Ethics-Talk: The Greatest Good of Man is Daily to Converse About Virtue

This show continues the discussion of the “legacy of learning” bequeathed by Nurse Catherine Pine in her Last Will & Testament (discussion of 4/21/24).  In that show, we were joined by British historian Elizabeth Crawford, who discussed her research on  the Last Will and Testament of Nurse Catherine Pine (1864-1941), and in particular, on the gift of the “suffragette medal” which Pine bequeathed to the British College of Nurses.  In this show, we focus on the other "suffrage memorabilia provision" of Nurse Pine's Will which bequeathed “books and photographs” to the “Women's Social and Political Club”.  As we discuss, the “Women's Social and Political Club” was the “Suffragette Fellowship Club," and it is the early history of the Suffragette Fellowship Club on which we focus.

This show is part interview/part philosophical discussion that focuses on the work and legacy of Nurse Catherine Pine (1864-1941). Joining us is Elizabeth Crawford, an authority on the British Suffrage Movement, who has written on Pine as well as earlier suffragists such as Milicent Fawcett (1847-1929) both in books and in Crawford's blog “Woman and Her Sphere.” Crawford explains the research process by which she discovered that Pine's Last Will and Testament contained a bequest of several suffragette treasures: books, photographs and a “suffragette medal””. We discuss the suffragette movement of which Nurse Pine was a part; and how Elizabeth Crawford's research uncovered a mystery that has both philosophical and legal dimensions.

Bertha von Suttner's Lay Down Your Arms (Part 4). In our last show of 5/18/22, we began and ended with the final sentence of Chapter 6, pg. 140: "What a foolish world -- still in leading strings -- cruel, unthinking! This was the result of my historical studies." In this show, we focus on Chapters 7 & 8 (pages 141-186). In these chapters, Martha endures the departure of Frederick for war with Denmark. This is the second time she has suffered the departure of husband for war and it takes its toll. The couple is reunited after much grief. We discuss some of the philosophical and political aspects of various passages. This English translation of LDYA has 19 chapters and is 410 pages long. We are about 1/2 into the text. Follow along with the text which you can download at http://www.berthavonsuttner.com/ldya.pdf.

This show continues our discussion from 10/7/21 of Bertha von Suttner's most famous and well-known work, Lay Down your Arms! (LDYA).  Since our last installment, 7 months ago, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and this conflict has endured for almost 3 months.  On this Peace Day, and the 2 year anniversary of this show, Bertha's book is all the more relevant.  Today we focus on chapter 6 (116-140), which we interpret as an account that foreshadows Hannah Arendt's philosophy on the relationship between thoughtlessness and evil ("the banality of evil"). In Chapter 6, Bertha stresses the link between armed conflict and thoughtlessness, both of the individual and the masses, as we discuss. This English translation of LDYA has 19 chapters and is 410 pages long.  We are about 1/3 into the text.

This show continues our discussion from 9/16/21 of Bertha von Suttner's most famous and well-known work, Lay Down your Arms!. In this episode, we focus on Chapters 4-5 (about 60 pages) Martha Dotzky's (nèe Althaus) and Baron Friedrich von Tilling's relationship intensifies and we witness the beginning of heightening and developing of both consciences through their encounter. Through intellectual discussion and a shared "humane viewpoint" Martha, who originally swore off Freidrich von Tilling as a suitor because he is a soldier, begins to realize that he is different. A conversation about Darwin's The Origin of Species is identified as the moment in which Martha begins to fall in love with Friedrich. In this show, we discuss the philosophical implications of the encounter between Martha Dotzky and Friedrich von Tilling and other interesting episodes in Chapters 4-5.

This show focuses Bertha von Suttner's (1843-1914) most famous and well known work, "Lay Down your Arms !". Originally published in the German language in 1889 with the title Die Waffen Nieder!, the first English translation appeared in 1892. Suttner would become the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (in 1905). This show introduces Suttner's book, a fictional autobiography, of 19 chapters. In this show, with Dr. Hope Elizabeth May who founded The Bertha von Suttner Project in 2013 (berthavonsuttner.com), we discuss some of the features of the book, with a focus on the contents of the first 3 chapters.

This show marks the 30th anniversary of Korean Kim Hak Sun's (김학순) (1924-1997) decision to break the silence about Japan's military sexual slavery during World War II. On August 14, 1991, Ms. Kim, a Korean, decided to make public her horrifying ordeal that began when she was 17 years old. This decision began a process of testimony, education and reconciliation that continues to this day. In this show, we focus on the issue of sexual slavery as it has affected Korea. We begin by discussing some passages from the historical novel One Left by Kim Soom (translated into English by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton). The novel's fictitious protagonist, P'unggil, is impacted by Hak Sun's testimony, and the novel incorporates the experiences of numerous other actual victims in its narrative, such as Kim Bok Dong (김복동) and Gil Won Ok (길원옥). Kim Hak Sun's testimony not only empowered other women to come forward, it launched a wave of court cases, beginning with her own in 1991 against Japan. These cases raise important legal and ethical questions, among them: the tension between sovereign immunity proper redress for human rights violations, and the scope of a state's duty regarding its citizens. Our hope is that the listener becomes more conscious of this under-told story of tragedy and the role of law in establishing peace and justice for victims of state sanctioned violence.

This show is the second installment of a discussion of Evelyn Grubb's petition to the United Nations. Last week, on June 7, 2021, we commemorated the 50th anniversary of Evelyn Grubb's petition to the United Nations on behalf of all the families of POW/MIA. A groundbreaking and prescient argument rooted in principles of humanitarian and human rights law, the "class action" petition appeals to two different instruments of public international law: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 3rd Geneva Convention. In Part One of this discussion (recorded on June 8, 2021), we focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this show, we continue this discussion on the systemic gender discrimination faced by the wives of POW/MIA. We also discuss how the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions are relevant to the argument in the petition.

50 years ago, on June 7, 1971, in her capacity as the National Coordinator for the National League of POW/MIA Families, Evelyn Grubb (1931-2005) petitioned the United Nations to pressure North Vietnam to disclose information truthful information about the status of all POW/MIA. Evelyn's historic petition made reference to two instruments of international law: The 3d Geneva Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this show, we provide a introductory background of these instruments and discuss how Evelyn Grubb used them in her petition.

This show is second in a series in which we discuss the encounter between theologian and philosopher Howard Thurman (1899-1981) and pacifist-feminist author Olive Schreiner (1855-1920). Thurman first encountered Schreiner five years after Schreiner's death when Schreiner's allegory of "The Hunter" was read aloud at a conference which Thurman was attending as a 25 year old divinity student at Rochester Theological Seminary. After that encounter, Thurman read everything of Schreiner's that he could find. In the early 1940s, Thurman worked hard to publish an anthology of Schreiner's writings, a dream that would finally be realized in 1973 when he published "A Track to the Water's Edge". We discuss more of this encounter as well as their views on the moral psychology - the specific beliefs, desires and cultivated habits - that undergird the "non-violent way of life" endorsed by both Schreiner and Thurman.

On this one year anniversary of the Virtues of Peace podcast, and the 120th anniversary of the observation of Peace Day (also known as "Hague Day") in the United States, we discuss a powerful trans-generational, trans-racial, trans-national and trans-gender encounter between feminist pacifist writer Olive Schreiner (1855-1920) and philosopher and theologian Howard Thurman (1899-1981). Thurman, who provided the philosophical framework for the non-violent wing of the Civil Rights Movement, first encountered Schreiner's ideas in 1925. He thereafter devoured everything he could by Schreiner, even naming his first daughter "Olive" (who later became Olive Wong). In 1973, Thurman published "A Track to the Water's Edge: An Olive Schreiner Reader". In this show, we discuss the encounter between Thurman and Schreiner, an important point of contact that highlights the intersection between the Peace through Law Movement, the Women's Movement and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

This episode continues our conversation about the Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In this show we discuss how the statue helps to unearth the linkages between the Suffrage Movement and the Peace through Law Movement. We focus on a project initiated by Dr. Hope Elizabeth May, who is the founder and President of the Cora di Brazzà Foundation. One of the initiatives of the Foundation titled "Forward Into Light" aims to uncover the linkages between the women's suffrage movement and the Peace through Law Movement. As a means to that end, Dr. May oversaw a project to create a replica of Johnson's statue with the 238 word inscription that was erased in 1921 and has not yet been restored. The statue was completed in 2021, marking the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. In this show, we discuss this project and Dr. May's journey to replicate the statue.

This show continues our conversation with Dr. Caroline Sparks who, after encountering Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol in 1978, resolved to return it to its more elevated position in the Rotunda, a space for which it was designed. As we discussed last time, Caroline's goal was to raise the statue in 1995, to mark the 75th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. While 1995 was an important year for the statue due to the fact that the U.S. Congress became involved in moving the statue, a number of obstacles prevented the statue from returning to the Rotunda in 1995. It was not until Mother's Day in 1997 that the Suffragist statue was finally moved. In this show, we discuss Caroline Sparks' involvement in the events from 1995-1997 which culminated in the statue returning to the Rotunda.

In 1978, Caroline Sparks stumbled upon Adelaide Johnson's suffragist statue known as The Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. That chance encounter in the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol awakened a resolve in Sparks to move the Statue from the obscurity of the Crypt and into the light of the U.S. Rotunda, the original and more visible of Johnson's statue. Almost 20 years later after Sparks' initial "Crypt encounter," and 76 years after being lowered to the Crypt from the Rotunda, Johnson's statue finally returned to the Rotunda in 1997. Join us on this special show as Caroline Sparks describes her role in helping to raise Adelaide Johnson's statue from the Crypt to the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, thereby symbolizing the placement of women in the heart of the American political process. Also joining us is Sandra Weber, author of The Woman Suffrage Statue: A History of Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument at the United States Capitol.

Philosopher, poet, advocate of non-violence and advocate for democracy, Ham Sok Hon (1901-1989) was one of the most important figures in South Korea's peace and democracy movement. In this show, we are honored to be joined by Dr. Song Chong Lee, who recently published "Ham Sok Hon's Ssial Cosmopolitan Vision" (Lexington Books 2020) in which he argues that the philosophy of Ham Sok Hon can inform contemporary discussions of cosmopolitanism. Dr. Lee's book is a most welcome contribution as it is one of the few books on Ham Sok Hon written in English and the very first book to place Ham's philosophy within the deeper context of Western philosophy - including not only Ancient Greek philosophy but also the philosophy of Hobbes, Locke, Kant. Join us as we introduce you to some of the essential elements of Ham's life and brilliant "Ssial" philosophy.

March 1st is a sacred day in Korea as it marks the moment when, in 1919, citizens throughout the peninsula organized a widespread non-violent and democratic uprising against their colonizers, imperial Japan. Long before the division of the country into "North" and "South," citizens from Pyonyang to Seoul to Cheonan, participated in the March 1st Movement. In this show, which marks the 102nd anniversary of the March 1st Movement, we examine the Movement through a narrative that transcends the typical interpretation of the Movement as a nationalist, anti-Japanese Movement for Korean Independence. Moving beyond the description of the Movement as one for "independence" and "self-determination," we discuss the March 1st Movement within the deeper context of the international Peace through Law Movement. Viewed as a moment in the larger "Red Thread" of Peace-through-Law, we discuss how the Movement was timed with the "organization of the world" and the development of international justice in the aftermath of World War 1, and focus on some of the key ideas - such as reconciliation - expressed in the March 1st 1919 Declaration. We also discuss some of the morally energetic individuals involved in the 3.1 Movement.

One hundred years ago today, an important monument to the women's equality movement was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. On February 15, 1921, Susan B. Anthony's 101st birthday, the suffrage statue titled "Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton" was unveiled in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in a ceremony of great beauty and dignity. 100 years later, on the centenary of this event, we are once again honored to be joined by special guest Sandra Weber, the foremost expert on the Portrait Monument, and author of The Woman Suffrage Statue: A History of Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument at the United States Capitol (2016 McFarland). This conversation is Part 2 of a two part series with Weber devoted to unlocking the stories surrounding the Portrait Monument. In this installment, Weber shares the incredible story of the statue - from its connection to earlier statues sculpted by Adelaide Johnson in the late 1800s, to the many obstacles faced by Johnson in realizing her vision. Learn about the meaning and significance of Johnson's beautiful and mysterious work of art and the treasure-trove of stories to which it is connected.

This conversation is Part I of a two part series devoted to unlocking the stories surrounding a statue that was unveiled on February 15, 1921 - the 101st birthday of Susan. B. Anthony. Years in the making, the Portrait Monument was a labor of love for the "sculptress of the suffrage movement," Adelaide Johnson (1859-1955). Special guest Sandra Weber, author of The Woman Suffrage Statue: A History of Adelaide Johnson's Portrait Monument at the United States Capitol (2016 McFarland) and the foremost expert on the statue, joins us for this special mini series. In 2012 Weber was awarded a Capitol Historical Society Fellowship to study the Portrait Monument. She consulted numerous archives - not only Adelaide Johnson's papers, but also the archives of the Architect of the Capitol - who oversaw the placement of the statue in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol - and then subsequently to the crypt. Join us to learn about Weber's journey in unearthing numerous treasure-stories connected to the statue and to women's history on the 100th anniversary of the statue's unveiling. We also focus on Susan B Anthony (1820-1906) who as we will learn, played an invaluable role in the creation of the Portrait Monument that was unveiled 15 years after her death, and on her 101st birthday.

Frederik Heffermehl is an international lawyer, peace activist and author of “The Nobel Peace Prize: What Nobel Really Wanted” (2010 Praeger). Former Vice President of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), Heffermehl joins us as we continue to reflect on the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force on 1/22/2021. We also discuss Heffermehl’s work on the Nobel Peace Prize including his website nobelwill.org. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. Heffermehl reflects on this award and, more generally, discusses Nobel’s intent in his will of 1895– by which 5 different “Nobel Prizes” were established (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace). Respecting Nobel’s intent is a legal duty incumbent upon the Norwegian Nobel Committee (NNC). However, Heffermehl argues that with regard to the “Prize for the Champions of Peace” as Nobel called it, The NNC has shirked this duty, in part by ignoring the connection between Nobel and Bertha von Suttner, who inspired him to create the prize.

January 22, 2021 marks the day when the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force. To help usher in this historic moment, we are joined by Anti-nuclear activist Vanda Prošková of the Czech Republic, co-convener of Youth Fusion, a global network that engages and educates young people regarding the nuclear threat. In this show, we discuss not only the spirit and purpose of the Treaty found in its preamble, but also some of the duties that signatories of the TPNW must undertake such as absolute prohibition of these weapons and assistance to both victims and the environment that have been harmed through nuclear testing.

January 22, 2021 marks the day when the historic Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force. To help usher in this historic moment, we are joined by Anti-nuclear youth activist Vanda Prošková of the Czech Republic, and co-convener of Youth Fusion - a global anti-nuclear network that engages and educates youth about the nuclear threat. Learn how young people are organizing around the nuclear issue through networks such as Youth Fusion and Move the Nuclear Weapons Money.

We begin our 2021 series with special guest Ms. Vanda Proskova – a member of global civil society and Vice chair of the Prague based NGO The Prague Vision Institute for Sustainable Security which advocates for policies that foster international peace and human security. Ms. Proskova and PragueVision have been hard at work in moving us closer to the more humane world that Bertha von Suttner envisioned. This task involves an appreciation of history – and of the project on which Suttner so passionately worked. But as we have repeatedly bemoaned, there is much ignorance about this history and sadly, this is no less true in Prague, where Suttner was born in 1843. Accordingly, in 2019, Ms. Proskova and her NGO set out to publish a new Czech translation of Bertha’s groundbreaking novel of 1889, Die Waffen Nieder! (Lay Down Your Arms). Ms.Proskova was also the primary organizer of an international conference in Prague not only to launch this new translation, but also to highlight Bertha’s connection to contemporary issues of international security such as nuclear disarmament. Join us for an inspiring conversation with Ms. Proskova which demonstrates the power of Bertha’s moral energy to inspire and move people today to continue working towards her vision of ‘humanity.’

Article 33 of the United Nations Charter found in a section (Chapter VI) titled “Pacific Settlement of Disputes”, enumerates a number of non-violent means by which to secure international peace: among them "arbitration" and "judicial settlement." But what is "arbitration" and how does it differ from "judicial settlement"? In this final show of 2020, we welcome special guest Steven van Hoogstraten, former Director of the Carnegie Foundation of the Netherlands (CF), which has a profound connection to both "arbitration" and "judicial settlement". Located in The Hague, The Netherlands, the CF was established in 1903, and was an important outcome of the 1899 Hague Peace Conference. In this show, we discuss this history and draw attention to one of its most significant outcomes: The Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes. This 1899 Treaty established the first permanent international court, The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). One of the goals of the organized Peace through Law Movement, The PCA was seen by peace activists such as Bertha von Suttner as heralding a new age in which power pays tribute to Reason and Conscience. Were they correct? This question is also discussed.

On this Human Rights Day, we focus on some of the epistemic Human Rights and Duties specifically to Duty to Remember, the Right to Know and the Right to Truth. Before the International Human Rights Community began articulating the contours of these epistemic human rights, Evelyn Grubb (1931-2005), in her capacity as the national coordinator for the National League of POW/MIA families, petitioned the Secretary General of the United Nations about the fundamental human right to know. In that 1971 petition, Evelyn argued that both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 3rd Geneva Convention imply that her family has a fundamental human right to know about whether their father, Wilmer Newlin “Newk” Grubb, who was shot down in North Vietnam in 1966, was dead or alive. Evelyn also argued that North Vietnam violated this fundamental human right when it repeatedly used photographs of Major Grubb from 1966-1969 in ways that misled both the Grubb family and the American public as a whole. In this show, we discuss Evelyn’s argument and the nature of the epistemic human rights that are referenced in Evelyn’s petition.

We continue our series on the Duty to Remember by once again welcoming special guest, Dr. Jennie Jin, a forensic anthropologist who works for the DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency). Last week, in Part 1 of this interview, Dr. Jin talked about her work as leader of the Korean War Identification Project of the DPAA. She discussed the circumstances surrounding the recent identification of PFC John Shelemba of Hamtramck, Michigan. In dialogue with PFC Shelemba’s niece, Michele Vance, Dr. Jin explained why the remains known as “X-251 Taejon” were disinterred from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and how, through various methods, were determined to be PFC Shelemba. In this show, Dr. Jin discusses another recent identification of Michigander SFC Jesse “Johnnie” Hill of Highland Park. Rather than being disinterred from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the remains of SFC Hill were handed over by the DPRK (North Korea) in 2018 pursuant to an agreement between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un. In this show, we discuss SFC Hill’s identification and how the Korean War Identification Project not only impacts families, but also political cooperation amongst the U.S. and the two Koreas.

In honor of Veterans Day, we continue our series on the Duty to Remember by welcoming special guest, Dr. Jennie Jin, a forensic anthropologist who works for the DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency). Dr. Jin leads to the Korean War Identification Project of the DPAA. Under her leadership, hundreds of missing US service members who fought in the Korean War have been identified. In this special episode, Dr. Jin discusses her work, and two recent identifications of Michiganders who fought in the Korean War: PFC John Shelemba of Hamtramck, and SFC Jesse “Johnnie” Hill of Highland Park. Dr. Jin discusses the different circumstances surrounding these identifications, the different methodologies used in each, the respective challenges that are faced in these identifications, and how this work is not only important to the families of the missing, but also to international cooperation, especially involving the U.S., ROK (South Korea) and DPRK (North Korea).

The very first article of the American Journal of International Law, page 1, volume 1 issue 1 is titled “The Need of Popular Understanding of International Law.” Written by Elihu Root and published in 1907, the article lays out the case for why basic understanding of International Law is necessary for world in which democracy is becoming the norm and in which international peace-through-law is the goal. Elihu Root won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1912. One hundred and five years later (in 2017), The International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the organization responsible for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), was awarded this same prize. In this show, we discuss highlights of Root’s essay, its relevance and legacy, and connect it to some of the basic provisions of the TPNW which takes effect in January 2021. Our aim in this show is to convey the importance of education of basic international law for the project of International Peace and the protection of Human Dignity, and how the TPNW is a crucial piece of this project.

Opened for signature in 2017, the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) recently reached an historic milestone when Honduras became the 50th country to ratify the Multilateral Treaty that prohibits its signatures from developing, using and threatening to use nuclear weapons. In effect, the Treaty “bans” its signatory states from possessing nuclear weapons. But what about those states which possess massive nuclear arsenals that have not signed on, including Russia and the U.S.? This show is an introduction to the Treaty which does not take effect until 2021. We focus on some International Law basics, the language of the preamble, and other legal instruments aimed at nuclear non-proliferation.

This show continues our series connecting the Duty to Remember and the Ethics of Memory to the issue of Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA). We begin this show with a photo of Wilmer Newlin “Newk” Grubb, an American Pilot who was shot down in North Vietnam in 1966 and died shortly after becoming a POW. Clearly alive in the photo (taken in 1966), and being tended to by a nurse, the photo was promoted by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), and published in U.S. papers. Eventually, Newk’s wife Evelyn learned of the photo, who until that time, was uncertain of his fate. Upon seeing the photo, Evelyn’s life – and that of her 4 sons – was changed forever. Learn about this powerful story as Kevyn Settle, director and producer of a relevant documentary film called “Fruits of Peace”, and Jeff Grubb, the eldest one son of Newk and Evelyn Grubb, discuss the events surrounding the photo both in Vietnam and in the United States.

This show continues our series devoted connecting the Duty to Remember and the Ethics of Memory to the issue of Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA). Joining us is the talented team behind "Fruits of Peace" a 2019 documentary film that focuses on the reconciliatory journey of Du Pham, a Vietnamese National, who fought for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) during the Vietnam War. Du belongs to the celebrated anti-aircraft unit "C4" which, as its first victory, shot down American Pilot Wilmer Newlin "Newk" Grubb in 1966. Surviving the attack on his plane, Newk was taken to a local village and fed, and then presumably transported to a camp holding other Prisoners of War. Newk died in captivity shortly thereafter. Du just assumed that Newk had survived and was released when the other Prisoners of War were returned to the United States during Operation Homecoming in 1973. Over 40 years later, in 2010, Du journeyed to the U.S. in part to visit his brother Mai (who fought for the South) and to find Newk. Join us to learn about the incredible unfolding of events triggered by Du's courageous decision to extend his hand to his former "enemy", as told in "Fruits of Peace." Joining us are Kevyn Settle (Producer, Director), Michael Chiplock (Executive Producer) and Shirine Hossaini (Associate Producer) of this moving film that raises profound and poignant questions about the Duty to Remember, the Ethics of Memory and how journeys of reconciliation help to harvest the fruits of peace.

In his book “The Ethics of Memory”(Harvard 2004) philosopher Avishai Margalit argues that although we have a duty to remember others, the nature of those duties shifts depending on our specific relationship to “the other”. We have a duty to remember friends and family, but that duty is weaker and even non-existent if the other is a stranger. In today’s show, we use the issue of Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) to reflect on Margalit’s theory and other moral questions connected to our duties to the Missing, to the dead, and to their families. The familiar POW/MIA flag (created during the Vietnam War) states “You are Not Forgotten,” betokening a moral duty to remember. September 18, 2020 was National POW/MIA Recognition Day and this show is the first in a series in which we engage in an extended discussion of Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) and their families. Joining us is documentary filmmaker Keyvn Settle who has done extensive research on the POW/MIA issue and has recently made a moving film, Fruits of Peace, that includes the story of how the Vietnam War helped to shape our Duty to Remember.

This show continues our discussion on 9/03, which explored the connections amongst peace, justice and the Golden Rule. We continue discussing the relationship amongst these concepts, focusing today on the connection between impartiality and justice - a connection which Andrew Carnegie observed in 1907. According to Carnegie, justice “forbids men to be judges when they are parties to the issue”. Yet, Immanuel Kant seems to posit existence of an inescapable “inner judge” which can, impartially, judge the extent to which one is complying with the moral law. In today’s show we explore these apparent contradictory claims and the relationship amongst justice, impartiality and peace, using the remarks of John Lewis (1940-2020) to guide us in this dialogue.

This show continues our discussion on 8/27, which focused on the role of visual objects in the Peace through Law movement. Discussing both the peace flag (created in 1897) and the Peace Palace, which opened in 1913, we noted how both play important roles in the "education piece" of the Peace through Law movement. These symbols not only provide a way of "entering the forest" of the history of this movement, but also help the individual to organize his or her "inner world" so that one acts in accordance with an "inner law" known as Golden Rule. Described as "the law and the prophets" in the Book of Matthew, we explore the connection between the Golden Rule, Peace and “Justice.” What is the relationship between peace and justice? How, if at all, is "justice" connected to the Golden Rule? August 28, we noted, is both the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech (in 1963) and the opening of the Peace Palace (in 1913), and thus marks an important moment in peace history. We devote this show to exploring the connections amongst the Peace through Law Movement, the Golden Rule and the nature of Justice. We note that this is the first year that we have passed through August 28, without Congressman John Lewis, a fierce practitioner of the philosophy of non-violence and the last survivor of the original "big 6" behind the March on Washington. And who, in 1961, sat next to Al Bigelow (pictured here with his sailboat "The Golden Rule") on the "Freedom Ride 1961" which tested whether Southern states were complying with the desegregation laws.

This show marks two distinct but linked moments in peace history connected to the work of visualizing and concretizing the peace ideal that was(is) an important part of the “Peace through Law” Movement. August 27 marks the adoption of the International Flag of Peace by the Universal Peace Union (in 1897); it also marks the eve of the opening of the Peace Palace in The Hague (on August 28, 1913). In this show, we discuss the deeper roots of these moments that are part of the “visual history” of the Peace through Law Movement, and how both the Peace Flag and the Peace Palace play important roles in “organizing the world”, and the individual, for peace. We also discuss the mysterious linkages amongst the Peace through Law Movement, the women’s suffrage movement and the U.S. civil rights movement.s

This show continues our discussion of 8/6/2020, which marked the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. We pick up the thread of conversation about “organizing the world” for peace in the nuclear age through international institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the recent case brought by the Marshall Islands which sought to enforce provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We discuss the philosophical ideas and practices behind other proposed paths to “organize the world” for peace in the nuclear age such as the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and a new U.S. initiative known as “CEND” (“Creating the Environment for Nuclear Disarmament) which charts a different course.

The dropping of atomic bombs by the U.S. on Japan in 1945 caused Albert Einstein to exhort human beings to develop “a new manner of thinking” and with philosopher Bertrand Russell, Einstein and other scientists urged us to think in a new way” and “remember humanity, forget the rest.” In like manner, Shinzo Hamai, the first publicly elected mayor of Hiroshima following the bombing called for a “revolution of thought” in his Mayorial Peace Declaration of 1947. In today’s show, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we reflect on some of the “thinking” connected to the nuclear issue, and how we have tried to “organize the world” for peace - focusing on “legal approaches” to nuclear disarmament such as using the International Court of Justice which opined on the nuclear issue in 1996 and 2016.

In today’s show, we reflect on our series on the Korean War by focusing the philosophical dimensions that most resonated with us during this series. From the epistemological and psychological dimensions of the war involved in the PsyWar campaign and the ideological conflict on the Korean Peninsula, to reframing the war in a way that recognizes the thread of effort of women working for peace on the Korean Peninsula (such as done by Christine Ahn and her organization Women Cross DMZ), we reflect on various themes/ideas covered in our series on this 67th anniversary of the Armistice that paused, but has not ended, the Korean War. This show is the seventh and final show in a series focused on looking at the Korean War – we “entered the forest” of this war by beginning with Bertha von Suttner’s 1912 essay, The Barbarization of the Sky, and we have focused on how the Sky was used in the Korean war: from the aerial bombardment with napalm to leaflet filled propaganda bombs used in the PsyWar campaign. We “exit the forest” today by reflecting on what we have learned on this 67th anniversary of the Armistice that paused, but has not ended, the Korean War.

Joining us to discuss her work towards peace on the Korean Peninsula - and ending the Korean War - is activist-scholar-teacher Christine Ahn, founder of Women Cross DMZ, a global movement of women mobilizing for peace on the Korean Peninsula. This show is the sixth show in a series focused on looking at the Korean War – we have used Bertha von Suttner’s 1912 essay, The Barbarization of the Sky, as a focal point for this discussion - and we have focused on how the the Sky was used in that war. From the aerial bombardment with napalm to leaflet filled propaganda bombs used in the PsyWar campaign, we have discussed how the US Airforce used the Korean Sky. For this show, we turn to another thread connected to Bertha von Suttner’s work, the role of women in securing peace. This work began well over 100 years ago when Bertha and other women organized to support the creation of non-violent dispute mechanisms such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Today, this work continues as a group of international women organized by Christine Ahn are laboring to end the Korean War. An important moment of this work occurred 5 years ago in 2015, when Christine’s organization, WomenCross DMZ, crossed the DMZ - the most heavily fortified border in the world - in attempt to restart peace talks and to bring awareness to issues on the Korean Peninsula through people to people diplomacy. Special guest Christine Ahn joins us today to discuss this moment and her subsequent work towards peace in Korea.

This show is the fifth show in a series focused on looking at the Korean War by looking at how the Sky was used in that war. We have discussed strafing and aerial bombardment by the USAF in the North and South. But also dropped from planes were millions of pieces of paper carried in “leaflet bombs”. Airplanes were also outfitted with loudspeakers. These “messages” carried by airplanes were part of the Psychological Warfare (PsyWar) campaign during the Korean War, the topic of today’s show. In an article titled ‘Air Force Psychological Warfare in Korea’, the author describes the broadest intentions of psychological warfare as “the bolstering of friendly morale and the destruction of enemy morale.” This includes not only “conventional" PsyWar (leaflets and loudspeakers), but also the Airforce itself. Joining us to discuss this topic special guest retired SGM Herb Friedman, author of numerous articles on PsyWar found at psywarrior.com, including several on the Korean War.

In this 4th installment of our series commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, we explore the philosophical dimensions of the conflict. "Epistemology" is the branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of Knowledge. It asks, 'what are the conditions of Knowledge?' and 'how do we know when we know something?' The description of the Korean War as a "Forgotten War", and the fact that specific stories connected to the war have been deliberately "hidden" from public consciousness, are invitations to more deeply examine the epistemology of this important conflict. In this show, we explore the lessons that the Korean War teaches us about both truth and ignorance. Special guest Charles Hanley, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and author of the forthcoming book Ghost Flames (Public Affairs, 2000), joins us.

In this third installment of our series commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, Pulitzer Prize winning author and former AP investigative journalist Charles Hanley joins us as a special guest as we focus on the aerial bombardment of North Korea during the Korean War. In today’s show, we discuss the use of US/UN airpower during the Korean War, and its psychological and material impact to the ordinary person in North Korea. Largely unknown by the average American is the fact that the US airforce bombed North Korea in such a way as to cause unspeakable devastation to ordinary people in North Korea. Entire cities were destroyed as were irrigation dams that were crucial to the food supply. According to one report, not a single house in Pyonyang still possessed both four walls and a roof after the bombing campaign. In today’s show, we discuss this hidden nightmare from the forgotten war.

In 2000, Charles Hanley, with his team of Associated Press investigative reporters (Sang Hun Choe and Martha Mendoza), won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for uncovering a hidden nightmare in a war known in America as the "Forgotten War". Hanley and his colleagues revealed, with extensive documentation, how the United States' policy during the Korean War included the indiscriminate targeting of Korean civilians through strafing (attacking with low flying aircraft). Their jointly authored book, "The Bridge at No Gun Ri" was published in 2001. Hanley's new book on the Korean War, "Ghost Flames", will be released in August 2020. In this special conversation that marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, Charles Hanley joins us as a special guest as we continue to "enter the forest" of the Korean War by looking at the barbarous acts committed from the sky - both in South Korea, and in North Korea - by the U.S. airforce. This conversation is the second installment of a series devoted to a narrative of the Korean War - which technically has not ended - by beginning with Bertha von Suttner's 1912 essay "The Barbarization of the Sky".

This podcast begins a mini-series focused on the Korean War, known in the U.S. as "The Forgotten War." We begin the narrative (enter the forest) of this complex story through the Sky, which, as will be discussed in future episodes, played a crucial role in the Korean War. The Fifth Airforce of the then called "Far East Air Force" (currently called "Pacific Air Force") of the U.S. waged both conventional war through weapons (including chemical weapons), as well as Psychological Warfare (PsyOps) through the dropping of propaganda leaflets, actions whose consequences are well felt today. But to understand where we are today, we enter the forest in 1912, when Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914) titled her final pacifist essay “The Barbarization of the Sky” warning against the numerous horrors that would result if the sky became a theater of war. * 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the war, and though the years of this war are customarily given as 1951-1953, the war has technically not ended (an armistice agreement was reached in 1953). In June 2020 hostilities between the two Koreas have intensified, just two years after the historic Panmujeom summit between President Moon Jae-In (of the Republic of Korea [South Korea])) and Kim Jung-Eun (of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [North Korea])). This show begins to weave a thread that connects the argument of Suttner's 1912 essay with the current hostilities between the 2 Koreas which have arisen out of the Korean War.

As governments in a subcommittee of the United Nations’ General Assembly were beginning to debate the content for what was to become The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in 1947, the NAACP submitted a memorial to the UN, titled “An Appeal to the World: A Statement on the Denial of Human Rights to Minorities in the Case of Citizens of Negro Descent in the United States of America and an Appeal to the United Nations for Redress”. Supervised by W.E.B. Dubois, the “Appeal" traces a thread of U.S. legal history from 1787 to 1947 that evidences the systematic discrimination against, to use the Appeal’s language, “American Negroes.” In 2016, CMU's Center for International Ethics focused its annual commemoration of Global Ethics Day on the Appeal, and also discussed how the the parents of Michael Brown (who was killed in Ferguson, MO in 2014) were trying to use UN Human Rights Machinery in Geneva, Switzerland to seek justice. This episode contains the audio of that 2016 discussion. We hope to introduce the audience to the 1947 Appeal by focusing on select passages, but also to have the listener think about the international dimensions of domestic injustices. W.E.B. Dubois wrote “[the treatment of the American Negro] is not merely an internal question of the United States. It is a basic problem of humanity... and therefore demands the attention of “the People’s of the World.” Our aim is to have the listener think hard about how “internal questions” should inform “universal values” such as human dignity and human rights, and also to refresh the listener’s memory regarding the 2016 tragedy which laid the groundwork for the international response in 2020 to the murder of George Floyd.

In his recent Press Conference with the Mayor of Atlanta, activist, rapper and teacher Michael Render (aka “Killer Mike”) urged people to “plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize”. Referencing the long battle towards equality assisted by organizations such as the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) and the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), Teacher Mike urged us to place ourselves in this non-violent organizational line. In this show, we draw attention to an overlooked part of the history of organization towards peace and justice: The International Council of Women (ICW). First meeting in 1888 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Seneca Falls, the “solidarity of human interests” brought together men and women such as Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) and Clara Barton (1821-1912) . The International Council of Women laid the groundwork for women’s international support of the Peace through Law movement, work which still continues to this day. Access supporting resources our Show Resources page at: http://www.virtuesofpeace.com/resources

One of the watchwords of the 19th Century Peace Movement (also known as the Peace through Law Movement) was "Organize the World!". In this show, we focus on that phrase, discussing the organization that peace activists called for, which included the creation of laws, of new courts, the education both of legal professionals and the public, and the equality of men and women (among other things). Our objective in this show is to have the listener appreciate the different components of organizing the world towards peace. Grounding this discussion is an essay by Edwin D. Mead, originally published in 1898, called "Organize the World!". Access that on our show resources page at: http://www.virtuesofpeace.com/resources

One of the catchphrases of the 19th Century Peace Movement (also known as the Peace through Law Movement) was "Organize the World!". In this show, we focus on that phrase, discussing the organization that peace activists called for, which included the creation of laws, of new courts, the education both of legal professionals and the public, and the equality of men and women (among other things). Our objective in this show is to have the listener appreciate the different components of organizing the world towards peace. Grounding this discussion is an essay by Edwin D. Mead, originally published in 1898, called "Organize the World!". Access that on our show resources page at: http://www.virtuesofpeace.com/resources

Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I (on April 6, 1917), ordinary citizens all over the world - many of them women - agitated to pressure states to create a court that allowed for the non-violent settlement of disputes. This court, The Permanent Court of Arbitration, was the result of the historic 1899 Hague Peace Conference that opened on May 18, 1899. The creation of this court was so monumental that May 18 was celebrated, mainly in the U.S. as "Peace Day". The purpose of Peace Day? to provide a means to educate the public about the new court, and the New World Order, one that replaced the "law of force" with the "force of law". With the U.S. entry into WW1, Peace Day began to fade from the public's memory, as did the important "Peace Through Law" movement. In this show, we discuss this forgotten history and some of the persons behind it, why they should be remembered and known, and how to implement their lesson and example today. Show Resources: Brochure of the International Banner of Peace (peace flag) The Universal Peace Badge (designed in 1897 by Cora di Brazzà). Pamphlet on the History of Peace Day (originally published in 1915). Blog post on Peace Day by Hope Elizabeth May Elihu Root's 1912 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Trailer for 'A Taxi Driver' (May 18, 1980, Republic of Korea)

Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I (on April 6, 1917), ordinary citizens all over the world - many of them women - agitated to pressure states to create a court that allowed for the non-violent settlement of disputes. This court, The Permanent Court of Arbitration, was the result of the historic 1899 Hague Peace Conference that opened on May 18, 1899. The creation of this court was so monumental that May 18 was celebrated, mainly in the U.S. as "Peace Day". The purpose of Peace Day? to provide a means to educate the public about the new court, and the New World Order, one that replaced the "law of force" with the "force of law". With the U.S. entry into WW1, Peace Day began to fade from the public's memory, as did the important "Peace Through Law" movement. In this show, we discuss this forgotten history and some of the persons behind it, why they should be remembered and known, and how to implement their lesson and example today. Show Resources: Brochure of the International Banner of Peace (peace flag) The Universal Peace Badge (designed in 1897 by Cora di Brazzà). Pamphlet on the History of Peace Day (originally published in 1915). Blog post on Peace Day by Hope Elizabeth May Elihu Root's 1912 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Trailer for 'A Taxi Driver' (May 18, 1980, Republic of Korea)

This show continues our discussion of 5/8/2020, "What We Owe to Ourselves: Duties to Ourselves and What it Means to Violate Them". We began that show with a discussion of humiliation between persons ("A to B Humiliation"). We then asked whether this model can be applied to oneself. Philosophers from Plato to Kant have identified different aspects of the human psyche which can conflict with one another (Plato speaks of reason, appetite and spirit; Kant speaks of the inclinations of the "homo phenomenon" which can conflict with the moral law of the "homo noumeonon"), this making it possible to think of one of these aspects within one person as "humiliating" the other. Both Plato and Kant also identify a kind of self-knowledge as the remedy to this kind of self-humiliation. We continue discussing these ideas and connect them to "unintentional humiliation" as discussed by Dr. Evelin Lindner in her book "Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict."

In Part II of his Metaphysics of Morals (1797), philosopher Immanuel Kant discusses the duties that we have to ourselves. In this show, we focus on this section of Kant’s work and discuss whether the transgression of these duties should be regarded as self-humiliation or as something else.