Crisis at the Border Teach-Out

Dr. Mika LaVaque-Manty is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Political Science in the University of Michigan School of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and Director of the LSA Honors Program. Dr. LaVaque-Manty was trained as a philosopher, but has been a political scientist for more than a decade. He is interested in political thought from the seventeenth century to today, particularly in questions regarding political action and agency, and in their explanation. His main historical research interests are in eighteenth-century continental liberals, especially Immanuel Kant. In contemporary political theory, he focuses on liberal and democratic theory. His current projects focus on autonomy and agency in educational institutions and practices. The family separation crisis, in particular, has brought up a number of questions in the public sphere about the morality of certain policies, and the moral responsibility of government in general. In the next segment, Dr. LaVaque-Manty will discuss, at a high level, moral philosophy in the context of personal evaluation of governments and government policies. This primer will be a helpful foundation for how you might think about these issues as you engage in discussion about whether a policy is "right" or "wrong." Mentioned in the video: Martin Luther King, Jr's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." You can also access this content in video form at Khan Academy.