Forgiveness
NEWSHOUR – BBC WORLD SERVICE, 20 JUNE. I took part in a reasonably long discussion about forgiveness on this programme.[…]
ReadTag: Ethics
Should we change ourselves or the world?
The central purpose of religion has historically been a change of heart, not a change in the world. Modern politics has things entirely the other way around: the state’s job is to change society and it oversteps its mark if it tries to alter the minds of the people.
ReadHave we passed “peak vegetarianism”?
Vegetarians have tended to see themselves as on the side of history, in the vanguard of moral progress. In their imagined future, meat-eating would be seen as being as barbarous as slavery, racism, homophobia and the subjugation of women. It seems much more likely, however, that we have already passed “peak vegetarianism” and that the movement has grown as large as it ever will.
ReadCharities risk losing our goodwill
The public image of charities has become dominated by their means, not their ends. When people think of charities today, they tend to think less of the good works they do than of direct mailings, cold calls and preternaturally chirpy young fundraisers accosting them on the street.
ReadHow do we choose our guides?
An unwillingness to prescribe simple remedies makes philosophers the best kind of guides. Give someone good advice and they’ll make a good choice today, teach them how to make good choices and they’ll keep on making them.
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