Edinburgh Moral Maze Group

With the ethos of Respecting the Person, whilst Challenging the Idea, we'll be discussing questions, thoughts and opinions that arise for us around the following episode:

The Moral Boundaries of Friendship from Oct 2011:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015p86x

Blurb from the Beeb - Blurb written by the BBC at the time of the show.

In other circumstances, being loyal to a longstanding friend would be hailed as a positive character trait. Liam Fox has just discovered that is not necessarily the case in politics - especially if you're the defence secretary. Mr Fox has maintained he's done nothing wrong, but has apologised for allowing distinctions to be blurred between his professional responsibilities and personal loyalties to his friend Adam Werritty. Senior civil servants are carrying out an investigation to see if ministerial codes of conduct on conflicts of interest have been breached.

The affair raises important questions about the kind of politicians we want.

In our quest for transparency and moral blamelessness are we in danger of imprisoning our politicians in a Westminster bubble, sterilised from the influences and realities of the world outside?

it also raises the question for all of us, what are the moral boundaries of friendship?

The nature and obligations of friendship has occupied philosophers down the centuries. Aristotle regarded friendship as essential to the good life, but it can also cloud and call in to question our judgment. It's easy to throw around charges of nepotism and we all pay lip service to the modern ideals of a meritocratic society, but in tough economic times, what is wrong with giving a helping hand to a friend? And would bankers have so nakedly pursued their own self-interest, rather than those of their company, if it had been a family firm?

In a world that relies increasingly on social networks and connections does it sound hopelessly old fashioned to say that we cross a moral boundary when we mix business and friendship and ask someone to offer practical help as well as sympathetic ear? And when it comes to our family, our children, how many of us would balk at the idea of doing anything we could to further their interests?

How to win friends and influence people - the Moral Maze.

Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Claire Fox, Clifford Longley, Anne McElvoy and Michael Portillo.

Witnesses:
Professor Matthew Flinders, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield
Mark Vernon, Author of the Meaning of Friendship
Carole Stone, Networking 'expert' and author 'Networking: The Art of Making Friends'
John Drummond, Founder Integrity Works

All roles were those held by the individuals at the time of broadcast - in 2011.

Our discussions do not need to be limited by or to the points raised within the show, but having listened to the differing opinions shared within the episode beforehand can be helpful to foster a thoughtful discussion.

With the ethos of Respecting the Person, whilst Challenging the Idea, we'll be discussing questions, thoughts and opinions that arise for us around the following episode:

Human Rights from December 2022:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fn1h

Blurb from the Beeb - Blurb written by the BBC at the time of the show.

# Human Rights

The largescale protests in China are not just a response to Covid restrictions but about fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech. They follow weeks of demonstrations in support of women’s rights in Iran, and LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar.

We often speak about human rights as a self-evident truth – the right to life, the right to a fair trial, the right to freedom of conscience. Drafted after the Second World War, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a milestone document seeking to protect the dignity of all human beings.

Advocates argue that human rights are universal because the struggle for freedom can be found in every culture, despite being rooted in different philosophies and assumptions. They see a human rights-based approach to the world as the best way of identifying a shared humanity and improving human wellbeing. Sceptics, however, believe the global human rights movement can itself be a form of Western moral imperialism, or cite examples of atrocities justified with the language of human rights.

Some believe that in order to hold powerful corporations and regimes to account, there needs to be a more expansive view of human rights. Others are concerned about what they see as the ‘mission creep’ in extending the legal framework of rights to encompass areas of moral life that shouldn’t be a matter for the law courts.

What are human rights? Are they universal?

Who should arbitrate when they are in competition?

Producer: Dan Tierney.

Our discussions do not need to be limited by or to the points raised within the show, but having listened to the differing opinions shared within the episode beforehand can be helpful to foster a thoughtful discussion.

With the ethos of Respecting the Person, whilst Challenging the Idea, we'll be discussing questions, thoughts and opinions that arise for us around an episode to be decided from Radio Four's The Moral Maze.

Our discussions do not need to be limited by or to the points raised within the show, but having listened to the differing opinions shared within the episode beforehand can be helpful to foster a thoughtful discussion.