morals at Brave New Films

Freedom, Capitalism and Morality - Eric Foner

2008-10-11T10:47:13Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, argues that traditionally-held American values of free-market capitalism and Christian morality are inherently contradictory.

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In this exclusive Sydney lecture, Professor Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, will trace how Americans have thought about the key concept of freedom through the course of history.

He argues that freedom has never been a single idea, but has been the source of considerable disagreement and conflict - University of Sydney

Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History, specializes in the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and 19th-century America. He received his B.A. from Columbia in 1963 and his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1969. His publications include Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War (1970), Tom Paine and Revolutionary America (1976), Politics and Ideology in the Age of the Civil War (1980), Nothing But Freedom: Emancipation and Its Legacy (1983), Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988), Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction (1993), and The Story of American Freedom (1998). In 2000, he served as President of the American Historical Association.

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Firestorm Erupts Over Comparing McCain Cheating To Edwards

2008-09-03T20:19:44Z

Alan Colmes threw all the conservatives off their game by pointing out the similarities between John Edwards' infidelity and John McCain's. After denouncing John Edwards as unworthy of public office for having cheated on his ill wife, none of the three conservatives could come up with a decent explanation of why McCain's similar behavior was any less despicable.

From the 8/12/08 Hannity & Colmes.

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Why Is Organ Harvesting Wrong?

2008-09-26T22:33:01Z

The devaluation of human life detracts from governmental, business, and ethical health in any society.

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Another Repuke Busted

2008-10-11T10:18:49Z

Sen. Larry Craig Arrested!!!
Republican Morals!! Huge Lie!!

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E.J. Dionne - Chances for an Atheist President?

2008-06-12T09:35:20Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Washington Post Op-Ed columnist E.J. Dionne discusses the chances of an atheist candidate being elected President of the United States.

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E.J. Dionne discusses Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics after the Religious Right.

One of our most prolific thinkers, E. J. Dionne argues that the advantage of the religious right is over. He says mainstream America has taken up the causes of social justice, peace and the environment.

Though he expects evangelical Christians to continue to thrive, they are beginning to focus on these issues as well, rather than abortion and gay marriage - The Commonwealth Club of California

E.J. Dionne is a twice-weekly columnist for The Post, writing on national policy and politics. His column appears on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Before joining The Post in 1990 as a political reporter, he spent 14 years at The New York Times, covering local, state, and national politics, and also serve as a foreign correspondent in Paris, Rome and Beirut. Dionne began his column for The Post in 1993. He is a University Professor at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution.

Dionne has been a frequent commentator on politics for National Public Radio, ABC's "This Week," and NBC's "Meet the Press." His book Why Americans Hate Politics (1991), won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award nominee. He is also author of Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps, and the Politics of Revenge (2004), and They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives Will Dominate The Next Political Era (1996).

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Dan Ariely - Finding Cheating's "Comfort Level"

2008-06-10T09:32:09Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

MIT Behavioral Economist Dan Ariely identifies a psychological "comfort level" for cheating.

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Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why do we splurge on a lavish meal but cut coupons to save twenty-five cents on a can of soup? We think we're making smart, rational choices. But are we?

In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities. Predictably Irrational will change the way we interact with the world - one small decision at a time - Cody's Books

Dan Ariely is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT, where he holds a joint appointment between MIT's Media Laboratory and the Sloan School of Management. His work has been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Scientific American, and Science.

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Ben Stein - Does America Lack a Sense of Community?

2008-06-06T15:36:42Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Author, economist and TV celebrity Ben Stein laments what he feels to be America's lack of community values.

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How Not to Ruin Your Life with Ben Stein.

You may know him best for his deadpan delivery in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or his offbeat game show, "Win Ben Stein's Money." But this active thinker is also a major contributor to current discussions and understanding of business, ethical and social issues in the world of finance, and the political and social content of mass culture. Come hear this polymath speak about the many economic, political and social issues confronting us today - The Commonwealth Club of California

Ben Stein is a lawyer, economist, and commentator on finance (and a well-known actor and Hollywood personality).

Stein served as an economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He has been a longtime contributor to Barron's and a columnist and editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal. He has also written extensively about finance for New York magazine and the Washington Post.

In addition to writing for Yahoo! Finance, he currently writes a biweekly column on economics and finance for the New York Times and appears weekly on the Fox News network commenting on finance and economics.

He is the author of several personal finance books, including How to Ruin Your Financial Life, Moneypower: How to Make Inflation Make You Rich, Financial Passages, and - with Phil DeMuth - the best-sellers Yes, You Can Time the Market, Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor, and the forthcoming Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably.

Stein is Honorary Chair of the National Retirement Planning Coalition, and lives in Los Angeles, Calif.

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Busted: Conservative, "moral" Princeton student lied about attack

2008-01-12T20:44:10Z

More hypocrisy from the ~~moral~~ immoral conservative crowd:

A Princeton University junior who claimed to have been beaten by two men in black ski caps for his conservative views admitted on Monday that he made up the attack, according to Princeton Township police officials.

Francisco Nava, 23, told police that he was attacked on Friday evening, two days after he and three other students belonging to a conservative group, the Anscombe Society, had received threatening e-mail messages, according to the university. The society opposes premarital sex and advocates for a return to more traditional morality in society.

This guy went pretty far, concocting this story:

Mr. Nava said that when he walked toward the man, he was grabbed by a second man and pinned against a brick wall in a field. He said that both men hit him in the face before running away.

And then he pushed the envelope even farther:

But on Monday, when confronted by police officials about inconsistencies in his story, Mr. Nava admitted that he had inflicted scratches and bruises on his own face because of “underlying personal issues” and that he had not received any threatening e-mail messages, said Detective Sgt. Ernie Silagyi, who interviewed Mr. Nava.

Maybe if he'd indulge in some of the activities he's so against, he'd loosen up a little. Not that I'm advocating pre-marital sex. Never. Not I.

Except maybe in this case.

Especially in this case.

Should Parents Be Allowed to Choose Their Child's Sex?

2008-10-06T04:17:06Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Philosopher Michael Sandel and medical researcher William Haseltine debate ethical issues in genetic engineering, in a conversation with the Aspen Institute's Elliot Gerson.

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"The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering" with Michael Sandel and William Haseltine speaking at the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival. Elliot Gerson moderates the discussion.

Some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world all gathered in a single place - to teach, speak, lead, question, and answer at the 2006 Aspen Ideas Festival. Throughout the week, they all interacted with an audience of thoughtful people who stepped back from their day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought, and discussion.

Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University, where he has taught political philosophy since 1980. He is the author of many books, including "The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering" (Harvard University Press, 2007). His writings also appear in general publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, and The New York Times.

William A. Haseltine is chairman of Haseltine Global Health, LLC, a virtual pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new and more efficient means to develop new life saving drugs and medical devices. He is also president of the Haseltine Foundation for Medical Sciences and the Arts, a foundation that supports access to high quality health for the poor and middle class of developing countries and that also fosters a dialog between sciences and the arts.

Elliot Gerson is executive vice president for Seminars and Public Programs at the Aspen Institute. Gerson is responsible for the Aspen Institute’s seminars, including the Executive Seminar, topical and custom seminars, and those offered in Socrates programs. He also manages the Institute’s public programs, including the Aspen Ideas Festival and the World Biomedical Forum. As American secretary of the Rhodes Trust, he manages the US Rhodes Scholarships.

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Jacob Needleman - Why Listen to Opinions You Disagree With?

2008-06-17T09:32:15Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

Jacob Needleman, author and professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University, argues that the act of listening is a critical step in the development of a personal morality.

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Jacob Needleman discusses "Why Can't We Be Good?"

After nearly forty years of weighing humanity's deepest dilemmas - working in settings ranging from university and high school classrooms to corporate offices and hospitals - bestselling author, philosopher, and religious scholar Jacob Needleman presents the most urgent, deeply felt, and widely accessible work of his career.

In "Why Can't We Be Good?" Needleman identifies the core problem that therapists and social philosophers fail to see. He depicts the individual human as a being who knows what is good, yet who remains mysteriously helpless to innerly adopt the ethical, moral, and religious ideas that are bequeathed to him. - Cody's Books

Jacob Needleman is a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University and the author of many books, including The American Soul, The Wisdom of Love, Time and the Soul, The Heart of Philosophy, Lost Christianity, and Money and the Meaning of Life.

In addition to his teaching and writing, he serves as a consultant in the fields of psychology, education, medical ethics, philanthropy, and business, and has been featured on Bill Moyers's acclaimed PBS series A World of Ideas.

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1965 Anti-Pornography Propaganda film

2008-06-17T15:33:32Z

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Religion Panel - Do Athiests Lack "Spiritual Values?"

2008-06-18T09:31:22Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

A panel of religious experts debates the question of whether or not "spiritual values" can be said to be held by individuals who to not profess a belief in God.

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Many studies show that Americans are more religious than people in other Western countries, but battles still rage in the United States over the role of religion in everyday public life.

This panel of religious thinkers comment on the role of faith in transcending individualism and selfishness in a commercial society, on addressing the variety of faiths in our spiritually diverse society, and on religion's role in education. -- The Commonwealth Club

Michael Maudlin is Editorial Director at Harper One San Francisco.

Stephen Prothero is the Chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University and the author of numerous books, most recently Religious Literacy: What Americans Need to Know (HarperSanFrancisco, 2007) and American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003).

Rabbi Michael Lerner is a political activist and the editor of Tikkun, a prominent progressive Jewish and interfaith magazine based in Berkeley, California.

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Sen. David Vitter 2004 Campaign Ads

2008-06-07T15:31:44Z

Admitted Prostitute Patron Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), 2004 Senate campaign ads.

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CAP's Jennifer Palmieri discusses Faith and the Elections

2008-06-08T03:29:37Z

CAPs Jennifer Palmieri discusses faith and values and their impact on the campaign trail and voters this election season with MSNBC's Norah ODonnell
www.americanprogress.org

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