Is negotiation is morally prohibited under certain conditions? If so, in what circumstances is it unethical to attempt to compromise? John and Ken discuss the ethical implications of compromise, wondering whether it can ever be acceptable to negotiate with the representatives of inhumane regimes, a form of compromise that political philosopher Avishai Cohen calls “rotten.” But some historical agreements with oppressive governments seemed necessary at the time, including Churchill’s negotiations with Stalin during World War Two. Other agreements have had truly evil consequences: the compromises that led to the ratification of the Constitution allowed the institution of slavery to perpetuate, for example. Is there a clear-cut system for deciding what sorts of compromise are allowed and what ones are forbidden?

Carrie Menkel-Meadow joins the discussion, offering the pragmatic viewpoint that there are no situations in which we are categorically prohibited from negotiating. Instead, she argues the decision to negotiate should be made on a case-by-case basis, observing that both sides often stand to gain from discussing their interests openly with one another. After all, listening to one’s opponents does not entail sacrificing one’s own ideals. Ken notes that some people prefer to take the so-called “clean hands” approach in these situations, preferring to keep their consciences clean by avoiding having anything to do with those that they deem evil. Menkel-Meadow respects this point of view, but points out that engaging with one another is necessary for real change; avoidance can make matters worse.

为了使谈判成功，双方之间必须有力量的平衡。在政治领域，这种平衡通常是通过第三方斡旋来实现的，以防止协议被强加给较弱的一方。成功合作的另一个重要因素是相信对方会信守承诺。当这种信任崩溃时，我们妥协的意愿就会被削弱，就像以色列和巴勒斯坦领导人之间可以说发生的那样。然而，正如Menkel-Meadow所认为的那样，在这种情况下，谈判是更加必要的，因为潜在的利益是如此巨大。

• Roving Philosophical Report(seek to 4:30): Molly Samuel interviews residents, business owners, and public officials in San Benito county about the controversial development of solar farms in Panoche Valley. Complicating the issue is the presence of the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard, whose habitat may be threatened by the project. Fundamental differences of opinion make compromises both more difficult and more necessary to reach.
  
• Sixty-Second Philosopher(寻求44:49):伊恩·肖尔斯讨论了历史上最著名的与魔鬼的交易之一。对17世纪法国牧师乌尔本·格兰迪尔的指控激发了赫胥黎的灵感The Devils of Lourdonand Ken Russell’s filmThe Devilswith Vanessa Redgrave.