[Reason] helps us to create a better world.
— Paul Bloom (1963), Why Do We Create Stereotypes?, NPR, 14 November 2014.
What none of us can achieve alone, all of us can achieve together.
— Jonathan Sacks (1948), Does Our Future Depend On More Dialogue?, NPR, 17 October 2017.
Frans De Waal (1948)
Professor of Primate Behaviour, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta
[Humanity is] much more cooperative and empathic than given credit for. …
[There are two] pillars of morality. …
- One is reciprocity [coupled with] a sense of justice [and] fairness.
- And the other [is] empathy and compassion.
(Moral behavior in animals, 26 October 2011)
Would you like to know more?
Michael Sandel (1953)
In 2009, Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher of children’s books, distributed free curricular materials about the energy industry to sixty-six thousand fourth-grade teachers.
The curriculum, called the “United States of Energy,” was funded by the American Coal Foundation.
The industry-sponsored lesson plan highlighted the benefits of coal but made no mention of:
- mining accidents,
- toxic waste,
- greenhouse gases, or
- other environmental effects.
In 1983, US companies spent $100 million advertising to children.
In 2005, they spent $16.8 billion.
(p 199)
Advertising encourages people to want things and to satisfy their desires.
Education encourages people to reflect critically on their desires, to restrain or to elevate them.
The purpose of advertising is to recruit consumers; the purpose of public schools is to cultivate citizens.
It isn’t easy to teach students to be citizens, capable of thinking critically about the world around them, when so much of childhood consists of basic training for a consumer society.
(p 200)
(What Money Can't Buy, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2012)
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Contents
Pillars of Morality
Political and Economic Democracy
The Spirit Level
Technology, Entertainment and Design
- A bounced check, a police arrest, and the fight to give millions a second chance, 30 June 2023.
- Does language shape how we think?, 24 February 2023.
Lera Boroditsky (1976): Associate Professor of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego. - Lessons on love and acceptance from today's dynamic families, 10 February 2023.
Andrew Solomon (1963): Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University Medical Center. - Why we need more friction on social media, 7 October 2022.
Yaël Eisenstat: Head of Center for Technology and Security & Vice President, Anti-Defamation League. - How AI can transform your voice, 26 August 2022.
Holly Herndon (1980): Artist and Composer. - Reflections and Farewell, 20 December 2019.
Guy Raz (1975). - Digital Manipulation, 12 July 2019. Are We Running Out Of Time To Save Our Planet?, 7 June 2019.
- Should We Replace Politicians With Random Citizens?, 12 October 2018.
Brett Hennig. - How Do We Make Peace With Death When It's Imminent?, 7 September 2018.
Emily Levine. - What Does GDP Not Tell Us? , 17 August 2018.
Michael Green: CEO, Social Progress Imperative. - How Much Entrepreneurial Potential Lives Inside Our Prisons?, 29 June 2018.
Jeff Smith (1973). - How Can We Redefine Ourselves After A Tragedy?, 15 June 2018.
Janine Shepherd (1962). - How Is Our Attention Packaged And Sold As A Commodity?, 25 May 2018.
Zeynep Tufekci: Associate Professor, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina. - How Does Stigma Compromise The Safety Of Sex Workers?, 23 February 2018.
Juno Mac. - Why Did a Former Extremist Go Undercover To Fight Terrorism?, 15 December 2017.
Mubin Shaikh (1975): Counter-terrorism expert. - Under The Taliban, How Can A Girl Attend School Undercover?, 15 December 2017.
Shabana Basij-Rasikh. - Can Free Breakfast Improve Learning?, 17 November 2017.
Sam Kass (1980). - Megan Phelps-Roper: If You're Raised To Hate, Can You Reverse It?, 27 October 2017.
Megan Phelps-Roper (1986). - How Can We Be More Effective Altruists?, 26 May 2017.
Peter Singer (1946). - Are We Wired To Be Altruistic?, 26 May 2017.
Abigail Marsh: Associate Professor of Psychology, Georgetown University. - Why Is It So Hard To Ask For — And Offer — Forgiveness?, 12 May 2017.
Elizabeth Lesser. - Why Should We Believe In Science?, 24 February 2017.
Naomi Oreskes (1958): Professor of History and Science Studies, University of California, San Diego. - What's Race Got to Do with Medicine?, 10 February 2017.
Dorothy Roberts (1956): Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania. - After A Horrible Hate Crime, How Do You Not Hate Back?, 16 December 2016.
Suzanne Barakat: Resident Physician, UCSF. - How Do You Make The International Community Care About The Refugee Crisis?, 1 April 2016.
Melissa Fleming: Head of Communications, UNHCR. - Why Did Humans Become The Most Successful Species On Earth?, 4 March 2016.
Yuval Harari (1976): Professor of History, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. - How Do We Move Beyond The Darkest Moments In Our Lives?, 11 February 2016.
Monica Lewinsky (1973). - What Is A 'Whitopia' — And What Might It Mean To Live There?, 20 November 2015.
Rich Benjamin: Anthropologist. - Is There A Healthy Way To Think About Depression?, 6 November 2015.
Andrew Solomon (1963). - How Did The World Wide Web Start?, 23 October 2015.
Tim Berners-Lee (1955): Director, W3C. - Can Open Source Be Traced To The 17th-Century?, 23 October 2015.
Clay Shirky (1964): Social Media Theorist. - How Do You Break Into an Industry While Breaking All the Rules?, 2 October 2015.
Steve Shirley (1933): Technology Entrepreneur. - When Do We Become The Final Version of Ourselves?, 19 June 2015.
Dan Gilbert (1957): Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University. - Why Should We Look Forward To Getting Older?, 19 June 2015.
Laura Carstensen: Fairleigh S Dickinson Jr Professor in Public Policy & Professor of Psychology, Stanford University. - How Do We Change When We Really Listen To The People We Love?, 5 June 2015.
David Isay (1965): Founder of StoryCorps. - How Do We Listen When We're Unable to Hear?, 5 June 2015.
Evelyn Glennie (1965): Percussionist. - How Should We Distribute Our Wealth?, 6 February 2015.
Nick Hanauer (1959): Plutocrat. - Finding Love … and Aliens?, 9 January 2015.
John Hodgman (1971). - How Can The Rule Of Law Bring "Justness" And Not Just Justice?, 12 December 2014.
Kimberley Motley: Lawyer. - What Does Everyday Courage Look Like?, 12 December 2014.
Margaret Heffernan (1965): Author of Willful Blindness, Walker & Company, 2011. - Can Comedy Break Stereotypes?, 14 November 2014.
Maz Jobrani (1972): Comedian. - Why Do We Create Stereotypes?, 14 November 2014.
Paul Bloom (1963): Professor of Psychology, Yale University. - What's The Line Between Stereotyping, Celebrating Culture?, 14 November 2014.
Sarah Jones: Playwright. - How Do Our Worst Moments Shape Us?, 1 August 2014.
Andrew Solomon (1963): Psychologist. - New thoughts on capital in the twenty-first century, June 2014.
Thomas Piketty: Professor, Paris School of Economics. - Does Money Make You Mean?, 4 April 2014.
Paul Piff: Social Psychologist, University of California, Berkeley. - Has Money Taken Over American Politics?, 14 March 2014.
Lawrence Lessig (1961): Director, Edmond J Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University. - Why Can't We Talk About An Injustice? 14 March 2014.
Bryan Stevenson (1959): Professor of Clinical Law, New York University. - How Do You Construct A Voice? 7 March 2014.
Rupal Patel: Director, Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory, Northeastern University. - How Do We Cultivate Women Leaders? 17 January 2014.
Sheryl Sandberg (1969): COO, Facebook. - Can Grandmothers Change The World? 14 January 2014.
Bunker Roy (1945): Founder, Barefoot College. - Can One Girl Challenge The Traditions Of Her Village? 20 December 2013.
Kakenya Ntaiya (1978). - Does Body Language Shape Who You Are? 13 December 2013.
Amy Cuddy: Professor of Social Psychology, Harvard University. - How Does A Person Go From Believer To Atheist? 22 November 2013.
Julia Sweeney (1959): Author, If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. - What's A Kinder Way To Frame Success? 1 November 2013.
Alain de Botton (1969): Author, Status Anxiety, 2004. - What Does Identity Mean For An Immigrant? 11 October 2013.
Tan Le (1977). - What Does It Mean To Be A Teenage Feminist Today? 6 September 2013.
Tavi Gevinson (1996). - Can Hacking The Stratosphere Solve Climate Change? 9 August 2013.
David Keith: Environmental Scientist. - Can Hacking The Brain Make You Healthier? 9 August 2013.
Andres Lozano: Neurosurgeon. - What Makes A Good Story? 7 June 2013.
Andrew Stanton: Filmmaker. - What Are The Clues To A Good Story? 7 June 2013.
Andrew Stanton (1965). - What Are The Dangers Of A Single Story? 7 June 2013.
Chimamanda Adichie (1977): Author, The Thing Around Your Neck. - Why we shouldn't trust markets with our civic life, June 2013.
Michael Sandel (1953): Philosopher. - What Do China And The Banjo Have In Common? 25 May 2013.
Abigail Washburn (1977). - Memory Games, 9 May 2013.
- Giving It Away, 6 May 2013.
- Unstoppable learning, 24 April 2013.
- Is Conflict Good For Progress?, 11 March 2013.
Margaret Heffernan (1965). - Peering Into Space, 15 February 2013.
- Turning Points, 24 June 2012.
- Building A Better Classroom, 22 June 2012.
- Where Ideas Come From, 6 June 2012.
- Our Buggy Brain, 27 April 2012.
- How economic inequality harms societies, July 2011.
Richard Wilkinson. - How cognitive surplus will change the world , June 2010.
Clay Shirky (1964): Social Media Theorist.
Greta Thunberg (2003).
