Videos by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
One of the dangers in any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterise ... more One of the dangers in any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterise it may, through their application, bring about its destruction. Liberal democracy is no exception. Moreover, because democracy is relatively young phenomenon, it lacks experience in dealing with pitfalls involved in the working of the system - the “catch” of democracy.
The Scope of Tolerance is an interdisciplinary study concerned with the limits of tolerance, this “democratic catch”, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of tolerance. While recognising that we have the need to express ourselves, we should also inquire about the justifications for tolerating the damaging speech and whether these are weighty enough. 43 views
The normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and S... more The normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan have changed the strategic dynamic of the Middle East for the better and delivered win-win outcomes for all participants. 2 views
Of all the dilemmas in the operation of free governments, the dilemma of free discussion and the ... more Of all the dilemmas in the operation of free governments, the dilemma of free discussion and the delimitation of press freedom are the most intractable. In these essays Raphael Cohen-Almagor tackles the dilemma at the points where its complexities are most apparent. Political theorists, politicians, and philosophical journalists (if such there be) will have good reason to ponder what he has to say.
GEOFFREY MARSHALL
THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE, OXFORD 48 views
This is an interdisciplinary study in medicine, law and ethics. The book covers a wide range of t... more This is an interdisciplinary study in medicine, law and ethics. The book covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the end of life that doctors, nurses, ethicists, and scientists confront time and again. The book considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics, but, at the same time, it is not confined strictly to the philosophical realm. The research benefited from fieldwork conducted in dozens of hospitals, research centres, nursing homes and universities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and Israel. The book also ponders practical judicial problems arising from medicine and biotechnology. 64 views
Multiculturalism has polarised academic and public opinion. Some see it as the only way to reconc... more Multiculturalism has polarised academic and public opinion. Some see it as the only way to reconcile the demands of unity and diversity in a multi-ethnic society. Others see it as a way to ghettoise different communities and prevent their interaction and integration. Professor Cohen-Almagor’s book is a judicious and perceptive account of the controversy and the way to resolve it. He discusses such important questions as the limits of state action, when the state may interfere with individual liberty, the relation between group rights and individual rights, and the sources of tension between liberalism and multiculturalism. His discussion is invariably fair, insightful, and probing.
Lord Bhikhu Parekh, House of Lords, The United Kingdom 2 views
My book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofold... more My book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofold: to examine whether liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable, and what are the limits of liberal democratic interventions in illiberal affairs of minority cultures within democracy when minorities engage in practices that inflict physical harm on group members (e.g. Female Genital Mutilation) or non-physical harm (e.g. denying members property or education). In the process, the book addresses three questions: whether multiculturalism is bad for democracy; whether multiculturalism is bad for women, and whether multiculturalism contributes to terrorism.
The main thesis is that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable provided that a fair balance is struck between individual rights and group rights. It is argued that reasonable multiculturalism can be achieved via mechanisms of deliberate democracy, compromise and, when necessary, coercion. Placing necessary checks on groups t 5 views
Discussion about the Internet and future technologies
3 views
כל צורת שלטון מאופיינת בכך שהיסודות המרכיבים אותה הם–הם אשר עלולים לפתוח פתח לחורבנה.
הדברים קלי... more כל צורת שלטון מאופיינת בכך שהיסודות המרכיבים אותה הם–הם אשר עלולים לפתוח פתח לחורבנה.
הדברים קלים ומובנים עת עסקינן בצורות ממשל המבוססות על כפייה. אולם דברים אלו נכונים גם באשר לדמוקרטיה. דמוקרטיה המבוססת על חירות ללא גבולות מובחנים עלולה לאבד עצמה לדעת. חירות אינה הפקרות וסובלנות אינה אנרכיה. חובה עלינו להציב גבולות ליסודות הדמוקרטיה. חובה עלינו להכיר בקיום "המלכוד הדמוקרטי". לצד ההערכה לנטייה הליברלית לספק מרחב גדול לחופש ביטוי, עלינו גם להכיר ב"מלכוד הדמוקרטי" ובצורך להגביל את חופש הביטוי. ישנן מספר קטגוריות של ביטויים המוחצנים מהגנת עקרון חירות הביטוי. קטגוריות אלו כוללות דברי השמצה והוצאת דיבה ; ביטויי הסתה; מילים לוחמות; ביטויים המסכנים את ביטחון המדינה; ; פורנוגרפיה קשה העושה שימוש בקטינים ובחיות, ואשר אונסת נשים ; פגיעה בזכויות יוצרים; סוביודיצה וביטויים מסחריים. 1 views
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
המלכוד הדמוקרטי, ספרית מעריב, 2007.
זהו ספר המשך לספרי גבולות הסובלנות והחירות ... more רפאל כהן-אלמגור
המלכוד הדמוקרטי, ספרית מעריב, 2007.
זהו ספר המשך לספרי גבולות הסובלנות והחירות (1999).
התיזה העיקרית היא שהדמוקרטיה אינה שונה מצורות ממשל אחרות בכך שהיסודות המרכיבים את השיטה הם הם העלולים להביא לחורבנה. חירות ללא גבולות הינה הפקרות. סובלנות ללא גבולות תוביל לאנרכיה. שומה עלינו להבין כי לזכויות ולחירויות יש מחיר, וכי משהו יצטרך לשלם עבורן. השאלה האם המחיר הוא כזה שהדמוקרטיה תוכל לסבלו, ומי יידרש לשלם המחיר. בכל התנגשות של זכויות (חופש ביטוי מול ביטחון המדינה, זכות הציבור לדעת מול הזכות לפרטיות) עלינו לבחון את חומרת "המלכוד הדמוקרטי" ועד כמה יש ביכולתנו להיות סובלניים.
בצד התיאורטי, הספר מציע גבולות לחופש הביטוי התקשורתי וגורס כי אל לה לתקשורת להיות אובייקטיבית עת היא מכסה ארועי אלימות, גזענות וטרור. הספר מנתח מספר מקרי בוחן: הזכות לפרטיות, טיעון הפגיעה ברגשו The volume is dedicated to the question of boundaries: how should democracies cope with antidemoc... more The volume is dedicated to the question of boundaries: how should democracies cope with antidemocratic forces that pose a challenge to the system? How should we respond to threats that undermine democracy and at the same time retain our values and maintain our commitment to democracy and to its underlying values? This is a compelling task because it is saturated with fears as to how we can find appropriate answers to political extremists and violent movements which do not see themselves under any obligation to uphold the democratic principles and values: Should we adopt violent principles to fight down terrorism and violence? Could we adopt such means and still be considered democratic? How could we be certain that democratic means will be sufficient to subdue violent movements whose motto and guiding principle is to break all rules of the game? 2 views
Raphael Cohen-Almagor, Editor, Challenges to Democracy: Essays in Honour and Memory of Isaiah Ber... more Raphael Cohen-Almagor, Editor, Challenges to Democracy: Essays in Honour and Memory of Isaiah Berlin (London: Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2000). 305 pp.
Challenges to Democracy covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the variety of problems that democracies confront time and again. Their aim is to look at challenges to democracy that evolve from within democracy. It sets to examine how democracies, in different times, dealt with attempts to undermine democratic processes and fundamental human rights. The design of this book is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering historical, philosophical, legal, sociological, political and media perspectives of renowned scholars from the United Kingdom, Israel, the United States and Canada. They analyze how different societies try to cope with and find answers for attacks against them by political extremists, cultural chauvinists, terrorists, hate groups and other radical movements. 2 views
Geoffrey Marshall, Queen’s College, Oxford University
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of th... more Geoffrey Marshall, Queen’s College, Oxford University
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of the struggle against Meir Kahane in the Israeli courts and legislature. But he places it firmly in the context of the traditional controversy over the limits of toleration, providing us with a rigorous examination of the damage principle as it applies to speech and expression. He forces us to face the question why, if we refuse to tolerate the damage done by thefts, assault, fraud or murder, we should tolerate the potential damage that can be brought about by aggressive or violent speech. His work blends together political philosophy, contemporary history, and constitutional theory. It deserves the close attention of students of all three disciplines. But it should fascinate and provoke also all those who wish to confront what is probably the principal dilemma of the modern democratic practice. 14 views
Multiculturalism has polarised academic and public opinion. Some see it as the only way to reconc... more Multiculturalism has polarised academic and public opinion. Some see it as the only way to reconcile the demands of unity and diversity in a multi-ethnic society. Others see it as a way to ghettoise different communities and prevent their interaction and integration. Professor Cohen-Almagor’s book is a judicious and perceptive account of the controversy and the way to resolve it. He discusses such important questions as the limits of state action, when the state may interfere with individual liberty, the relation between group rights and individual rights, and the sources of tension between liberalism and multiculturalism. His discussion is invariably fair, insightful, and probing.
Having laid the theoretical framework in the first part of the book, the author devotes the second to a critical examination of minority and other practices that may appear to offend against a society’s values. Here he skilfully examines several such practices in both liberal and non-liberal societies and 86 views
The book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofol... more The book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofold: to examine whether liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable, and what are the limits of liberal democratic interventions in illiberal affairs of minority cultures within democracy when minorities engage in practices that inflict physical harm on group members (e.g. Female Genital Mutilation) or non-physical harm (e.g. denying members property or education). In the process, the book addresses three questions: whether multiculturalism is bad for democracy; whether multiculturalism is bad for women, and whether multiculturalism contributes to terrorism. 24 views
This presentation is concerned with the boundaries of freedom of expression on the Internet and, ... more This presentation is concerned with the boundaries of freedom of expression on the Internet and, more specifically, on YouTube. This paper opens with definitions of hate speech and terrorism. In the focus of attention not merely propaganda and the preaching of ideas but incitement to violence. There is a direct link between hate speech and hate crime. I argue that after the 2011 Breivik’s murderous journey in which he detonated a truck bomb in front of a government building in Oslo, killing eight, and then went on a shooting spree in Utoya Island, murdering 69 other people, there is also a direct link between hate crime and terrorism. I examine the influences of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-Muslim jihadi preacher on his followers. The words of al-Awlaki instigated many of the terrorist activities that the West had seen in recent years. There are direct links between incitement and extreme violent incidents. 43 views
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
גבולות הסובלנות והחירות
(ירושלים: אקדמון, 1999) הוצאה שניה
בספר שני חלקים עיקריי... more רפאל כהן-אלמגור
גבולות הסובלנות והחירות
(ירושלים: אקדמון, 1999) הוצאה שניה
בספר שני חלקים עיקריים. בחלקו הראשון מבקש המחבר להתוות גבולות לסובלנות ולחירות. טענתו העקרונית היא כי כל צורת ממשל מתאפיינת בכך שהיסודות של השיטה עלולים לפתוח פתח לחורבנה. כהן-אלמגור גורס כי הדמוקרטיה אינה יוצאת דופן ואת הבעיתיות הזאת הוא מכנה "המלכוד הדמוקרטי".
חלקו השני של הספר הינו יישומי ובו נסוב הדיון בתופעת הכהנאות ובנסיונות הדמוקרטיה הישראלית להאבק בה. זהו הדיון המקיף והממצה ביותר שראה אור עד היום בנושא זה של התגוננות הדמוקרטיה. ניתוח פרשיית סקוקי מהווה את קו התפר שבין שני חלקי הספר.
הספר ראה אור במרץ 1994 בארה"ב בהוצאת University Press of Florida. למרות שהספר מכוון בראש ובראשונה למשפטנים, לפילוסופים ולמדעני מדינה, דומה כי כל המתעניין בבעיות של פוליטיקה וחברה ימצא בו ערך רב.
353 עמודים כולל הערות, רשימת מקורות ומפתחות. MEDICAL ETHICS AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New Yo... more MEDICAL ETHICS AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 2000), Vol. 913 of the Annals, 265 pp.
Do humans have a right to tamper with the divinely mandated processes of life and death or are they entitled to exercise control in this area to achieve a world of their own design? Questions concerning the role of doctors, abortion, mercy killings, and genetics are troubling and highly problematic, requiring thorough examination and careful probing.
A new book, Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, (Vol.913 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), offers an overview of some of the pressing themes in medical ethics. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, legal, and medical perspectives of scholars from North America, Europe, and Israel who analyze how their respective countries try to cope with and find answers for pressing concerns. 3 views
This lecture provides a historical overview from the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration until th... more This lecture provides a historical overview from the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration until the William Jefferson Clinton administration. The lecture explains the reasons for the bonding between the two countries, and the processes that led to the warm relationships we witness today. The USA is the most important ally of Israel, while Israel is one of the most important allies of today's superpower. The lecture shows that all presidents between 1956 and 2000 supported Israel. The countries have shared values, an important geo-strategic alliance, mutual needs and shared interests. They trust each other, and have flourishing commerce, business, Hi-Tech, and education synergies as well as sustained and growing security cooperation. 136 views
This book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the pitfalls of policy-making where eutha... more This book is a must for anyone who wishes to understand the pitfalls of policy-making where euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are concerned. The book will be most useful in academic forums, and it will appeal to legislatures and judges who take the decisions and make the judgments necessary to protect the fabric of society in the face of technological medicine. In addition, this book is of relevance to medical doctors, ethicists, lawyers working in the field of medical law and ethics, and sociologists who are interested in end-of-life issues and social justice.
Euthanasia in the Netherlands:
• addresses an issue that is of growing concern in North America and Europe
• offers an interdisciplinary, compelling study in medicine, law, religion and ethics
• covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the end of life
• considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics
• is not confined strictly to the philosophical realm 1 views
This is a fascinating collection of essays about Israeli society and its institutions. It is writ... more This is a fascinating collection of essays about Israeli society and its institutions. It is written by practitioners who have experience and understanding, who are equipped with the insight and knowledge, and who bore responsibility while serving the public in the various institutions. Among the authors are former State President Yitzhak Navon, former cabinet minister Gad Yaakobi, former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Naomi Chazan, former Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein, Former Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar, the State Comptroller Eliezer Goldberg, and former member of the Press Council Raphael Cohen-Almagor. The decision-makers provide fresh, practical observations and personal, valuable accounts of their respective roles.
The Right to Die in Dignity: An Argument in Ethics, Medicine and Law could not be more timely. I... more The Right to Die in Dignity: An Argument in Ethics, Medicine and Law could not be more timely. It addresses an issue that is of growing concern in the United States and Europe. The book offers an interdisciplinary, compelling study in medicine, law, religion and ethics. It covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the end of life that doctors, nurses, ethicists, and scientists confront time and again. The book considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics, but, at the same time, it is not confined strictly to the philosophical realm. The research benefited from fieldwork conducted in dozens of hospitals, research centers, nursing homes and universities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and Israel. The book also ponders practical judicial problems arising from medicine and biotechnology. This is the ultimate collection of essays about Israeli society, its politics and schisms. The be... more This is the ultimate collection of essays about Israeli society, its politics and schisms. The best authors in their respective fields take part in this project. The book aims to tackle timely concerns, like Israel’s fight against terror, its relationships with the Palestinians, the mutual relationships between the civic society and the army, the status of women in society, and separation between state and religion. Particular attention is given to probing the state of human rights, minority rights, and health rights. The volume also discusses the tensions between liberalism and socialism, between state and religion, and between immigration groups, most notably resulting from the immigration from the former Soviet Union.
Geoffrey Marshall, Queen’s College, Oxford University
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of t... more Geoffrey Marshall, Queen’s College, Oxford University
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of the struggle against Meir Kahane in the Israeli courts and legislature. But he places it firmly in the context of the traditional controversy over the limits of toleration, providing us with a rigorous examination of the damage principle as it applies to speech and expression. He forces us to face the question why, if we refuse to tolerate the damage done by thefts, assault, fraud or murder, we should tolerate the potential damage that can be brought about by aggressive or violent speech. His work blends together political philosophy, contemporary history, and constitutional theory. It deserves the close attention of students of all three disciplines. But it should fascinate and provoke also all those who wish to confront what is probably the principal dilemma of the modern democratic practice. The Scope of Tolerance
Studies on the Costs of Free Expression and Freedom of the Press (London a... more The Scope of Tolerance
Studies on the Costs of Free Expression and Freedom of the Press (London and New York: Routledge, 2006), 277 pp.
ISBN: 0-415-35757-8
By Raphael Cohen-Almagor
One of the dangers in any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterise it may, through their application, bring about its destruction. Liberal democracy is no exception. Moreover, because democracy is relatively young phenomenon, it lacks experience in dealing with pitfalls involved in the working of the system - the “catch” of democracy.
The Scope of Tolerance is an interdisciplinary study concerned with the limits of tolerance, this “democratic catch”, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of tolerance. While recognising that we have the need to express ourselves, we should Speech, Media, and Ethics: The Limits of Free Expression (Houndmills and New York: Palgrave, 2005... more Speech, Media, and Ethics: The Limits of Free Expression (Houndmills and New York: Palgrave, 2005). 217 + XXI pp.
SPEECH, MEDIA, AND ETHICS: THE LIMITS OF FREE EXPRESSION deals with limits on freedom of expression, defined broadly as including the right to demonstrate and to picket, the right to compete in elections, and the right to communicate views via the written and electronic media. Throughout the book moral principles are applied to analyse questions that deal with liberty and its limits.
PART ONE deals with recent controversies over freedom of expression. The first article discusses free expression and its confines when dealing with hate speech. Its focus is on the ethical question of the constraints on speech. Two arguments relating to the ‘Harm Principle’ and the ‘Offence Principle’ are advanced. Under the ‘Harm Principle’, restrictions on liberty may be prescribed when there are sheer threats of immediate violence against some individuals or groups. Presentation of The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance: The Struggle Against Kahanism in Israel ... more Presentation of The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance: The Struggle Against Kahanism in Israel (Gainesville, FL: The University Press of Florida, 1994). The first part of the book examines two of the main arguments which are commonly offered as answers to the question: "why tolerate?" The first is the Respect for Others Argument, and the second is the Argument from Truth. I introduce some qualifications to these arguments, asserting that our primary obligation should be given to the first, and that in case of conflict between the two principles, this former principle should take precedence over the latter. Moving from theory to practice, in the second part I apply the theory and the conclusions reached to the Israeli democracy, observing its struggle against the Kahanist phenomenon as it has been developed through the last two decades, and increasingly following the election of Meir Kahane to the Knesset in 1984. I examine the mechanisms applied in this anti-'Kach' (Kahane's party) 1 views
Ethics, Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Politics.
Academic freedom is a subset of fre... more Ethics, Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Politics.
Academic freedom is a subset of freedom of expression. It is about free speech in academic setting. It includes freedom of inquiry, freedom of association, and freedom of publication. The lecture analyses the guiding principles of academic freedom. 1 views
משתתפים: אלוף (מיל.) עמי אילון, פרופ' אריאל בנדור, פרופ' רפאל כהן-אלמגור, פרופ' אסא כשר
מדינ... more משתתפים: אלוף (מיל.) עמי אילון, פרופ' אריאל בנדור, פרופ' רפאל כהן-אלמגור, פרופ' אסא כשר
מדינת ישראל ידעה הרבה פרשות קשות. פרשת השב"כ היא מן הקשות שבהן וייתכן הקשה מכולן שכן רבים הגורסים כי מערכות שלטוניות רבות כשלו בשעת מבחן. המערכות שקיבלו ביקורת קשה הן: ראש הממשלה, פורום ראשי הממשלה, ממשלת ישראל, הכנסת, השב"כ, צה"ל, חלקים נרחבים של התקשורת, בית המשפט העליון ומוסד הנשיאות.
בשנים האחרנות פרופ' כהן-אלמגור ערך סדרה של ראיונות עומק עם כמה מהנפשות הפועלות: היועץ המשפטי לממשלה באותה התקופה יצחק זמיר; עוזרתו דורית ביניש; המשנה לראש השב"כ ראובן חזק אשר ויתר על חלום חייו להיות ראש השב"כ עת יצא נגד מפקדו, וראש אגף מנהל בשב"כ רפי מלכא אשר עתר לבג"צ נגד מקום עבודתו, מהלך חסר תקדים אשר שינה את חייו של מלכא לטוב ולרע. ארבעת הראיונות לעיל הם מקיפים ביותר ובמידה רבה משלימים אחד את השני. כל אחד מן הראיונות נמשך זמן ניכר. עד עתה, זמן הראיונות הוא כ 13 שעות הקלטה. אלו הם מסמכים הסטוריים בעלי חשיבות חסרת תקדים לחקר שלטון החוק וביטחון המדינה בישראל. אנשים נוספים שתר Books by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
The second part of this module probes the intricate relationships between government, media and t... more The second part of this module probes the intricate relationships between government, media and terror. Democracy allows terror more latitude than any other forms of government. Often the media are utilized and exploited by terrorists to exert pressure on governments, to mediate between the two sides, and to transmit messages to the public in order to gain support. Terrorists take advantage of the freedom granted to the media to advance their own cause. The media give terrorism close attention and in the name of public's right to know cover terrorist incidents intensely. The module will attempt to see at which point the journalistic coverage ends and cooperation between media and terrorism begins. Issues at point are: terror and rating; commercialization of terrorism; journalists' responsibilities; coverage of extortionist episodes, and cyberterrorism. Among the case studies that will be analyzed are: The FLQ crisis in Canada, and the September 11, 2001 attack on the US.
The Republic, Secularism and Security: France vs the Burqa and the Niqab (Cham: Springer)., 2022
In France, secularism is celebrated in the public sphere. The manuscript makes general arguments ... more In France, secularism is celebrated in the public sphere. The manuscript makes general arguments about France’s changing identity and specific arguments about the burqa and niqab ban. It explains how French history shaped the ideology of secularism and of public civil religion, and how colonial legacy, immigration, fear of terrorism and security needs have led France to adopt the trinity of indivisibilité, sécurité, laïcité while paying homage to the traditional trinity of liberté, égalité, fraternité. While the motto of the French Revolution is still symbolically and politically important, its practical significance as it has been translated to policy implementation has been eroded. The emergence of the new trinity at the expense of the old one is evident when analyzing the debates concerning cultural policies in France in the face of the Islamic garb, the burqa and the niqab, which are perceived as a challenge to France’s national secular raison d'être. The French Republic has attempted to keep public space secular. Is the burqa and niqab ban socially just? Does it reasonably balance the preservation of societal values and freedom of conscience? What are the true motives behind the ban? Has the discourse changed in the age of COVID-19, when all people are required to wear a mask in the public space?
It is argued that the burqa and niqab ban is neither just nor reasonable in the eyes of the women and girls who wish to wear the Muslim garb, their families and community, and that paternalism that holds that the ban is for the women’s own good is a poor, coercive excuse. Claims for paternalistic coercion to protect adult women from their own culture when they do not ask for protection are not sufficiently reasonable to receive vindication.
Just, Reasonable Multiculturalism, 2021
The book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofol... more The book explores the main challenges against multiculturalism. Its primary objectives are twofold: to examine whether liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable, and what are the limits of liberal democratic interventions in illiberal affairs of minority cultures within democracy when minorities engage in practices that inflict physical harm on group members (e.g. Female Genital Mutilation) or non-physical harm (e.g. denying members property or education). In the process, the book addresses three questions: whether multiculturalism is bad for democracy; whether multiculturalism is bad for women, and whether multiculturalism contributes to terrorism.
The main thesis is that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable provided that a fair balance is struck between individual rights and group rights. It is argued that reasonable multiculturalism can be achieved via mechanisms of deliberate democracy, compromise and, when necessary, coercion. Placing necessary checks on groups that discriminate against vulnerable third parties, commonly women and children, the approach insists on the protection of basic human rights as well as on exit rights for individuals if and when they wish to leave their cultural groups.
Just, Reasonable Multiculturalism , 2021
In Just Reasonable, Multiculturalism, Cohen-Almagor develops a comprehensive theory that tackles ... more In Just Reasonable, Multiculturalism, Cohen-Almagor develops a comprehensive theory that tackles three major attacks on multiculturalism: that it is bad for democracy, that it is bad for women, and that it promotes terrorism, aiming to show that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable. Cohen-Almagor outlines the theoretical assumptions underlying a liberal response to threats posed by cultural or religious groups whose norms entail different measures of harm. He examines the importance of cultural, ethnic, national, religious, and ideological norms and beliefs, and what part they play in requiring us to tolerate others out of respect. Cohen-Almagor formulates guidelines designed to prescribe boundaries to cultural practices and to safeguard the rights of individuals and then applies them to real life situations. Painstakingly, Cohen-Almagor balances group rights against individual rights and delineates the limits of state intervention in minority groups’ affairs in cases involving physical harm and non-physical harm. The first category includes practices such as scarring, suttee, murder for family honour, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), female circumcision and male circumcision. The second category includes arranged and forced marriages, divorce and property rights, gender segregation, denial of education, and enforcement of a strict dress code. Two country case studies, France and Israel, illustrate the power of security considerations in restricting claims for multiculturalism.
Terrorism, cyberbullying, child pornography, hate speech and cybercrime: along with unprecedented... more Terrorism, cyberbullying, child pornography, hate speech and cybercrime: along with unprecedented advancements in productivity and engagement, the Internet has ushered in a space for violent, hateful, and antisocial behavior. How do we, as individuals and as a society, protect against very dangerous expressions online?
This is the very first book on social responsibility on the Internet. Against the Free Speech Principle, no less important considerations of the responsibilities of the individual, corporation, state and the international community are weighed. This book brings an international perspective to the analysis of some of the most troubling uses of the Internet. Confronting the Internet’s Dark Side urges Netusers, ISPs and liberal democracies to strike a balance between freedom and security, between unlimited license and moral responsibility. This kind of judgment is necessary to uphold the very liberal democratic values that gave rise to the Internet and that are threatened by an unbridled use of technology.
The book will be of interest to media professionals, government officials and policy makers, Internet experts and business, lawyers and judges, scholars, teachers and students. Any number of courses in ethics and political philosophy, computer science ‘ethics courses,’ and public policy courses may use this book. At the same time, the book is written in such a way as to be of interest to the general public.
This book could be used as a textbook for the following courses:
New Media
Global Media
The Internet and the First Amendment
Free Speech and Its Limits
Moral Responsibility
Applied Ethics
Media Ethics
Ethics on the World Wide Web
Information Ethics
There are few issues more emotional and divisive than what has become known as “the right to die.... more There are few issues more emotional and divisive than what has become known as “the right to die.” One camp advocates the “death with dignity” approach, according to which the patient is an autonomous being who can form his or her own judgment on the timing and process of dying. The other camp advocates the sanctity of life approach, in which life is intrinsically valuable and should be sustained as long as possible. Is
there a right answer?
In The Right to Die With Dignity, Raphael Cohen-Almagor takes a balanced approach in analyzing this emotionally charged debate, viewing the dispute uniquely from public policy and international perspectives. This book offers an interdisciplinary, compelling study in medicine, law, religion and ethics. It is, arguably, the most comprehensive book yet to be written on the fascinating question of whether physician-assisted suicide should be allowed. Cohen-Almagor delineates the distinctions between active and passive euthanasia and discusses some of the legal measures that have been invoked in the United States and abroad. He outlines the reasons non-blood relatives should be given a role in deciding a patients’ last wishes. He examines euthanasia policies in the Netherlands and the 1994 Oregon Death with Dignity Act, suggesting improvements to each. Finally, he makes a circumscribed plea for voluntary physician-assisted suicide.
MEDICAL ETHICS AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New... more MEDICAL ETHICS AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 2000), Vol. 913 of the Annals, 265 pp.
Do humans have a right to tamper with the divinely mandated processes of life and death or are they entitled to exercise control in this area to achieve a world of their own design? Questions concerning the role of doctors, abortion, mercy killings, and genetics are troubling and highly problematic, requiring thorough examination and careful probing.
Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, (Vol.913 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), offers an overview of some of the pressing themes in medical ethics. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, legal, and medical perspectives of scholars from North America, Europe, and Israel who analyze how their respective countries try to cope with and find answers for pressing concerns.
“People are living longer lives,” said Raphael Cohen-Almagor, the book’s editor. “Medicine is able to monitor and control endemic diseases that in the past caused rapid death, but the process of dying from diseases such as cancer and AIDS is long, painful, and very costly.”
Cohen-Almagor noted that the book looks at the questions that arise as to appropriate deployment and allocation of expensive resources and the criteria that must be employed when treatment is limited because society is unable to withstand the cost.
The essays revolve around three main themes: appropriate roles for doctors, decisions at the beginning and end of life, and medical ethics in the age of biotechnology. They consider the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics and also practical judicial problems.
To order a review copy of Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, please call Jill Stolarik at 212.838.0230, ext.232.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
One of the problems of any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterize... more One of the problems of any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterize it might also, through their application, endanger it and bring about its destruction. Democracy, in its liberal form, is no exception. Moreover, because democracy is a relatively young phenomenon, it lacks experience in dealing with pitfalls involved in the working of the system. This is the ‘catch’ of democracy.
There is abundant literature about democracy as well as about liberty and tolerance. However, not that much was written about the boundaries of liberty and tolerance. Liberals are not too happy to talk about the limits of democracy. They feel much more comfortable speaking about the principles that underlie democracy, and devote much less detailed discussion to the exceptions to the rules. This volume considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of liberty and tolerance upon which democracy is based and, at the same time, it does not confine its scope strictly to the philosophical realm. Thus, the essays also ponder practical problems arising from the tensions between the forces of democracy, and the destructive elements that take advantage of the liberty granted to them to harm individuals and groups, and to undermine democracy.
The volume is dedicated to the question of boundaries: how should democracies cope with antidemocratic forces that pose a challenge to the system? How should we respond to threats that undermine democracy and at the same time retain our values and maintain our commitment to democracy and to its underlying values? This is a compelling task because it is saturated with fears as to how we can find appropriate answers to political extremists and violent movements which do not see themselves under any obligation to uphold the democratic principles and values: Should we adopt violent principles to fight down terrorism and violence? Could we adopt such means and still be considered democratic? How could we be certain that democratic means will be sufficient to subdue violent movements whose motto and guiding principle is to break all rules of the game? How are we to prevent the slippery slope syndrome, i.e., make sure that the antidemocratic means we employ in our struggle against antidemocratic forces will not be utilized in other spheres of life that are democratic in nature?
These are troubling and very real questions indeed. They require a thorough examination and careful probing. This volume is taking a major step in tackling them. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, political, historical and legal perspectives of scholars from four democracies who analyze how their respective countries try to cope and find answers to attacks made against them by hate groups, political extremists, terrorists and other radical movements. The scholars are from the United States, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom.
Introduction
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
The Crisis of Governance: Government Instabi... more Introduction
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
The Crisis of Governance: Government Instability and the Civil Service
David Nachmias and Ori Arbel-Ganz
Citizenship Education in Israel – A Jewish-Democratic State
Orit Ichilov, Gavriel Salomon and Dan Inbar
The Military-Political Complex: The IDF’s Influence over Policy towards the Palestinians Since 1987
Yoram Peri
On the Need for A Constitution
Meir Shamgar
Institutions
Presidency in Israel: Formal Authority and Personal Experience
Yitzhak Navon
The Government
Gad Yaacobi
The Knesset
Naomi Chazan
The Attorney General in Israel – A Delicate Balance of Powers and Responsibilities in a Jewish and Democratic State
Elyakim Rubinstein
Particularistic Considerations and the Absence of Strategic Assessment in the Israeli Public Administration: The Role of the State Comptroller
Eliezer Goldberg
The Press Council
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Final Word
Israeli Institutions at the Crossroads
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Notes on Contributors
Index
Introduction
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
From Socialism to Free Market – The Israeli ... more Introduction
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
From Socialism to Free Market – The Israeli Economy: 1948 – 2003
Ben-Zion Zilberfarb
Between Enlightened Authoritarianism and Social Responsibility – On Media and Politics
Dan Caspi
Rights and Schisms
Human Rights
David Kretzmer
Health Rights
Carmel Shalev
Women's Human Rights: Dichotomy between Religion and Secularism in Israel
Frances Raday
Israel as a Multicultural Democracy: Challenges and Obstacles
Yossi Yonah
The Absorption of Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union
Tamar Horowitz
Is A Halachic State Possible? The Paradox of Jewish Theocracy
Aviezer Ravitzky
“A Jewish and Democratic State”: Present Navigation in the Map of Interpretations
Asa Kasher
Whither the Green Line? Trends in the Orientation of the Palestinians in Israel and the Territories
Majid Al-Haj
Israel and Its Arab Citizens
Hillel Frisch
Israel Facing Terrorism
Ariel Merari
Final Words
Revisiting the Zionist Dream
Claude Klein
Israeli Democracy at the Crossroads
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Notes on Contributors
Index
Description: The book offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of much of the empirical medical... more Description: The book offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of much of the empirical medical data, law, and ethics regarding end-of-life issues. It includes analysis of data from a variety of sources: ethical, medical and legal in the Netherlands. Each of the chapters offers a fresh insight on pertinent questions concerning end-of-life dilemmas.
Methodology: An interdisciplinary study in ethics, medicine and law that incorporates the relevant theories and case studies with the findings of interviews conducted in dozens of hospitals and research centers in the Netherlands.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Henry Hardy
Isaiah Berlin: A Personal Impres... more CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Henry Hardy
Isaiah Berlin: A Personal Impression
PART I: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
1. Political Assassination: A Historian’s Perspective
Eli Barnavi
2. Freedom of Speech: Right or Privilege?
Jack Pole
3. Loyalty, Treason and Sedition in the United States during Crisis Times
Arnon Gutfeld
PART II: PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES
4. Tolerance and Emotions
Aharon Ben-Ze’ev
5. Democracy and Multiculturalism
Will Kymlicka and Raphael Cohen-Almagor
6. Challenges to Canadian Liberal Democracy
Warren Kinsella
7. Dominant Political Culture and Political Mutations in Israel
Moshe Lissak
PART III: LEGAL PERSPECTIVES
8. Is There a Case for Constitutional Dictatorship in Israel?
Claude Klein
9. Freedom of Expression and Its Limitations
Aharon Barak
10. The Control of Civil Disorder in Britain
Geoffrey Marshall
11. Reflections on Administrative Detention in Israel: A Critique
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
PART IV: POLITICAL AND MEDIA PERSPECTIVES
12. Causes and Results of Political Assassination: On Rabin’s Legacy
Oded Balaban
13. The Middle Eastern Media Coverage of Prime Minister Rabin’s Assassination
Saul Zadka
14. The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance in the Canadian North: Media, Ethics, and the Emergence of the Inuit Homeland of Nunavut
Valerie Alia
Notes on Contributors
Index
The Democratic "Catch" is an interdisciplinary study in the fields of communication, law and ethi... more The Democratic "Catch" is an interdisciplinary study in the fields of communication, law and ethics. It is concerned with the public right to know, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of liberty and tolerance. While recognizing that we have the need to express ourselves, we should also inquire about the justifications for tolerating the damaging speech and whether these are weighty enough.
This book combines theory and practice, examining issues of contention from philosophical, legal and media perspectives and covers such issues as:
• Objectivity in the media
• media invasion into one’s privacy
• offensive speech
• incitement and hate speech
• media coverage of terrorism
• The Ombudsman
• Press Councils
http://www.hull.ac.uk/rca/books.html
The book reflects on some of the troubling questions in medical ethics: Medicine, Technology, La... more The book reflects on some of the troubling questions in medical ethics: Medicine, Technology, Law and Decisions at the Beginning of Life; Planned Orphanage; Wrongful Life; Ethical Education and Research in Medical Schools and Hospitals; Organ Transplantation; Allocation of Resources, Health Care Systems and Health Rights; Decisions at the End of Life: Mercy Killings and the Right to Die in Dignity; Clinical Ethical Issues. The book is comprised of essays that were written by members of the Medical Ethics Think-tank that worked under the auspices of The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute during 1995-1998. The contributors come from different disciplines: physicians, philosophers, ethicists, legal theorists, social workers and religious authorities. The scholars represent all six Israeli universities and some of them are also affiliated to the principal medical centers in the country. These are top scientists, renowned for their quality research and scholarship, who have been working together for three years. The group has produced in its brain storming sessions high quality papers that will enrich the thinking and knowledge on various issues in the field of medical ethics, especially on decision making at the beginning of life and at the end of life. The book offers significant contribution to the analysis of practical questions from theoretical and analytical perspectives, combining theory and fieldwork conducted in hospitals.
We want this book to evoke a debate on major issues in medical ethics in Israel and to serve all those who are interested in the issue.
דילמות באתיקה רפואית
רפאל כהן-אלמגור (עורך)
תוכן עניינים
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
הקדמה
שער ראשון
על זכויות בריאות וחינוך לאתיקה רפואית
כרמל שלו
זכויות בריאות
שמעון גליק ועדנה בנשלום
ההתמודדויות האתיות של סטודנטים לרפואה
גרשון ב. גרונפלד
ועדות אתיקה במוסדות רפואיים
שער שני
תחילת החיים: על הזכות להורות, יתמות מתוכננת, והזכות לא להיוולד בפגם
רות הלפרין-קדרי
"להשאיר חיים אחריך": יילוד העובר מגוף הנפטרת - האמנם בכל מקרה?
ורדית רביצקי
הזכות להורות בעידן ההפריה הטכנולוגית
מרדכי הלפרין
הגדרת הורות וזכות איתור השורשים הביולוגים
רוזלי בר
סוגיות אתיות ביצירת ילדים באמצעות אם פונדקאית
רות לנדאו
יתמות מתוכננת
אסא כשר
"יתמות מתוכננת": התמונה המאוזנת
עמוס שפירא
הזכות לא להיוולד בפגם: פלוגתות של לוגיקה, ערכים ומדיניות משפטית
דוד הד
האם קיימת זכות לא להיוולד בפגם? תגובה פילוסופית לעמוס שפירא
שער שלישי
השתלות איברים וסוף החיים בראי ערכים הלכתיים וליברליים
משה זמר
תרומת איברים וההלכה
אברהם שטיינברג
החולה הסופני - מבט השוואתי בין "ערכים דמוקרטיים והלכתיים"
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
על אוטונומיה, המתות חסד והזכות למות בכבוד
שער רביעי
מדיניות טיפולית
איתי בנטוב וצ'רלס ספרונג
בעיות אתיות בברירת חולים לטיפול נמרץ
אבי עורי
היבטים אתיים ברפואה שיקומית
ברוך מודן ושלומית פרי
גורמי סיכון וגורמי פיצוי: מדיניות הממשלה מול מוקרני הגזזת
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Introduction
Fania Oz-Salzberger
Liberal Democracy: Historical Outlook... more Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Introduction
Fania Oz-Salzberger
Liberal Democracy: Historical Outlook
David Heyd
Upon Majority Rule?
David Deri
Democracy and Bureaucracy in Israel
Claud Klein
Separation of Powers in Democracy
Ahron Barak
The Role of the Supreme Court in Democratic Society
Frances Raday
The Voice of Women in Israeli Democracy
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Democracy and Health Care: The Obligation of Democracy to Its Patients
Will Kymlicka and Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Multi-Cultural Minorities in Liberal Democracies
Ilan Pappe
The Palestinian Citizens in Israel Toward the 21st Century
Moshe Lissak
Uniqueness and Normalization in the Relationships between Government and the Military in Israel
Gabriel Weimann
The Theatre of Terror: A Difficult Challenge for Democracy
Sam Leiman-Wilzig
Israeli Democracy: How Much Democratic? How Much Liberal?
On the Contributors
Index
Hebrew poetry on Love and War
Papers by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
The Cairo Review of Global Affairs , 2025
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict remains one of the most protracted and violent disputes of the m... more The Israeli–Palestinian conflict remains one of the most protracted and violent disputes of the modern era, demanding not short-term fixes but sustained commitment, foresight, and compromise. Building on frameworks such as the Clinton Parameters and the Geneva Accords, this article argues that peace requires a rare alignment of leadership, public support, and international engagement. Demographic realities underscore the urgency: between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, Jews and Palestinians now live in near-equal numbers. Yet asymmetry persists, with Israel exercising military and political dominance. Gaza presents both the greatest tragedy and the greatest challenge. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and subsequent war devastated lives, deepened mistrust, and exposed the failures of divide-and-rule strategies. Rebuilding Gaza, preventing reoccupation, and installing a legitimate Palestinian authority are essential for stability. Innovative proposals—ranging from humanitarian frameworks to artificial islands—highlight the scale of reconstruction and the shared responsibility of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Arab states, and the wider international community. In the West Bank, preserving the Palestinian Authority, promoting democratic processes, and halting settlement expansion are vital to any negotiated settlement. Polls reveal deep skepticism but also shifting attitudes on both sides, suggesting that opportunities for reconciliation may emerge over time. The road ahead is long and fraught with setbacks, but sustained trust-building, zero tolerance for violence, and international cooperation can pave the way toward a two-state solution and a more peaceful future.
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Videos by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
The Scope of Tolerance is an interdisciplinary study concerned with the limits of tolerance, this “democratic catch”, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of tolerance. While recognising that we have the need to express ourselves, we should also inquire about the justifications for tolerating the damaging speech and whether these are weighty enough.
GEOFFREY MARSHALL
THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE, OXFORD
Lord Bhikhu Parekh, House of Lords, The United Kingdom
The main thesis is that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable provided that a fair balance is struck between individual rights and group rights. It is argued that reasonable multiculturalism can be achieved via mechanisms of deliberate democracy, compromise and, when necessary, coercion. Placing necessary checks on groups t
הדברים קלים ומובנים עת עסקינן בצורות ממשל המבוססות על כפייה. אולם דברים אלו נכונים גם באשר לדמוקרטיה. דמוקרטיה המבוססת על חירות ללא גבולות מובחנים עלולה לאבד עצמה לדעת. חירות אינה הפקרות וסובלנות אינה אנרכיה. חובה עלינו להציב גבולות ליסודות הדמוקרטיה. חובה עלינו להכיר בקיום "המלכוד הדמוקרטי". לצד ההערכה לנטייה הליברלית לספק מרחב גדול לחופש ביטוי, עלינו גם להכיר ב"מלכוד הדמוקרטי" ובצורך להגביל את חופש הביטוי. ישנן מספר קטגוריות של ביטויים המוחצנים מהגנת עקרון חירות הביטוי. קטגוריות אלו כוללות דברי השמצה והוצאת דיבה ; ביטויי הסתה; מילים לוחמות; ביטויים המסכנים את ביטחון המדינה; ; פורנוגרפיה קשה העושה שימוש בקטינים ובחיות, ואשר אונסת נשים ; פגיעה בזכויות יוצרים; סוביודיצה וביטויים מסחריים.
המלכוד הדמוקרטי, ספרית מעריב, 2007.
זהו ספר המשך לספרי גבולות הסובלנות והחירות (1999).
התיזה העיקרית היא שהדמוקרטיה אינה שונה מצורות ממשל אחרות בכך שהיסודות המרכיבים את השיטה הם הם העלולים להביא לחורבנה. חירות ללא גבולות הינה הפקרות. סובלנות ללא גבולות תוביל לאנרכיה. שומה עלינו להבין כי לזכויות ולחירויות יש מחיר, וכי משהו יצטרך לשלם עבורן. השאלה האם המחיר הוא כזה שהדמוקרטיה תוכל לסבלו, ומי יידרש לשלם המחיר. בכל התנגשות של זכויות (חופש ביטוי מול ביטחון המדינה, זכות הציבור לדעת מול הזכות לפרטיות) עלינו לבחון את חומרת "המלכוד הדמוקרטי" ועד כמה יש ביכולתנו להיות סובלניים.
בצד התיאורטי, הספר מציע גבולות לחופש הביטוי התקשורתי וגורס כי אל לה לתקשורת להיות אובייקטיבית עת היא מכסה ארועי אלימות, גזענות וטרור. הספר מנתח מספר מקרי בוחן: הזכות לפרטיות, טיעון הפגיעה ברגשו
Challenges to Democracy covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the variety of problems that democracies confront time and again. Their aim is to look at challenges to democracy that evolve from within democracy. It sets to examine how democracies, in different times, dealt with attempts to undermine democratic processes and fundamental human rights. The design of this book is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering historical, philosophical, legal, sociological, political and media perspectives of renowned scholars from the United Kingdom, Israel, the United States and Canada. They analyze how different societies try to cope with and find answers for attacks against them by political extremists, cultural chauvinists, terrorists, hate groups and other radical movements.
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of the struggle against Meir Kahane in the Israeli courts and legislature. But he places it firmly in the context of the traditional controversy over the limits of toleration, providing us with a rigorous examination of the damage principle as it applies to speech and expression. He forces us to face the question why, if we refuse to tolerate the damage done by thefts, assault, fraud or murder, we should tolerate the potential damage that can be brought about by aggressive or violent speech. His work blends together political philosophy, contemporary history, and constitutional theory. It deserves the close attention of students of all three disciplines. But it should fascinate and provoke also all those who wish to confront what is probably the principal dilemma of the modern democratic practice.
Having laid the theoretical framework in the first part of the book, the author devotes the second to a critical examination of minority and other practices that may appear to offend against a society’s values. Here he skilfully examines several such practices in both liberal and non-liberal societies and
גבולות הסובלנות והחירות
(ירושלים: אקדמון, 1999) הוצאה שניה
בספר שני חלקים עיקריים. בחלקו הראשון מבקש המחבר להתוות גבולות לסובלנות ולחירות. טענתו העקרונית היא כי כל צורת ממשל מתאפיינת בכך שהיסודות של השיטה עלולים לפתוח פתח לחורבנה. כהן-אלמגור גורס כי הדמוקרטיה אינה יוצאת דופן ואת הבעיתיות הזאת הוא מכנה "המלכוד הדמוקרטי".
חלקו השני של הספר הינו יישומי ובו נסוב הדיון בתופעת הכהנאות ובנסיונות הדמוקרטיה הישראלית להאבק בה. זהו הדיון המקיף והממצה ביותר שראה אור עד היום בנושא זה של התגוננות הדמוקרטיה. ניתוח פרשיית סקוקי מהווה את קו התפר שבין שני חלקי הספר.
הספר ראה אור במרץ 1994 בארה"ב בהוצאת University Press of Florida. למרות שהספר מכוון בראש ובראשונה למשפטנים, לפילוסופים ולמדעני מדינה, דומה כי כל המתעניין בבעיות של פוליטיקה וחברה ימצא בו ערך רב.
353 עמודים כולל הערות, רשימת מקורות ומפתחות.
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 2000), Vol. 913 of the Annals, 265 pp.
Do humans have a right to tamper with the divinely mandated processes of life and death or are they entitled to exercise control in this area to achieve a world of their own design? Questions concerning the role of doctors, abortion, mercy killings, and genetics are troubling and highly problematic, requiring thorough examination and careful probing.
A new book, Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, (Vol.913 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), offers an overview of some of the pressing themes in medical ethics. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, legal, and medical perspectives of scholars from North America, Europe, and Israel who analyze how their respective countries try to cope with and find answers for pressing concerns.
Euthanasia in the Netherlands:
• addresses an issue that is of growing concern in North America and Europe
• offers an interdisciplinary, compelling study in medicine, law, religion and ethics
• covers a wide range of theoretical and practical issues concerning the end of life
• considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics
• is not confined strictly to the philosophical realm
Raphael Cohen-Almagor maps the course of the struggle against Meir Kahane in the Israeli courts and legislature. But he places it firmly in the context of the traditional controversy over the limits of toleration, providing us with a rigorous examination of the damage principle as it applies to speech and expression. He forces us to face the question why, if we refuse to tolerate the damage done by thefts, assault, fraud or murder, we should tolerate the potential damage that can be brought about by aggressive or violent speech. His work blends together political philosophy, contemporary history, and constitutional theory. It deserves the close attention of students of all three disciplines. But it should fascinate and provoke also all those who wish to confront what is probably the principal dilemma of the modern democratic practice.
Studies on the Costs of Free Expression and Freedom of the Press (London and New York: Routledge, 2006), 277 pp.
ISBN: 0-415-35757-8
By Raphael Cohen-Almagor
One of the dangers in any political system is that the principles that underlie and characterise it may, through their application, bring about its destruction. Liberal democracy is no exception. Moreover, because democracy is relatively young phenomenon, it lacks experience in dealing with pitfalls involved in the working of the system - the “catch” of democracy.
The Scope of Tolerance is an interdisciplinary study concerned with the limits of tolerance, this “democratic catch”, and the costs of freedom of expression. Rights are costly, and someone must pay for them. We can and should ask about the justification for bearing the costs, weighing them against the harms inflicted upon society as a result of a wide scope of tolerance. While recognising that we have the need to express ourselves, we should
SPEECH, MEDIA, AND ETHICS: THE LIMITS OF FREE EXPRESSION deals with limits on freedom of expression, defined broadly as including the right to demonstrate and to picket, the right to compete in elections, and the right to communicate views via the written and electronic media. Throughout the book moral principles are applied to analyse questions that deal with liberty and its limits.
PART ONE deals with recent controversies over freedom of expression. The first article discusses free expression and its confines when dealing with hate speech. Its focus is on the ethical question of the constraints on speech. Two arguments relating to the ‘Harm Principle’ and the ‘Offence Principle’ are advanced. Under the ‘Harm Principle’, restrictions on liberty may be prescribed when there are sheer threats of immediate violence against some individuals or groups.
Academic freedom is a subset of freedom of expression. It is about free speech in academic setting. It includes freedom of inquiry, freedom of association, and freedom of publication. The lecture analyses the guiding principles of academic freedom.
מדינת ישראל ידעה הרבה פרשות קשות. פרשת השב"כ היא מן הקשות שבהן וייתכן הקשה מכולן שכן רבים הגורסים כי מערכות שלטוניות רבות כשלו בשעת מבחן. המערכות שקיבלו ביקורת קשה הן: ראש הממשלה, פורום ראשי הממשלה, ממשלת ישראל, הכנסת, השב"כ, צה"ל, חלקים נרחבים של התקשורת, בית המשפט העליון ומוסד הנשיאות.
בשנים האחרנות פרופ' כהן-אלמגור ערך סדרה של ראיונות עומק עם כמה מהנפשות הפועלות: היועץ המשפטי לממשלה באותה התקופה יצחק זמיר; עוזרתו דורית ביניש; המשנה לראש השב"כ ראובן חזק אשר ויתר על חלום חייו להיות ראש השב"כ עת יצא נגד מפקדו, וראש אגף מנהל בשב"כ רפי מלכא אשר עתר לבג"צ נגד מקום עבודתו, מהלך חסר תקדים אשר שינה את חייו של מלכא לטוב ולרע. ארבעת הראיונות לעיל הם מקיפים ביותר ובמידה רבה משלימים אחד את השני. כל אחד מן הראיונות נמשך זמן ניכר. עד עתה, זמן הראיונות הוא כ 13 שעות הקלטה. אלו הם מסמכים הסטוריים בעלי חשיבות חסרת תקדים לחקר שלטון החוק וביטחון המדינה בישראל. אנשים נוספים שתר
Books by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
It is argued that the burqa and niqab ban is neither just nor reasonable in the eyes of the women and girls who wish to wear the Muslim garb, their families and community, and that paternalism that holds that the ban is for the women’s own good is a poor, coercive excuse. Claims for paternalistic coercion to protect adult women from their own culture when they do not ask for protection are not sufficiently reasonable to receive vindication.
The main thesis is that liberalism and multiculturalism are reconcilable provided that a fair balance is struck between individual rights and group rights. It is argued that reasonable multiculturalism can be achieved via mechanisms of deliberate democracy, compromise and, when necessary, coercion. Placing necessary checks on groups that discriminate against vulnerable third parties, commonly women and children, the approach insists on the protection of basic human rights as well as on exit rights for individuals if and when they wish to leave their cultural groups.
This is the very first book on social responsibility on the Internet. Against the Free Speech Principle, no less important considerations of the responsibilities of the individual, corporation, state and the international community are weighed. This book brings an international perspective to the analysis of some of the most troubling uses of the Internet. Confronting the Internet’s Dark Side urges Netusers, ISPs and liberal democracies to strike a balance between freedom and security, between unlimited license and moral responsibility. This kind of judgment is necessary to uphold the very liberal democratic values that gave rise to the Internet and that are threatened by an unbridled use of technology.
The book will be of interest to media professionals, government officials and policy makers, Internet experts and business, lawyers and judges, scholars, teachers and students. Any number of courses in ethics and political philosophy, computer science ‘ethics courses,’ and public policy courses may use this book. At the same time, the book is written in such a way as to be of interest to the general public.
This book could be used as a textbook for the following courses:
New Media
Global Media
The Internet and the First Amendment
Free Speech and Its Limits
Moral Responsibility
Applied Ethics
Media Ethics
Ethics on the World Wide Web
Information Ethics
there a right answer?
In The Right to Die With Dignity, Raphael Cohen-Almagor takes a balanced approach in analyzing this emotionally charged debate, viewing the dispute uniquely from public policy and international perspectives. This book offers an interdisciplinary, compelling study in medicine, law, religion and ethics. It is, arguably, the most comprehensive book yet to be written on the fascinating question of whether physician-assisted suicide should be allowed. Cohen-Almagor delineates the distinctions between active and passive euthanasia and discusses some of the legal measures that have been invoked in the United States and abroad. He outlines the reasons non-blood relatives should be given a role in deciding a patients’ last wishes. He examines euthanasia policies in the Netherlands and the 1994 Oregon Death with Dignity Act, suggesting improvements to each. Finally, he makes a circumscribed plea for voluntary physician-assisted suicide.
Edited by Raphael Cohen-Almagor
(New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 2000), Vol. 913 of the Annals, 265 pp.
Do humans have a right to tamper with the divinely mandated processes of life and death or are they entitled to exercise control in this area to achieve a world of their own design? Questions concerning the role of doctors, abortion, mercy killings, and genetics are troubling and highly problematic, requiring thorough examination and careful probing.
Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, (Vol.913 of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), offers an overview of some of the pressing themes in medical ethics. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, legal, and medical perspectives of scholars from North America, Europe, and Israel who analyze how their respective countries try to cope with and find answers for pressing concerns.
“People are living longer lives,” said Raphael Cohen-Almagor, the book’s editor. “Medicine is able to monitor and control endemic diseases that in the past caused rapid death, but the process of dying from diseases such as cancer and AIDS is long, painful, and very costly.”
Cohen-Almagor noted that the book looks at the questions that arise as to appropriate deployment and allocation of expensive resources and the criteria that must be employed when treatment is limited because society is unable to withstand the cost.
The essays revolve around three main themes: appropriate roles for doctors, decisions at the beginning and end of life, and medical ethics in the age of biotechnology. They consider the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of medical ethics and also practical judicial problems.
To order a review copy of Medical Ethics at the Dawn of the 21st Century, please call Jill Stolarik at 212.838.0230, ext.232.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
There is abundant literature about democracy as well as about liberty and tolerance. However, not that much was written about the boundaries of liberty and tolerance. Liberals are not too happy to talk about the limits of democracy. They feel much more comfortable speaking about the principles that underlie democracy, and devote much less detailed discussion to the exceptions to the rules. This volume considers the philosophical difficulties inherent in the concepts of liberty and tolerance upon which democracy is based and, at the same time, it does not confine its scope strictly to the philosophical realm. Thus, the essays also ponder practical problems arising from the tensions between the forces of democracy, and the destructive elements that take advantage of the liberty granted to them to harm individuals and groups, and to undermine democracy.
The volume is dedicated to the question of boundaries: how should democracies cope with antidemocratic forces that pose a challenge to the system? How should we respond to threats that undermine democracy and at the same time retain our values and maintain our commitment to democracy and to its underlying values? This is a compelling task because it is saturated with fears as to how we can find appropriate answers to political extremists and violent movements which do not see themselves under any obligation to uphold the democratic principles and values: Should we adopt violent principles to fight down terrorism and violence? Could we adopt such means and still be considered democratic? How could we be certain that democratic means will be sufficient to subdue violent movements whose motto and guiding principle is to break all rules of the game? How are we to prevent the slippery slope syndrome, i.e., make sure that the antidemocratic means we employ in our struggle against antidemocratic forces will not be utilized in other spheres of life that are democratic in nature?
These are troubling and very real questions indeed. They require a thorough examination and careful probing. This volume is taking a major step in tackling them. Its design is both interdisciplinary and comparative, offering philosophical, political, historical and legal perspectives of scholars from four democracies who analyze how their respective countries try to cope and find answers to attacks made against them by hate groups, political extremists, terrorists and other radical movements. The scholars are from the United States, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom.
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
The Crisis of Governance: Government Instability and the Civil Service
David Nachmias and Ori Arbel-Ganz
Citizenship Education in Israel – A Jewish-Democratic State
Orit Ichilov, Gavriel Salomon and Dan Inbar
The Military-Political Complex: The IDF’s Influence over Policy towards the Palestinians Since 1987
Yoram Peri
On the Need for A Constitution
Meir Shamgar
Institutions
Presidency in Israel: Formal Authority and Personal Experience
Yitzhak Navon
The Government
Gad Yaacobi
The Knesset
Naomi Chazan
The Attorney General in Israel – A Delicate Balance of Powers and Responsibilities in a Jewish and Democratic State
Elyakim Rubinstein
Particularistic Considerations and the Absence of Strategic Assessment in the Israeli Public Administration: The Role of the State Comptroller
Eliezer Goldberg
The Press Council
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Final Word
Israeli Institutions at the Crossroads
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Notes on Contributors
Index
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
General
From Socialism to Free Market – The Israeli Economy: 1948 – 2003
Ben-Zion Zilberfarb
Between Enlightened Authoritarianism and Social Responsibility – On Media and Politics
Dan Caspi
Rights and Schisms
Human Rights
David Kretzmer
Health Rights
Carmel Shalev
Women's Human Rights: Dichotomy between Religion and Secularism in Israel
Frances Raday
Israel as a Multicultural Democracy: Challenges and Obstacles
Yossi Yonah
The Absorption of Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union
Tamar Horowitz
Is A Halachic State Possible? The Paradox of Jewish Theocracy
Aviezer Ravitzky
“A Jewish and Democratic State”: Present Navigation in the Map of Interpretations
Asa Kasher
Whither the Green Line? Trends in the Orientation of the Palestinians in Israel and the Territories
Majid Al-Haj
Israel and Its Arab Citizens
Hillel Frisch
Israel Facing Terrorism
Ariel Merari
Final Words
Revisiting the Zionist Dream
Claude Klein
Israeli Democracy at the Crossroads
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Notes on Contributors
Index
Methodology: An interdisciplinary study in ethics, medicine and law that incorporates the relevant theories and case studies with the findings of interviews conducted in dozens of hospitals and research centers in the Netherlands.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Henry Hardy
Isaiah Berlin: A Personal Impression
PART I: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
1. Political Assassination: A Historian’s Perspective
Eli Barnavi
2. Freedom of Speech: Right or Privilege?
Jack Pole
3. Loyalty, Treason and Sedition in the United States during Crisis Times
Arnon Gutfeld
PART II: PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVES
4. Tolerance and Emotions
Aharon Ben-Ze’ev
5. Democracy and Multiculturalism
Will Kymlicka and Raphael Cohen-Almagor
6. Challenges to Canadian Liberal Democracy
Warren Kinsella
7. Dominant Political Culture and Political Mutations in Israel
Moshe Lissak
PART III: LEGAL PERSPECTIVES
8. Is There a Case for Constitutional Dictatorship in Israel?
Claude Klein
9. Freedom of Expression and Its Limitations
Aharon Barak
10. The Control of Civil Disorder in Britain
Geoffrey Marshall
11. Reflections on Administrative Detention in Israel: A Critique
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
PART IV: POLITICAL AND MEDIA PERSPECTIVES
12. Causes and Results of Political Assassination: On Rabin’s Legacy
Oded Balaban
13. The Middle Eastern Media Coverage of Prime Minister Rabin’s Assassination
Saul Zadka
14. The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance in the Canadian North: Media, Ethics, and the Emergence of the Inuit Homeland of Nunavut
Valerie Alia
Notes on Contributors
Index
This book combines theory and practice, examining issues of contention from philosophical, legal and media perspectives and covers such issues as:
• Objectivity in the media
• media invasion into one’s privacy
• offensive speech
• incitement and hate speech
• media coverage of terrorism
• The Ombudsman
• Press Councils
We want this book to evoke a debate on major issues in medical ethics in Israel and to serve all those who are interested in the issue.
דילמות באתיקה רפואית
רפאל כהן-אלמגור (עורך)
תוכן עניינים
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
הקדמה
שער ראשון
על זכויות בריאות וחינוך לאתיקה רפואית
כרמל שלו
זכויות בריאות
שמעון גליק ועדנה בנשלום
ההתמודדויות האתיות של סטודנטים לרפואה
גרשון ב. גרונפלד
ועדות אתיקה במוסדות רפואיים
שער שני
תחילת החיים: על הזכות להורות, יתמות מתוכננת, והזכות לא להיוולד בפגם
רות הלפרין-קדרי
"להשאיר חיים אחריך": יילוד העובר מגוף הנפטרת - האמנם בכל מקרה?
ורדית רביצקי
הזכות להורות בעידן ההפריה הטכנולוגית
מרדכי הלפרין
הגדרת הורות וזכות איתור השורשים הביולוגים
רוזלי בר
סוגיות אתיות ביצירת ילדים באמצעות אם פונדקאית
רות לנדאו
יתמות מתוכננת
אסא כשר
"יתמות מתוכננת": התמונה המאוזנת
עמוס שפירא
הזכות לא להיוולד בפגם: פלוגתות של לוגיקה, ערכים ומדיניות משפטית
דוד הד
האם קיימת זכות לא להיוולד בפגם? תגובה פילוסופית לעמוס שפירא
שער שלישי
השתלות איברים וסוף החיים בראי ערכים הלכתיים וליברליים
משה זמר
תרומת איברים וההלכה
אברהם שטיינברג
החולה הסופני - מבט השוואתי בין "ערכים דמוקרטיים והלכתיים"
רפאל כהן-אלמגור
על אוטונומיה, המתות חסד והזכות למות בכבוד
שער רביעי
מדיניות טיפולית
איתי בנטוב וצ'רלס ספרונג
בעיות אתיות בברירת חולים לטיפול נמרץ
אבי עורי
היבטים אתיים ברפואה שיקומית
ברוך מודן ושלומית פרי
גורמי סיכון וגורמי פיצוי: מדיניות הממשלה מול מוקרני הגזזת
Introduction
Fania Oz-Salzberger
Liberal Democracy: Historical Outlook
David Heyd
Upon Majority Rule?
David Deri
Democracy and Bureaucracy in Israel
Claud Klein
Separation of Powers in Democracy
Ahron Barak
The Role of the Supreme Court in Democratic Society
Frances Raday
The Voice of Women in Israeli Democracy
Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Democracy and Health Care: The Obligation of Democracy to Its Patients
Will Kymlicka and Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Multi-Cultural Minorities in Liberal Democracies
Ilan Pappe
The Palestinian Citizens in Israel Toward the 21st Century
Moshe Lissak
Uniqueness and Normalization in the Relationships between Government and the Military in Israel
Gabriel Weimann
The Theatre of Terror: A Difficult Challenge for Democracy
Sam Leiman-Wilzig
Israeli Democracy: How Much Democratic? How Much Liberal?
On the Contributors
Index
Papers by Raphael Cohen-Almagor