Point B Podcast

"The more our societies are in conversation, the more likely it is, when it comes to having to make the hard decisions that are involved in discussions where you have to settle something, the more likely we are to be able to do it."

"Morality is character. It's the ability to analyze and see how you fit into the overall social hierarchy. So the morality to me is just a sort of sensitivity to what is essentially fair."

"We may have globalization, we have more interconnectedness, lots of things are happening, more trade. But what's the moral compass? You have the feeling that the compass is 'If you can get away with it, it's all right. If you are not found out, okay.'"

"What I have in mind with rooted cosmopolitanism and distance sensitivity is something that's much, much more practical and to my mind achievable."

"At the heart of this form of anarchist theory, which is what this is, is a belief that true self-determination, self-realization of the self, can only be fulfilled without authority."

"Technology creates all this open space that needs to be filled. And if you leave space to be filled, people fill it by saying things that don't make a whole lot of sense and so there's less accountability in today's day and age and less care is put into what is said publicly."

"When we talk about international affairs, you can be as 'Realpolitik' as you want, but you're talking about people, you're not talking about assets. You're talking about living, feeling, breathing beings."

"I hope that world leaders will really sit down and think about the circumstances of those people who have been suffering for many years. Why can't we all try to sort it out and give them something better to look forward to?"

"I do believe there is a global ethic. It has to do with the dignity of individuals, the right to security and liberty, both. I do believe that the human condition in its social setting is universal enough to give rise to global rights and global ethics."

"The best global governance is local governance. It is not a punch line; it is a rule of thumb."

"I'm a huge believer in role models. I think that pretty much any woman who gets up and puts herself out there, whether she wants to be or not, is a role model."

"I would advise my dear intellectuals of this age and time and place to give us some good imagination, especially to the young people."

"It is amazing that more than 2 billion people do not have access to electricity. All people equally have a right to have a very healthy and comfortable life. Access to energy, access to electricity, is a very important part of the issue that we have to tackle."