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Justice · Lecture 18 of 19 · 4:42

NHK: The Ultimate Choice

Study guide

What this lecture covers

This broadcast, produced for Japanese television network NHK, is a video-linked global classroom rather than a standard lecture. Michael Sandel connects students in Tokyo, Shanghai and Harvard to discuss the 2011 Japanese earthquake and nuclear disaster. The discussion centers on why the Japanese public responded to the crisis with such strong communal solidarity, whether nuclear power should be abandoned for safer alternatives, and whether the global outpouring of support for Japan after the earthquake shows that human sympathy can cross national and cultural boundaries.

Key ideas

Communal response to crisis: the discussion examines what accounts for the strength of collective, community-oriented behavior in Japan's response to the disaster.
Nuclear power trade-offs: students debate whether the risks exposed by the nuclear disaster justify abandoning nuclear power for other energy sources.
Sympathy across borders: the global relief effort for Japan raises the question of whether human concern can transcend national boundaries and cultural differences, connecting to the course's broader discussion of obligations of solidarity versus universal duties.

Before you watch

This session connects to the course's lectures on obligations of solidarity, membership and patriotism, since it applies those questions to a real international crisis and cross-cultural discussion.

Check your understanding

What explanations does the discussion offer for the strength of Japan's communal response to the 2011 disaster?
What are the main arguments raised for and against continuing to rely on nuclear power?
Does the global response to Japan's crisis suggest that sympathy can extend beyond national boundaries, or does it still reflect particular loyalties?

Vocabulary

broadcast (noun): A program sent out on television or radio.
This broadcast connects classrooms in three countries.
video-linked (adjective): Connected in real time through video technology.
The video-linked classroom joins students in different countries.
earthquake (noun): A sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement in the earth's crust.
The 2011 earthquake caused massive destruction in Japan.
nuclear disaster (noun): A serious accident involving a nuclear power plant that releases dangerous radiation.
The earthquake triggered a major nuclear disaster.
communal (adjective): Shared by a group or community, rather than individual.
The disaster led to a strong communal response.
solidarity (noun): A sense of unity and mutual support among people.
The Japanese public showed remarkable solidarity during the crisis.
outpouring (noun): A large and sudden expression of feeling or support.
There was a global outpouring of support for Japan.
relief effort (noun): Organized help given to people affected by a disaster.
Countries around the world joined the relief effort.
sympathy (noun): A feeling of care or concern for someone else's suffering.
The response showed sympathy crossing national borders.
transcend (verb): To go beyond the usual limits of something.
Does human concern transcend national boundaries?
alternative (energy) (noun): A different option, especially instead of a common one.
Students debate alternatives to nuclear power.
trade-off (noun): A balance between two desirable but conflicting things.
Nuclear power involves trade-offs between risk and energy supply.
radiation (noun): Dangerous energy released, for example, from a damaged nuclear plant.
The disaster raised fears about radiation exposure.
crisis (noun): A time of intense difficulty or danger.
The earthquake and nuclear disaster together caused a national crisis.
global classroom (noun): A class connecting students from different countries at once.
The global classroom links Tokyo, Shanghai, and Harvard.
account for (phrasal verb): To explain the cause or reason for something.
What accounts for the strength of Japan's communal response?
risk (noun) (noun): The possibility of harm or loss.
The disaster exposed the risks of nuclear power.
cultural difference (noun): A variation in beliefs or customs between different societies.
The discussion asks if sympathy can cross cultural differences.
destruction (noun): Severe damage that ruins something completely.
The earthquake caused massive destruction across the region.
network (produced by) (noun): A company that broadcasts television or radio programs.
NHK is a major Japanese television network.

From the YouTube description

To register for the 2015 course, visit https://www.edx.org/course/justice-harvardx-er22-1x-0.

Michael Sandel leads a video-linked global classroom, broadcast on NHK television (Japan) with students in Tokyo, Shanghai, and at Harvard. Sandel and the students discuss the ethical and global implications of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and nuclear disaster: What accounts for the strong communal response of the Japanese public to the crisis? Should nuclear power be abandoned in favor of safer energy sources? Does the outpouring of global support for Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake suggest that, in a global age, human sympathy and concern can transcend national boundaries and cultural differences?

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