A conversation with political philosopher Michael Sandel Meritocracy is not an alternative to inequality. If you think about it, it’s a justification for inequality. That’s what it’s become, and the […]
The Tragedy of the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’
The man who wrote one of environmentalism’s most-cited essays was a racist, eugenicist, nativist and Islamaphobe—plus his argument was wrong. Fifty years ago, University of California professor Garrett Hardin penned […]
Neither nasty nor brutish
The Ik – among the poorest people on Earth – have been cast as exemplars of human selfishness. The truth is much more startling Slabs of sunlight break through the […]
When to break a rule
Differences do sometimes make a difference. There will be occasions when taking account of the particularities of an individual and her situation is appropriate, even obligatory for those charged with […]
The Tragedy of Costs and Benefits
In the fight against COVID-19, weighing costs and benefits is indispensable for moral clarity. At the same time, we must not forget its limits. One way that measurement can distort […]