The Minefield

One of the perhaps underappreciated aspects of COVID-19 is the way the pandemic has dealt a blow to these daily interactions which reinforce our commitment to a common life. What is ‘civility’? What is the regulative role it plays in our common life?

Does our limited conception of moral responsibility stem from a profound failure to recognise our interconnectedness, the extent to which our lives are implicated in the suffering and wellbeing of others – human and nonhuman?

In the absence of a police investigation into an historical allegation of sexual assault against the Attorney-General, many Australians have pinned their hopes on an independent, arms-length, confidential inquiry. Professor Rosalind Dixon joins us to discuss the legal and moral grounds for such an inquiry.

They seem innocuous, but since their invention more than two decades ago, emojis have come to permeate our forms of online communication. Indeed, they are the perfect expression of what communication has become in a social-media saturated age.

The measures Facebook has taken over the past week have precipitated a long-overdue reckoning. Now that the “social network” has lifted the veil on its ambitions and civic disdain, how can news media companies continue, in good conscience, with their Faustian pact?

Professor Rita Felski joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to explore whether a better understanding of the nature of aesthetic experience – of what art does to us, and why – can give us a better sense of the nature of moral disagreement, and of how it is that we might come to discover a shared world.

Yasha Mounk, an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins and author of "The People vs. Democracy," dives into the ethical dilemmas of modern democracy, especially under Trump. He discusses the Republican Party's struggle with democratic principles, the urgent need to reject anti-democratic sentiments, and the existential crises faced by both political sides. Mounk emphasizes the necessity for mutual legitimacy in a divided landscape, while exploring voting demographic intricacies and challenges to American civic values.

Ross Douthat, an opinion columnist at the New York Times, brings his conservative insights to the forefront of today's media landscape. He discusses how opinion writing can amplify polarization and emotional responses, questioning its role in healthy discourse. Douthat tackles the ethical complexities of opinion journalism, particularly during politically charged times like the Trump presidency. He emphasizes the need for sincere, deep reflections over superficial commentary and urges writers to balance personal views with moral accountability.

Perhaps the most consequential event over the last two months was decision of social media companies to ban Donald Trump — permanently or indefinitely — from their platforms “due to the risk of further incitement of violence”. Why are some vaguely uneasy about this move? Are there valid ethical objections?