‘Justice’ Lectures Premiere for Public

A new initiative will offer students outside Cambridge a high-definition window onto one of Harvard’s most popular courses. Starting today, lectures for Bass Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel’s Core course, “Moral Reasoning 22: Justice,” will be filmed in high-definition video to be transmitted over the Internet to students worldwide.

This project—the first of its kind at the College—reflects Harvard’s attempt to create a community of students that exceeds its campus boundaries, according to a press release. The high-definition project—which employs recent technology to transmit an image sharper and wider than traditional recording—comes as the result of a joint effort by the University provost’s office, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and documentary producer David Patterson, who audited the course three years ago.

Although this is not the first time a Harvard class has been taped, it introduces the popular College course “Justice” to remote students of the Harvard Extension School—a significant step as that program moves toward distance-learning options.

In an e-mail, Sandel said he does not foresee any changes to the course lectures as a result of the new taping procedure.

“I welcome the filming project,” he said. “Justice has always involved lively class discussion of hard moral questions, even in Sanders Theater [sic], and none of that will change.”

“Justice” was not offered last year, but interest in the course has not waned, and even with the option of foregoing lectures to watch a recording, students still plan to turn out in droves at Sanders Theatre.

“[Sandel is] a really interesting speaker, so it might be more fun to listen to him live,” said Lazeena Rahman ’06.

Still, students said they realize that taped lectures will give them leeway in the event of a missed class.

“It means you can have some more flexibility in your schedule,” said Corin M. McLean ’07. “It’s easier to not be obligated to go to every class.”

But McLean said she still plans to attend as many lectures as she can.

Sandel wrote that he’s eager to teach the course again—even as the stares of of high-definition video cameras join those of his students.

“I look forward to resuming Justice after a one-year break,” he said. “This year’s topics will include affirmative action, same-sex marriage, and the war on terror.”

Students who enroll in “Justice” will have to sign a waiver granting permission for their image and voice to be included in the film.

But those to whom The Crimson spoke said they have no aversion to being filmed. For the lens-shy, however, there will be a no-camera zone.

—Staff writer Lulu Zhou can be reached at luluzhou@fas.harvard.edu.