreds of years.

Marc commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 10.01.09
There is a logical flaw in the idea of quantifying an arbitrary experience that doing so does not affect the utility. It does. Giving a value to human life fixes it when it was not, and therefore degrades it. Such a measurement would thus not be stable, universal, objective.

Jim commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 09.26.09
FascinatingIm hooked!! Not only by the presentation of the often very difficult arguments but by the reactions of the students. We are watching the "creme de la creme" and probably some future leaders of our country begin to open their young minds to life, and its very difficult choices.

Connie commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 09.26.09
Thank you WGBH! I am looking forward to seeing all of the shows in this series.

Rosanne commented on Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? on 09.20.09
Wow! This class sounds like its right up my alley ) Recently I lost my job. There was a choice between me and a coworker on who would be laid off. One of the reasons (but believe me, it wasnt the only reason) I stepped aside was that my coworker has two children and has greater financial difficulties than I do. Again, believe me, I am not being a martyr even though it is very difficult being without work in todays world. What has hit me quite hard is the amount of people that have challenged me about taking into consideration my coworkers situation. I repeat it wasnt the sole reason, still I can not imagine NOT factoring it in. It felt like the right thing to do. Well, in todays economy, Im sure Im not the only one caught in these dilemmas!