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  <channel>
    <title>Forum Network | Book Tour Podcast Podcast</title>
    <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
    <description><![CDATA[Weekly lecture by authors reading and discussing their latest works. Go on, live and learn by exploring our entire collection of great lectures.]]></description>
    <copyright>(c) 2010 WGBH Educational Foundation</copyright>
    <generator>NPR API RSS Generator 0.93</generator>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Weekly lecture by authors reading and discussing their latest works. Go on, live and learn by exploring our entire collection of great lectures.]]></itunes:summary>
    <itunes:subtitle>Weekly lecture by authors reading and discussing their latest works. Go on, live and learn by explor</itunes:subtitle>
    <itunes:keywords>WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:author>Forum Network</itunes:author>
    <itunes:owner>
      <itunes:email>forumnetwork@wgbh.org</itunes:email>
      <itunes:name>Forum Network</itunes:name>
    </itunes:owner>
    <itunes:category text="Arts">
      <itunes:category text="Literature"/>
    </itunes:category>
    <itunes:category text="Education">
      <itunes:category text="Higher Education"/>
    </itunes:category>
    <itunes:category text="Arts"/>
    <itunes:category text="Education"/>
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    <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
    <image>
      <url>http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/icon_510191.png</url>
      <title>Forum Network | Book Tour Podcast Podcast</title>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
    </image>
    <lastBuildDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:37:32 -0500</lastBuildDate>
    <item>
      <title>Politics, Poetry, and the Inner Life of Democracy</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Howard Zinn and Mark Nepo discuss the American Dream at the beginning of the 21st century. They question how our experiment in democracy has stood the test of time and what Americans can do to ensure a healthy democratic future for their children. Historian Howard Zinn shares his new essay "The Common Cradle of Concern", written for the Fetzer Institute as part of their project to deepen the American dream through a thoughtful national conversation about American ideals.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:37:32 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/123346894/WGBH_123346894.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Howard Zinn and Mark Nepo discuss the American Dream at the beginning of the 21st century. They question how our experiment in democracy has stood the test of time and what Americans can do to ensure a healthy democratic future for their children. Historian Howard Zinn shares his new essay "The Common Cradle of Concern", written for the Fetzer Institute as part of their project to deepen the American dream through a thoughtful national conversation about American ideals.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>Cambridge Forum,History,Literature Philosophy,Politics Public Affairs,North America,20th Century,21st Century,Activism,Authors,Human Rights,Military Warfare,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>79:05</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/123346894/WGBH_123346894.mp3" length="38029105" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Debating Same-Sex Marriage / The Good Life</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Twenty-Two: "Debating Same-Sex Marriage"
If principles of justice depend on the moral or intrinsic worth of the ends that rights serve, how does society deal with the fact that people hold different ideas and conceptions of what is good? Using the example of same-sex marriage, students debate whether it is possible to detach moral permissibility of sexuality from the end or purpose of marriage.  

Lecture Twenty-Three: "The Good Life"
Professor Sandel raises two questions. Is it necessary to reason about the good life in order to decide what is just and what rights people have?  And if that's the case, is it possible to argue or to reason about the nature of the good life? Students debate these questions with a further discussion about government's role in deciding the purpose of marriage.  Michael Sandel concludes his lecture series by making the point that we, as individuals, may never agree on many moral philosophical issues.  However, he argues, on the one hand the debate about these issues is unavoidable. And on the other hand, it is a worthwhile opportunity for all of us to better appreciate the values of others.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:35:20 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/123054795/WGBH_123054795.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Twenty-Two: "Debating Same-Sex Marriage"
If principles of justice depend on the moral or intrinsic worth of the ends that rights serve, how does society deal with the fact that people hold different ideas and conceptions of what is good? Using the example of same-sex marriage, students debate whether it is possible to detach moral permissibility of sexuality from the end or purpose of marriage.  

Lecture Twenty-Three: "The Good Life"
Professor Sandel raises two questions. Is it necessary to reason about the good life in order to decide what is just and what rights people have?  And if that's the case, is it possible to argue or to reason about the nature of the good life? Students debate these questions with a further discussion about government's role in deciding the purpose of marriage.  Michael Sandel concludes his lecture series by making the point that we, as individuals, may never agree on many moral philosophical issues.  However, he argues, on the one hand the debate about these issues is unavoidable. And on the other hand, it is a worthwhile opportunity for all of us to better appreciate the values of others.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Activism,Anthropology,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:11</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/123054795/WGBH_123054795.mp3" length="26551319" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Claims of Community / Where Our Loyalty Lies</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Twenty-One: "The Claims of Community" 
Professor Sandel presents Immanuel Kant's and John Rawl's objections to Aristotle who believe that individuals should be free and capable of choosing his or her ends. This leads to an introduction to the communitarian view. As individuals, how do we weigh our obligations to family against our obligations to community and to our country?    

Lecture Twenty-Two: "Where Our Loyalty Lies"
Professor Sandel leads a discussion about the arguments for and against our obligations of solidarity and membership in the smaller community of family and the larger community of the society at large. Using various scenarios, students debate whether and when loyalty outweighs duty.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:54:47 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122783106/WGBH_122783106.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Twenty-One: "The Claims of Community" 
Professor Sandel presents Immanuel Kant's and John Rawl's objections to Aristotle who believe that individuals should be free and capable of choosing his or her ends. This leads to an introduction to the communitarian view. As individuals, how do we weigh our obligations to family against our obligations to community and to our country?    

Lecture Twenty-Two: "Where Our Loyalty Lies"
Professor Sandel leads a discussion about the arguments for and against our obligations of solidarity and membership in the smaller community of family and the larger community of the society at large. Using various scenarios, students debate whether and when loyalty outweighs duty.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Authors,Human Rights,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:10</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122783106/WGBH_122783106.mp3" length="26547348" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Good Citizen / Freedom vs. Fit</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Nineteen: "The Good Citizen" 
Aristotle's theory of justice leads to a contemporary debate about golf, specifically "the purpose" of golf. Students debate whether the PGA was wrong in not allowing a disabled golfer, Casey Martin, to use a golf cart during professional tournaments.  

Lecture Twenty: "Freedom vs. Fit"
Sandel addresses one of the most glaring objections to Aristotle's views on freedom &mdash; his defense of slavery. Students discuss other objections to Aristotle's theories and debate whether his philosophy limits the freedom of individuals.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:56:26 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122364768/WGBH_122364768.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Nineteen: "The Good Citizen" 
Aristotle's theory of justice leads to a contemporary debate about golf, specifically "the purpose" of golf. Students debate whether the PGA was wrong in not allowing a disabled golfer, Casey Martin, to use a golf cart during professional tournaments.  

Lecture Twenty: "Freedom vs. Fit"
Sandel addresses one of the most glaring objections to Aristotle's views on freedom &mdash; his defense of slavery. Students discuss other objections to Aristotle's theories and debate whether his philosophy limits the freedom of individuals.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,Health Science,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Anthropology,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:08</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122364768/WGBH_122364768.mp3" length="26527077" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Arguing Affirmative Action / What's the Purpose?</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Seventeen: "Arguing Affirmative Action" 
Students discuss the issue of affirmative action and college admissions.  Is it "just" for schools to consider race and ethnicity as a factor in admissions? Does it violate individual rights?  Or is it as equal, and as arbitrary, as favoring a star athlete? Is the argument in favor of promoting diversity a valid one? How does it size up against the argument that a student's efforts and achievements should carry more weight?  

Lecture Eighteen: "What's the Purpose?"
Sandel introduces Aristotle's theory of justice, which, simply put, is giving people what they are due, what they deserve. Aristotle argues that when considering issues of distribution, one must consider the goal, the end, the purpose of what is being distributed. For him, it's a matter of fitting a person's virtues with their appropriate roles.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:07:12 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122092313/WGBH_122092313.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Seventeen: "Arguing Affirmative Action" 
Students discuss the issue of affirmative action and college admissions.  Is it "just" for schools to consider race and ethnicity as a factor in admissions? Does it violate individual rights?  Or is it as equal, and as arbitrary, as favoring a star athlete? Is the argument in favor of promoting diversity a valid one? How does it size up against the argument that a student's efforts and achievements should carry more weight?  

Lecture Eighteen: "What's the Purpose?"
Sandel introduces Aristotle's theory of justice, which, simply put, is giving people what they are due, what they deserve. Aristotle argues that when considering issues of distribution, one must consider the goal, the end, the purpose of what is being distributed. For him, it's a matter of fitting a person's virtues with their appropriate roles.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,Education,History,Literature Philosophy,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Anthropology,Authors,Economics,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:00</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/122092313/WGBH_122092313.mp3" length="26435586" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>This Land is My Land / Consenting Adults</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Seven: "This Land is My Land" 
John Locke is both a supporter and detractor from the theory of Libertarianism. Locke argues that in the "state of nature," before any political structure has been established, every human has certain natural rights to life, liberty &mdash; and property. However, once we agree to enter into society, we are consenting to being governed by a system of laws.  And so, Locke argues, even though government is charged with looking after one's individual rights, it is the majority that defines those rights.

Lecture Eight: "Consenting Adults" 
John Locke on the issue of taxation and consent. How does John Locke square away the conflict between 1) his belief that individuals have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and property and 2) that government &mdash; through majority rule &mdash; can tax individuals without their consent?  Doesn't that amount to taking an individual's property without his/her consent? Locke's answer to that is that we are giving our "implied consent" to taxation laws, by living in society, therefore taxation is legitimate. And, as long as government doesn't target a particular group for taxation &mdash; if it isn't arbitrary &mdash; then taxation isn't a violation of the fundamental rights of individuals.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:56:22 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121781895/WGBH_121781895.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Seven: "This Land is My Land" 
John Locke is both a supporter and detractor from the theory of Libertarianism. Locke argues that in the "state of nature," before any political structure has been established, every human has certain natural rights to life, liberty &mdash; and property. However, once we agree to enter into society, we are consenting to being governed by a system of laws.  And so, Locke argues, even though government is charged with looking after one's individual rights, it is the majority that defines those rights.

Lecture Eight: "Consenting Adults" 
John Locke on the issue of taxation and consent. How does John Locke square away the conflict between 1) his belief that individuals have an unalienable right to life, liberty, and property and 2) that government &mdash; through majority rule &mdash; can tax individuals without their consent?  Doesn't that amount to taking an individual's property without his/her consent? Locke's answer to that is that we are giving our "implied consent" to taxation laws, by living in society, therefore taxation is legitimate. And, as long as government doesn't target a particular group for taxation &mdash; if it isn't arbitrary &mdash; then taxation isn't a violation of the fundamental rights of individuals.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,Politics Public Affairs,World,Renaissance 1400 AD 1600 AD ,Authors,Banking Finance,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>54:58</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121781895/WGBH_121781895.mp3" length="26420540" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What's a Fair Start? / What Do We Deserve?</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Fifteen: "What's a Fair Start?" 
John Rawls applied his "veil of ignorance" theory to social and economic equality issues, as well as fair governance. He asks, if every citizen had to weigh in on the issue of redistributive taxation &mdash; without knowing whether they would end up as one of the poor or one of the wealthy members of society &mdash; wouldn't most of us prefer to eliminate our financial risks and agree to an equal distribution of wealth? 

Lecture Sixteen: "What Do We Deserve?"
Professor Sandel recaps the three different theories raised so far, concerning how income, wealth, and opportunities in life should be distributed.  He summarizes libertarianism, the meritocratic system, and the egalitarian theory.  This leads to a discussion of the fairness of pay differentials in today's society. Sandel compares the salary of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ($200,000) with the salary of Judge Judy ($25 million).  Sandel asks, is this fair?  And if not, why not? Sandel explains how John Rawls believes that personal "success" is more often a function of arbitrary issues for which we can claim no credit:  luck, genetic good fortune, positive family circumstances. But what of effort &mdash; the individual who strives harder and longer to succeed &mdash; how should his/her "effort" be valued?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:45:59 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121584734/WGBH_121584734.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Fifteen: "What's a Fair Start?" 
John Rawls applied his "veil of ignorance" theory to social and economic equality issues, as well as fair governance. He asks, if every citizen had to weigh in on the issue of redistributive taxation &mdash; without knowing whether they would end up as one of the poor or one of the wealthy members of society &mdash; wouldn't most of us prefer to eliminate our financial risks and agree to an equal distribution of wealth? 

Lecture Sixteen: "What Do We Deserve?"
Professor Sandel recaps the three different theories raised so far, concerning how income, wealth, and opportunities in life should be distributed.  He summarizes libertarianism, the meritocratic system, and the egalitarian theory.  This leads to a discussion of the fairness of pay differentials in today's society. Sandel compares the salary of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor ($200,000) with the salary of Judge Judy ($25 million).  Sandel asks, is this fair?  And if not, why not? Sandel explains how John Rawls believes that personal "success" is more often a function of arbitrary issues for which we can claim no credit:  luck, genetic good fortune, positive family circumstances. But what of effort &mdash; the individual who strives harder and longer to succeed &mdash; how should his/her "effort" be valued?]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Authors,Banking Finance,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:07</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121584734/WGBH_121584734.mp3" length="26486788" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Lesson in Lying / A Deal Is A Deal</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Thirteen: "A Lesson in Lying" 
Immanuel Kant's stringent theory of morality allows for no exceptions; he believed that telling a lie, even a white lie, is a violation of one's own dignity. His theory is put to the test with a hypothetical case. If your friend was hiding inside your home, and a killer knocked on your door asking where he was, what could you say to him &mdash; without lying &mdash; that would also save the life of your friend? This leads to a discussion of "misleading truths" &mdash; and the example of how President Clinton used precise language to deny having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, without outright lying to the public.    

Lecture Fourteen: "A Deal Is A Deal"
Sandel introduces the modern philosopher John Rawls and his theory of a "hypothetical contract." Rawls argues that the only way to achieve the most just and fair principles of governance is if all legislators came to the bargaining table in a position of equality. Imagine if they were all behind a "veil of ignorance" &mdash; if their individual identities were temporarily unknown to them (their race, class, personal interests) and they had to agree on a set of laws together. Then and only then, Rawls argues, could a governing body agree upon truly fair principles of justice.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:11:48 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121443053/WGBH_121443053.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Thirteen: "A Lesson in Lying" 
Immanuel Kant's stringent theory of morality allows for no exceptions; he believed that telling a lie, even a white lie, is a violation of one's own dignity. His theory is put to the test with a hypothetical case. If your friend was hiding inside your home, and a killer knocked on your door asking where he was, what could you say to him &mdash; without lying &mdash; that would also save the life of your friend? This leads to a discussion of "misleading truths" &mdash; and the example of how President Clinton used precise language to deny having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, without outright lying to the public.    

Lecture Fourteen: "A Deal Is A Deal"
Sandel introduces the modern philosopher John Rawls and his theory of a "hypothetical contract." Rawls argues that the only way to achieve the most just and fair principles of governance is if all legislators came to the bargaining table in a position of equality. Imagine if they were all behind a "veil of ignorance" &mdash; if their individual identities were temporarily unknown to them (their race, class, personal interests) and they had to agree on a set of laws together. Then and only then, Rawls argues, could a governing body agree upon truly fair principles of justice.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,World,21st Century,Authors,Family Issues,Higher Education,Kant,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:04</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/121443053/WGBH_121443053.mp3" length="26466097" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Hired Guns? / For Sale: Motherhood</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Nine: "Hired Guns?"
During the Civil War, men were conscripted to fight in the war &mdash; but draftees were allowed to pay hired substitutes to fight in their place.  Professor Sandel asks students &mdash; was this policy an example of free-market exchange? Or was it a form of coercion, because the lower class surely had more of a financial incentive to serve? This leads to a classroom debate about the contemporary questions surrounding war and conscription. Is today's voluntary army really voluntary, given that many recruits come from a disproportionately lower economic background? What role does patriotism play?  And what are the obligations of citizenship? Is there a civic duty to serve one's country?

Lecture Ten: "For Sale: Motherhood" 
Professor Sandel applies the issue of free-market exchange to a contemporary and controversial new area:  reproductive rights. Sandel describes bizarre presents examples of the modern-day "business" of sperm and egg donation. Sandel then takes the debate a step further, using the famous legal case of "Baby M", which raised the question of "who owns a baby"?  Mary Beth Whitehead signed a contract with a New Jersey couple in the mid-eighties, agreeing to be their surrogate mother, in exchange for a large fee.  But 24 hours after giving birth, Whitehead decided she wanted to keep the child and the case went to court. Students discuss the morality of selling human life, the legal issues surrounding consent and contracts, and the power of maternal rights.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:28:10 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/120825086/WGBH_120825086.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Nine: "Hired Guns?"
During the Civil War, men were conscripted to fight in the war &mdash; but draftees were allowed to pay hired substitutes to fight in their place.  Professor Sandel asks students &mdash; was this policy an example of free-market exchange? Or was it a form of coercion, because the lower class surely had more of a financial incentive to serve? This leads to a classroom debate about the contemporary questions surrounding war and conscription. Is today's voluntary army really voluntary, given that many recruits come from a disproportionately lower economic background? What role does patriotism play?  And what are the obligations of citizenship? Is there a civic duty to serve one's country?

Lecture Ten: "For Sale: Motherhood" 
Professor Sandel applies the issue of free-market exchange to a contemporary and controversial new area:  reproductive rights. Sandel describes bizarre presents examples of the modern-day "business" of sperm and egg donation. Sandel then takes the debate a step further, using the famous legal case of "Baby M", which raised the question of "who owns a baby"?  Mary Beth Whitehead signed a contract with a New Jersey couple in the mid-eighties, agreeing to be their surrogate mother, in exchange for a large fee.  But 24 hours after giving birth, Whitehead decided she wanted to keep the child and the case went to court. Students discuss the morality of selling human life, the legal issues surrounding consent and contracts, and the power of maternal rights.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Business Economics,Culture Identity,History,Literature Philosophy,People Places,Politics Public Affairs,North America,21st Century,Authors,Economics,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:10</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
      <enclosure url="http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/120825086/WGBH_120825086.mp3" length="26512700" type="audio/mpeg"/>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Free to Choose / Who Owns Me?</title>
      <description><![CDATA[Lecture Five:  "Free to Choose" 
Libertarians believe the ideal state is a society with minimal governmental interference. Sandel introduces Robert Nozick, a libertarian philosopher, who argues that individuals have the fundamental right to choose how they want to live their own lives. Government shouldn't have the power to enact laws that protect people from themselves (seat belt laws), to enact laws that force a moral value on society, or enact laws that redistribute income from the rich to the poor. Sandel uses the examples of Bill Gates and Michael Jordan to explain Nozick's theory that redistributive taxation is a form of forced labor. 

Lecture Six: "Who Owns Me?" 
Libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick makes the case that taxing the wealthy &mdash; to pay for housing, health care, and education for the poor &mdash; is a form of coercion. Students first discuss the arguments in favor of redistributive taxation. If you live in a society that has a system of progressive taxation, aren't you obligated to pay your taxes? Don't the poor need and deserve the social services they receive? And isn't wealth often achieved through sheer luck or family fortune? In this lecture, a group of students ("Team Libertarianism") are asked to defend the objections against Libertarianism.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:29:10 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://forum-network.org</link>
      <guid>http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/396/510191/120553533/WGBH_120553533.mp3</guid>
      <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Lecture Five:  "Free to Choose" 
Libertarians believe the ideal state is a society with minimal governmental interference. Sandel introduces Robert Nozick, a libertarian philosopher, who argues that individuals have the fundamental right to choose how they want to live their own lives. Government shouldn't have the power to enact laws that protect people from themselves (seat belt laws), to enact laws that force a moral value on society, or enact laws that redistribute income from the rich to the poor. Sandel uses the examples of Bill Gates and Michael Jordan to explain Nozick's theory that redistributive taxation is a form of forced labor. 

Lecture Six: "Who Owns Me?" 
Libertarian philosopher Robert Nozick makes the case that taxing the wealthy &mdash; to pay for housing, health care, and education for the poor &mdash; is a form of coercion. Students first discuss the arguments in favor of redistributive taxation. If you live in a society that has a system of progressive taxation, aren't you obligated to pay your taxes? Don't the poor need and deserve the social services they receive? And isn't wealth often achieved through sheer luck or family fortune? In this lecture, a group of students ("Team Libertarianism") are asked to defend the objections against Libertarianism.]]></itunes:summary>
      <itunes:keywords>WGBH Station,Literature Philosophy,North America,21st Century,Human Rights,Community Building,Higher Education,Instructional,no_preroll,ethics,justice,libertarian,WGBH,WGBH FM,WGBH Forum Network Book Tour,Boston,Massachusetts</itunes:keywords>
      <itunes:duration>55:08</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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