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26/05/2012 GMT

Is it bad that we are increasingly living in a giant market place where almost everything is for sale?

Is there something morally distorted in a world where you can rent a womb for a woman to carry your baby?

Or take a gamble on other people's ill health by dealing in the new market in death bonds?

Or is free market competition the best oil that makes the world go round?

Michael Sandel is one of the world's best known political philosophers, and he joins us on this week's Forum to argue that market values, especially in America, are in danger of infiltrating all aspects of our lives, eroding moral standards and undermining social bonds.

Testing his ideas are Chinese writer Jianying Zha and Indian social entrepreneur Harish Hande.

Illustration by Emily Kasriel: the market driving out civic values.

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 May 2012 11:05GMT

Chapters

  • Part 1

    Michael Sandel

    Duration: 17:15

  • Jianying Zha

    Jianying Zha

    Duration: 05:45

  • Part 2 60 Second Idea

    Michael Sandel: public squares to have tillable interactive wallpaper

    Duration: 05:20

  • Harish Hande

    Harish Hande

    Duration: 12:10

Broadcasts

  • Sat 26 May 2012 22:05GMT
  • Sun 27 May 2012 01:05GMT
  • Sun 27 May 2012 11:05GMT

Do you use US dollars even though they are not your country鈥檚 official currency?

Do you use US dollars even though they are not your country鈥檚 official currency?

We would love to hear why for an upcoming Forum about the history of the dollar.

Podcast