Monthly Archives: August 2012

In the language of political philosophy  “moral cosmopolitanism” is the view that the interests of all persons, wherever located, are entitled to equal weight, and thus we have no justification for favoring the economic or other interests of our fellow citizens: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmopolitanism/.  There are versions of this doctrine, “moderate cosmopolitanism,” that allow for some local favoritism.  It is easy to see how this perspective can be derived from utilitarianism, which requires the agent to impartially weigh the happiness of all persons. Continue Reading »

The public airwaves are filled these days with cries of anguish and stinging criticism of the two major political parties’ failure to break the existing deadlock regarding tax rates, federal spending, entitlement reform, and related issues. This essay will argue that such denunciations are, for the most part, misplaced, and based on a failure to appreciate the reasons for this stalemate. Of course, there is nothing inherently praiseworthy about gridlock, but there are times, like the present, when it is unobjectionable if not actually commendable. Continue Reading »