With the election of the socially liberal and pro-European Emmanuel Macron as France's next president, many are claiming that the wave of right-wing populism sweeping the West has crested. But Macron faces formidable challenges in delivering on his promise for change. LONDON – After last year, when the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union and the United States elected Donald Trump as p
When a particular model of capitalism is working successfully, material progress relieves political pressures. But, as we saw in 2016, when the economy fails – and the failure is not just a transient phase but a symptom of deep contradictions – capitalism’s disruptive social side effects can turn politically toxic. LONDON – The biggest political surprise of 2016 was that everyone was so surprised.
Our emotions often motivate us to do what is right, but they are equally likely to motivate us to do what is wrong. In making ethical decisions, it is our ability to reason – not our ability to feel the pain of others – that should play a crucial role. PRINCETON – Soon after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, he told a young girl: “We don’t have enough empathy in our world to
Whaling should stop because it brings needless suffering to social, intelligent animals capable of enjoying their own lives. But Western anti-whaling countries will have little defense against charges of cultural bias until they address the needless animal suffering in their own backyards. Thirty years ago, Australian vessels, with the government’s blessing, killed sperm whales off the West Austra
Attempts to ban the burkini in France – not to mention discussion of similar bans in Germany – suggest that demands for cultural assimilation are back in style. The question is to what extent a country that accepts immigrants can – or should – require that they relinquish their traditional practices. MELBOURNE – My parents came to Australia as refugees, fleeing Nazi persecution after Hitler annexe
Amnesty International's appeal in May for governments to decriminalize sex work was met with a storm of protest. But most of the opposition reflects moralistic prejudices, whether based on religion or an idealistic form of feminism, not the best interests of sex workers or the public. PRINCETON – Sex work is, as the saying goes, the world’s oldest profession – except that the saying uses “prostitu
In April, Germany’s parliament placed limits on the use of genetic diagnosis by insurers and employers. But many of the new law's provisions will be unenforceable in the absence of an international agreement, and some of them, by banning outright embryonic and pre-natal screening for genetic diseases, are ethically absurd. MELBOURNE – In April, Germany’s parliament placed limits on the use of gene
Japan has been mired in economic malaise for more than two decades – and it is likely to remain there unless policymakers change course. That means, above all, embracing a large carbon tax and green finance, as well as considering monetizing government debt. NEW YORK – It’s been a quarter-century since Japan’s asset bubble burst – and a quarter-century of malaise as one “lost decade” has followed
China's economy has undergone radical transformation in recent years, and it is now at a new threshold where it can support world-class research in science and technology. As Chinese consumers continue to demand more medical treatments, China will play an increasingly central role in the life-sciences research of the future. BEIJING – The Chinese economy has undergone radical transformation in rec
A recent experiment in which an artificially intelligent chatbot became virulently racist highlights the challenges we could face if machines ever become superintelligent. As difficult as developing artificial intelligence might be, teaching our creations to be ethical is likely to be even more daunting. PRINCETON – Last month, AlphaGo, a computer program specially designed to play the game Go, ca
Last month, hundreds of students at Princeton University demanded that the university's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and Wilson College, one of its residential colleges, be renamed. Whether or not one agrees, the protesters have played an invaluable role in educating students and faculty. PRINCETON – In the midst of my Practical Ethics class last month, several studen
Obesity is an ethical issue, because an increase in weight by some imposes costs on others. That is why obese people should be subject to transport surcharges, and why foods that make people fat should be subject to higher taxes. MELBOURNE – We are getting fatter. In Australia, the United States, and many other countries, it has become commonplace to see people so fat that they waddle rather than
Last year, US President Barack Obama Obama promised a change of policy on American drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere, indicating that he would require “near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured – the highest standard we can set.” Unfortunately, this promise has yet to be fulfilled. PRINCETON – Last month, Faisal bin Ali Jaber traveled from his home in Yemen to
In some environmental circles, blanket opposition to genetically modified organisms is like taking a loyalty oath – dissidents are regarded as traitors in league with the evil biotech industry. It is time to move beyond such a narrowly ideological stance. MELBOURNE – Greenpeace, the global environmental NGO, typically leads protests. Last month, it became the target.
With the proportion of students completing bachelor’s degrees in the humanities plummeting, there is growing talk of a crisis in these disciplines. And yet one recent independent ranking listed three philosophers among the world's top five global thinkers for 2013. MELBOURNE – Last year, a report from Harvard University set off alarm bells, because it showed that the proportion of students in the
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