# The Global Philosopher: Should Borders Matter?



## barryqwalsh (Mar 28, 2016)

BBC Radio 4

The Global Philosopher

Should Borders Matter?


Michael Sandel explores the philosophical justifications made for national borders. Using a pioneering state-of-the-art studio at the Harvard Business School, Professor Sandel is joined by 60 participants from over 30 countries in a truly global digital space.

Is there any moral distinction between a political refugee and an economic migrant? If people have the right to exit a country, why not a right to enter? Do nations have the right to protect the affluence of their citizens? And is there such a thing as a 'national identity'?

These are just some of the questions addressed by Professor Sandel in this first edition of The Global Philosopher.


AUDIO
Should Borders Matter?, The Global Philosopher - BBC Radio 4


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## PK1 (Mar 28, 2016)

barryqwalsh said:


> Should Borders Matter?


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What do *you* think?
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## barryqwalsh (Mar 28, 2016)

PK1 said:


> barryqwalsh said:
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> > Should Borders Matter?
> ...



* I think*, *therefore I am!*


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## PK1 (Mar 29, 2016)

barryqwalsh said:


> PK1 said:
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> > barryqwalsh said:
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I'll rephrase the Q:
What is *your opinion* of the issue you raised:
_"Should Borders Matter?"
_
Don't be shy!
.


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## Unkotare (Mar 29, 2016)

Yes, they should matter.


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## barryqwalsh (Mar 29, 2016)




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## SuperDemocrat (Jun 23, 2016)

I would say that borders do matter because borders are a jurisidiction from one authority to another.   We use those laws to determine who gets put in jail and for what.   WE have to have a way to distinguish one authority to another.  We have to have borders for that reason or we are going to have conflicts between nations as they argue who has a right to rule over what land.  Borders are important just like they are important in private property disputes between homeowners.


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## yiostheoy (Aug 6, 2016)

barryqwalsh said:


> View attachment 69299
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> BBC Radio 4
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This question and issue first came up in a very big way during WW1 when that war ("The Great War" as it was called) started to go badly and everyone dug-in along all front lines.

I vote for nationalism because this is the closest you can come to large scale political cooperation.

HOA and neighborhood is the closest that you can come.

Then next is city council.

Then county supervisors.

Then state government.

Finally national.

Moving up the line is really just learning curve.

You need to care about your fellow Americans and try to keep foreigners out as much as possible.


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## PK1 (Aug 6, 2016)

SuperDemocrat said:


> I would say that borders do matter because borders are a jurisidiction from one authority to another.   We use those laws to determine who gets put in jail and for what.   WE have to have a way to distinguish one authority to another.  We have to have borders for that reason or we are going to have conflicts between nations as they argue who has a right to rule over what land.  Borders are important just like they are important in private property disputes between homeowners.


That begs another Q.
Should ALL of Earth's surface area have human-defined borders?
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