On the Front Line of the Culture War — Give Me Some Real Examples, Not Just Theories!

Ken WilberCognitive, Editor's Picks, Ethical, Life Conditions, Perspectives, Politics, The Ken Show, Values, Video, What is a more hopeful future for civilization?, Worldviews 14 Comments

After a series of episodes that focused on a more comprehensive theory of politics, and several others exploring the rampant polarization and extremism of today’s political culture, we thought it was a good time to drill down a bit more and offer some more concrete policy proposals.

Topics include:

Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Abortion Part 3: Death Penalty and Assisted Suicide Part 4: Universal Healthcare Part 5: Vaccinations Part 6: Drone Warfare Part 7: Reinstating the Draft Part 8: Mandatory Voting Part 9: Hate Speech Part 10: Cultural Appropriation Part 11: Prostitution, Drugs, and Sex Robots

Part 1: Introduction

Watch as Ken and Corey offer their views on some of the most controversial policy debates of our time, each of which has become a battle line in our constantly escalating culture wars.

Part 2: Abortion

As Alan Dershowitz said, “everyone is right when it comes to abortion”. Our job, of course, is to figure out who is more right, and what to do about it. When do rights start, and is there something between “pro-life” and “pro-choice” stances?

Part 3: The Death Penalty and Assisted Suicide

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How much power over life and death should the state be allowed? How much should the individual be allowed? Watch as Ken and Corey offer an integral consideration of the death penalty and assisted suicide.

Part 4: Universal Health Care and the Profit Motive

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Should some things such as healthcare or prisons be exempt from the profit motive, due to perverse incentives? Should universal health care be afforded to all American citizens?

Part 5: Vaccinations

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We are currently in the midst of a dangerous resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, largely due to states that allow “personal exemptions” for vaccinating their children, as well as an epidemic of misinformation about vaccines on the internet. Should people be forced to be vaccinated, even if some believe it can cause autism?

Part 6: Drone Warfare

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One of the most controversial military issues of our day, here Ken and Corey discuss the positives and negatives of using robotic drones instead of live soldiers in the battlefield. How do we reconcile the inevitability of the militarization of this technology with the moral considerations around how the technology is actually used?

Part 7: The Draft

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For decades Americans have enjoyed a 100% voluntary military force, even though the laws around military conscription are still on the books and can be re-enacted at any point. Here Ken and Corey discuss the merits of mandatory enlistment, and how some sort of mandatory service might help Americans overcome their collective cynicism, apathy, and polarization.

Part 8: Mandatory Voting

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Some nations like Australia are famous for making voting mandatory for all citizens. Considering how poor the voter turnout tends to be in the U.S., should America do something similar, or find other ways to incentivize civic participation?

Part 9: Hate Speech

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Does hate speech make sense as a classification of speech? Should the government limit certain kinds of speech in order to protect marginalized groups? Is this classification necessary in order to understand the motivation behind violent acts?

Part 10: Cultural Appropriation

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Do marginalized groups have the right to prevent certain cultural memes, practices, or artifacts from being “co-opted” by other subcultures? Can a nation like America truly be a “melting pot” if we enforce this kind of cultural segregation?

Part 11: Prostitution, Drugs, and Sex Robots

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How much freedom should citizens be afforded when it comes to things like sexual autonomy or drug use? Should things like prostitution and drugs be legalized across the board? What about far more ethically dubious ideas, like sex robots designed to look like children, which are presumably designed to give pedophiles an outlet for their sexual drives without inflicting sexual violence on children?


Previous Episodes of The Ken Show

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Ken Wilber

About Ken Wilber

Ken Wilber is a preeminent scholar of the Integral stage of human development. He is an internationally acknowledged leader, founder of Integral Institute, and co-founder of Integral Life. Ken is the originator of arguably the first truly comprehensive or integrative world philosophy, aptly named “Integral Theory”.

Corey deVos

About Corey deVos

Corey W. deVos is editor and producer of Integral Life. He has worked for Integral Institute/Integal Life since Spring of 2003, and has been a student of integral theory and practice since 1996. Corey is also a professional woodworker, and many of his artworks can be found in his VisionLogix art gallery.