The Hard Problem of Inter-Group Morality

In his 2017 Robbins Lectures, Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs will argue for a new Moral Economics built firmly on the foundations of the new moral sciences. The goal of moral economics is to promote wellbeing. A core principle is the cultivation of individual and group virtue to help guide the behavior of both individuals and groups in the global society.

Lecture 2. The Hard Problem of Inter-Group Morality

The most difficult moral challenges involve the interaction across groups, whether nation states, private companies, or ethnic groups. In all such cases, there is the deep tendency towards inter-group conflict. The cultivation of group virtue to underpin inter-group peace and cooperation is an especially daunting challenge. The two other lectures that are part of this series are on Monday 13 and Wednesday 15 February.

Jeffrey D Sachs (@JeffDSachs) is Professor of Economics at Columbia University, a leader in sustainable development, senior UN advisor, bestselling author and syndicated columnist. Richard Layard is Director for the Wellbeing Programme, Centre for Economic Performance. The CEP (@CEP_LSE) is an interdisciplinary research centre at the LSE Research Laboratory. It was established by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in 1990 and is now one of the leading economic research groups in Europe.