The Moral Practice of War and Free Speech on Campus

The podcast episode explores the moral aftershocks of the Gaza conflict in two distinct spheres: the moral practice of war and the moral practice of free speech on college campuses. The episode discusses the importance of the just war doctrine in the context of the Gaza conflict, highlighting the requirements of just ad bellum (right cause for war) and just in bello (right conduct in war). It emphasizes the violation of international laws prohibiting aggressive warfare in the Hamas attack on Israel. The episode also delves into the moral complexities faced by the Israeli military in responding to the attack, examining concepts like discrimination, proportionality, and necessity in the conduct of war. In the second half of the episode, the focus shifts to the disturbance in the moral practice of free speech on college campuses. It highlights the hypocrisy of many institutions that previously suppressed certain viewpoints, but now allow vitriol and anti-Semitism towards Jewish students in the name of free speech. The episode emphasizes the importance of universities as laboratories for robust debate and the development of critical thinking skills, and discusses the detrimental effects of turning campuses into ideological boot camps or factories. Overall, the episode underscores the significance of upholding free speech and fostering pluralism in society, both as safeguards for individual dignity and as essential aspects of democratic principles and participation.