Who Is My Neighbor?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most celebrated teachings of Jesus. By looking at diverse religious and secular interpretations of this story and its themes, this seminar examines the nature and scope of morality in an age of globalization (including debates about immigration, global poverty, and humanitarian intervention). The questions raised by these issues are neither abstract nor limited to public policy. They involve practical decisions that face ordinary people in everyday life. In fact, so the seminar will argue, they reveal basic understandings of politics, human nature, and the place of morality in life itself.