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 mist, illuminating the bright pastel ripples of Oribo Valley, the valley I’m named after. I’ve been given this name by the Ik people I’m living […]
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 implementing the law – if not from a legal perspective then from a moral or practical one. This is where judgment comes in. In a […]
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 the choice is by virtue of an excessive focus on what is easily measurable instead of what ought to be measured. Many graphs, for example, […]
Two Questions About Trump and Republicans that Stump Progressives
Understanding moral frameworks requires knowledge of how metaphors structure how we reason about our Values. Facts cannot counter a moral/value frame. However, conversation can at least create conditions for understanding of how different metaphors and frames represent coherent but different moral frameworks. Progressives are stumped. They are asking these questions over and over again […]