In the symbolic language of my title, we need both swords and plowshares. The United States should take the lead in developing a form of society that can serve as a model for the world. I propose mandatory national service for all U.S. citizens, normally beginning at age 18. Individuals should be allowed to choose the form of service from a set of broad categories, including military and nonmilitary options, all of which contribute to the security and welfare of the U.S. and the world community.

The cosmopolitan idea guides thinking about a world community. I consider three examples of issues that would benefit from applying the cosmopolitan idea: global warming, crossing national borders, and nuclear proliferation.

Rather than building empires to dominate the world community, individual people and governmental representatives should use the cosmopolitan idea formulated by Kant as a universal guide for decisions that encompass all human beings.

Seeking values that are truly universal and appropriate for the world community requires that we transcend national boundaries and go beyond our time, our particular culture, and the specific values that characterize our unique context.

Kant proposed the cosmopolitan idea as a way of eluding the threat of perpetual war among states. I consider the possibility of a postmodern era in which that cosmopolitan idea replaces nationalism.

Nationalism, spawned by modernism, presents an insurmountable dilemma. Now we must ask: Does Kant provide the political foundation on which a world community might be conceived in the postmodern era?

This podcast treats the ethical philosophy that grew out of the Enlightenment (with a focus on Kant’s ethics). It is part of the search for the foundations on which a world community might be based.

If the United States has created an empire that seeks to dominate the world, the obvious question is: How long will it last? Chalmers Johnson and Niall Ferguson think it is already in decline. In this podcast I will explain why.

The current administration in the U.S. has recently been described as being in a "state of denial," lying to itself and the world. How can we get at the truth concerning such important matters? Before digging deeper into competing claims, it might be helpful to step back and try to attain a philosophical perspective on the nature of truth itself.

Building on the transformation from theism to humanism during the Renaissance, modernism in the realm of political theory and action spawned the nation state. If the modern state is not based on a covenant with God, where are its roots to be found?

What is the origin of community? And why do human beings want to form communities? This is a philosophical question, one that seeks fundamental principles and looks for viable ways of integrating them into our lives.