Season 1
(2009)
Cast
as Self
Episodes
The Moral Side of Murder/The Case for Cannibalism 0.0
September 13, 2009
If you had to choose between killing one person to save the lives of five others and doing nothing, even though you kne…
Putting a Price Tag on Life/How to Measure Pleasure 0.0
September 20, 2009
Sandel presents some contemporary cases in which cost-benefit analysis was used to put a dollar value on human life. Th…
Free to Choose/Who Owns Me? 0.0
September 27, 2009
Sandel introduces the libertarian notion that redistributive taxation—taxing the rich to give to the poor—is akin to fo…
The Land is My Land/Consenting Adults 0.0
October 4, 2009
The philosopher John Locke believes that individuals have certain rights—to life, liberty, and property—which were give…
Hired Guns?/For Sale: Motherhood 0.0
October 11, 2009
During the Civil War, men drafted into war had the option of hiring substitutes to fight in their place. Many students …
Mind Your Motive/The Supreme Principle of Morality 0.0
October 18, 2009
Professor Sandel introduces Immanuel Kant, a challenging but influential philosopher. Kant rejects the notion that mora…
A Lesson In Lying/A Deal Is A Deal 0.0
October 25, 2009
Immanuel Kant believed that telling a lie, even a white lie, is a violation of one’s own dignity. Sandel introduces the…
What's A Fair Start?/What Do We Deserve? 0.0
November 1, 2009
Rawls argues that even meritocracy—a distributive system that rewards effort—doesn’t go far enough in leveling the play…
Arguing Affirmative Action/What's The Purpose? 0.0
November 8, 2009
Students discuss the pros and cons of affirmative action. Should we try to correct for inequality in educational backgr…
The Good Citizen/ Freedom Vs. Fit 0.0
November 15, 2009
Aristotle believes the purpose of politics is to promote and cultivate the virtue of its citizens. The telos or goal of…
The Claims Of Community/Where Our Loyaty Lies 0.0
November 22, 2009
Communitarians argue that, in addition to voluntary and universal duties, we also have obligations of membership, solid…
Debating Same-Sex Marriage/The Good Life 0.0
November 29, 2009
If principles of justice depend on the moral or intrinsic worth of the ends that rights serve, how should we deal with …