Connect with us

Nonprofits & Activism

How technology changes our sense of right and wrong | Juan Enriquez

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. What drives society’s understanding of right and wrong? In this thought-provoking talk, futurist Juan Enriquez offers a historical outlook on what humanity once deemed acceptable — from human sacrifice and public executions to slavery and eating meat — and…

Published

on

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

What drives society’s understanding of right and wrong? In this thought-provoking talk, futurist Juan Enriquez offers a historical outlook on what humanity once deemed acceptable — from human sacrifice and public executions to slavery and eating meat — and makes a surprising case that exponential advances in technology leads to more ethical behavior.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

Continue Reading
Advertisement
54 Comments

54 Comments

  1. Reza Putra

    February 25, 2021 at 10:28 am

    Another cute thinking a futurist has. Algorithm is not neutral, Juan.

  2. Mauricio Aldana

    February 25, 2021 at 11:05 am

    Refreshing talk. Thank you, Juan!

  3. Lina Doo

    February 25, 2021 at 11:14 am

  4. Ilya Shmakov

    February 25, 2021 at 11:17 am

    Tech is great, tech is profitable. But what if we adopt it and keep people as slaves too? Oh, wait… corporations and monopolies…

  5. ちゃんみー

    February 25, 2021 at 11:36 am

    アンビリバボーから

    • 勝翔

      February 25, 2021 at 11:38 am

      同じく

  6. Jonathan Jackson

    February 25, 2021 at 11:42 am

    Buy sliver and crypto

    • Jamie Taets

      February 25, 2021 at 12:24 pm

      Hey you’re not far from profit,he has taken care of my account for months now..i have 25 wins so far

    • Jamie Taets

      February 25, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      My weekly earning from he’s trading strategies are mind blowing 🤑🤑

    • Jerad karl

      February 25, 2021 at 12:26 pm

      Good recommendations About Mr Strait McLean Every where I think I should give him a try..

    • Katy Pearl

      February 25, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      I just wrote to him on What’s App, hope he replies me

    • Lewis Zachary

      February 25, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      @Katy Pearl He definitely will, you just have to be patient because his a very busy man

  7. Trần Mai Trang

    February 25, 2021 at 12:03 pm

    so incidentally, I have read the book ” the consolation of philosophy” written by Alain de Botton. there is a chapter saying about right and wrong too. Why the Internet is so accurate now. Damn

  8. Douwe

    February 25, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    Fran Lebowitz is right. Children are more interesting, grownup people just say the same thing over and over again. Ted is becoming a circlejerk.

  9. Agufana Moses Injairu

    February 25, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    I listen to Ted talks, and I understand that there are really smart people out there.

  10. siti sadiyah

    February 25, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    Pls Indonesia subtitle 😭😭
    I need that🙏

  11. Eduardo

    February 25, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    This talk went off the rails ten seconds in when he put a silhouette woman in literal crosshairs. I didn’t know someone calling you an a****le online was tantamount to being shot

    I’m so sick of apologists bending over backwards to excuse mediocre people’s inability to make good decisions. Like they will blame everything from social media to video games, to genetically modified foods, ANYTHING but blaming people

    It’d be pathetic if it wasn’t so dumb and dangerous

  12. Lost In Cyberspace

    February 25, 2021 at 2:39 pm

    Truth, but that is exactly what active measures and other nefarious group infiltration depends upon. It was especially prevalent here and YouTube and other social media platforms because they’ve been using it as a recruitment method as well as a propaganda method for years now

    Of course empathy first for innocent mistakes. What we are dealing with is not so innocent and it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between an account that has a history of cynical and attack and comments looking to stir up a fight versus a random comment from an account it’s been around for years and can easily be identified as maybe just someone with an honest opinion the differs and that’s fine.

    My advice is just don’t engage it if you can’t tell the difference and understand exactly how these things work because right now we’re in a war of ideological subversion and we are forced to confront it on the battlegrounds here in cyberspace by simply calling it out.

    Pardon typos. One lone. And tough love for transparent Nazis still practicing their propaganda techniques that have become pretty amateur. Pardon typos.

    One love. But know the difference.

  13. Noah Aubrey Linus Sorensen

    February 25, 2021 at 2:45 pm

    1:32 slavery was also practiced by the Arab Empire and the Romans or Greeks

    • Dmitri Zaslavski

      February 25, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      And native Americans and Africans and everyone who succeeded to create something bigger than small tight-knoted tribal society.

  14. Ruvane Friebus

    February 25, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Beware

  15. Phoolchand singh

    February 25, 2021 at 2:58 pm

  16. Tín Lê Trọng

    February 25, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    i prefer this way of presentation to the conventional one carried out in previous speeches. It’s like watchig a documentary. Thumbs up to Ted

  17. phuong chi vu

    February 25, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    what does burn sb at the stake mean ?

  18. SpaghettiMitch

    February 25, 2021 at 6:44 pm

    Very important msg btw

  19. Vance H

    February 25, 2021 at 7:01 pm

    Sharing, Truth and Non-violence for All.

  20. Za Az

    February 25, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    While we _are_ machines, we are not just _0_ or _1_
    We’re complex and our views evolve. I think the majority of people are “in between”.. it’s the extreme polarization that, while may help evolve our beliefs, are also quite disruptive. Take gay marriage… while someone may have an extreme view of it, they _may_ change their viewpoint _if_ someone they love or care for very much comes out to them. That variability or ability to change, not necessarily instantly but over time, is what really moves us _forward_

  21. pool Boy

    February 25, 2021 at 8:52 pm

    There is no right and wrong. there is only correct and incorrect. Correct moves one forward in the currents of evolution, incorrect halts the forward progress.

  22. Hot Dogg

    February 25, 2021 at 9:04 pm

    The speaker transitions from a correct title to incorrect and even some false or misleading statements . “Our sense” of right or wrong changing does not mean what “is” right or wrong has changed. I agree 100% social media and all forms of media have and will continue to change “our” sense of what is right and wrong. Which is why we should be concerned with who controls or has the power to manipulate these platforms and safe guard every ounce of our 1st amendment, but i digress. The slavery mentioned, for example, is wrong no matter how many accepted it as “right” at the time. BTW the Pope is NOT in favor of civil unions. Rat poison came to mind after i digested this video, mostly edible with the bits that can kill. haha

    • Dmitri Zaslavski

      February 25, 2021 at 11:46 pm

      In nature there is no right or wrong. So slavery is neither right of wrong it just is. And given the current wordview you would make different choices.

  23. creativus

    February 25, 2021 at 11:53 pm

    I am disappointed at the lack of non-voters, the more non-voters means the more initiative for different and/or better policies to be proposed by the politicians and therefore a better candidate.

  24. B UU

    February 26, 2021 at 1:04 am

    An awe inspiring talk — well presented with humility and succinct reason… may our society take up this quest to achieve a better life for all. Thank you.

  25. الأسود العنسي

    February 26, 2021 at 1:41 am

    Very very insightful, also technology has facilitated women equality. With running water, vacuum cleaners, washing machine, gas stoves, …etc house chores and child care became less and less demanding which freed women to pursue positions that are traditionally for men.

  26. 물고기

    February 26, 2021 at 2:20 am

    First non sucky ted talk in a long time, pleasant change to not be attacked for my race and gender!

  27. John Njende

    February 26, 2021 at 8:20 am

    I really enjoyed this talk! Thanks Juan!
    I think this was much needed given the times we are currently in.

    However, I don’t think right and wrong changes (as was said in the first 6 minutes of the talk). I think it’s our understanding of right and wrong that changes (as Juan said at 6:36). Better put, our perception and/or interpretation of right and wrong changes overtime with various influences, including that of the quickly evolving technologies.

    But to this, I have a remark:
    Slavery was never right, it was only viewed, understood and accepted as right in previous centuries. Moreso, because of the colonialist perception of slavery being right, it lead to a lot of suffering and exploitation for people and nations all over the world. Hence, I think right and wrong are moral laws, not rules. Which means, when these moral laws are broken due to our free will interpretation of right and wrong, equivalent consequences follow. The real question would therefore be “How do we correctly understand right and wrong, and not create our own interpretations of it which lead to grievous consequences?”

    I will appreciate your thoughts in the comment section 🙂

    • John Plaza

      February 28, 2021 at 5:32 pm

      Read Righteous Minds by Jonathan Haidt for a good explanation of moral psychology.

  28. Milo Montang

    February 26, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    Adem banget cuy

  29. Danilo gonçalves

    February 26, 2021 at 6:34 pm

    Cool, it’s been a long time since I couldn’t see a whole Ted Talk or not change the speed. Great idea, and it’s worth spreading!

  30. CaffeineMachine

    February 26, 2021 at 11:33 pm

    I agree wholeheartedly.

  31. SteVeL

    February 27, 2021 at 4:38 am

    It’s sad that this video even had to be made because not enough people comprehend this concept.

  32. TL

    February 27, 2021 at 1:21 pm

    Thank you

  33. Manny Rae

    February 27, 2021 at 3:53 pm

    I like this video; unfortunately, some people need to make and keep friends by believing what’s wrong. It snowballs into the momentum of an obligation of being right when it is clearly wrong. That’s why America has become unrecognizable to the extent that we all become in the follower trap at someone else’s expense.

  34. Meow Milev

    February 27, 2021 at 6:22 pm

    *Muslim should look at their own privilege before judging others. They worship loudly with their loudspeaker 5 times a day and they wanted others to respect their religion rights.*

  35. Nikki's Crafty Life

    February 27, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    I couldn’t agree more!

  36. Gaasuba Meskhenet

    February 28, 2021 at 4:15 am

    Automation made slavery worse. Look into the history of the cotton gin

  37. Gaasuba Meskhenet

    February 28, 2021 at 4:17 am

    These advances could be happening faster if we weren’t all wage slaves and actually had time to use our talents for good

  38. Gaasuba Meskhenet

    February 28, 2021 at 4:17 am

    I suggest Peter Coffin’s video on cancel culture

  39. John Plaza

    February 28, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    While I enjoyed the talk and agree with some points his basic premise is wrong. His primary example of slavery ignores the impact of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. The gin made growing cotton more economical by decreasing the effort required to process it. The result was the explosion of cotton growing and an increased demand for slavery and for more land to be devoted to to cotton. The end of slavery began with the Enlightenment not tractors. Technology by itself is neither bad nor good. We must use our intellect to use it wisely. Moral psychology tells us while some morality is universal and even innate much of it is written by our culture and as our culture and its technology changes so will our moral code. Technology does drive morality in that we must expand our moral code to deal with new technology such as social media, AI, genetic engineering, etc.

  40. Hồng Nhung Nguyễn

    March 1, 2021 at 3:22 am

    I love this talk!

  41. Erwin Jesse Aljas

    March 1, 2021 at 3:30 am

    If right is only a matter of popular opinion, then I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with it.

    I take the truth as the highest value.

    I don’t humble myself to evil people, and I certainly don’t want to forgive them.

    Your arguments sets the stage for revising history to make the perpetuators look innocuous, and thus allow whole communities to go through a repeat of those wicked parts of their past.

    If we are really interested in building resilient communities we must stick with truth and justice.

    Humility and forgiveness always sounds good in other peoples lips, but never stopped the spawning of evil, in most cases meek and rescindable people were actively put to use by sinister groups.

    Humility and forgiveness give way to gratitude, which is the weapon of choice by the depraved.

  42. Dev Rajput

    March 1, 2021 at 4:34 am

    Beautifully said!🌸🌻🌼
    TED always brings great videos to enrich our lives!!!

  43. kome360

    March 1, 2021 at 6:29 am

    Unfortunately, I have some issues with how you’ve presented your findings.
    While many sides aren’t that different, what appears to be a slight difference set may ultimately lead to a fundamentally varied conclusion range.
    Exponential GDP helps prosperity, but the distribution of that wealth is a major factor in whether the economy is stable (and ethical) in the long run.
    And ultimately, we are attempting to search for the concept of right and wrong. That doesn’t always mean we will willingly choose rightness. In fact, experimenting with what we believe is wrong, while sometimes dangerous, may be the only way to find a path to change.

  44. Mari padawan

    March 2, 2021 at 1:13 am

    does anyone know wtf he says here – 7:13? “a middle ground, a ….????, and a space of empathy” ?????

  45. Cloud ‘

    March 2, 2021 at 4:48 am

    Mmmm sounds like someone who has a lot of slurs on his fb tl

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Nonprofits & Activism

A Path to Social Safety for Migrant Workers | Ashif Shaikh | TED

Hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel within their countries to seek out means of survival — often leaving behind all they know for months or even years. Many face poverty and exploitation, and they need a robust social safety net to protect them, says migrant advocate and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Ashif Shaikh. He…

Published

on

Hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel within their countries to seek out means of survival — often leaving behind all they know for months or even years. Many face poverty and exploitation, and they need a robust social safety net to protect them, says migrant advocate and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Ashif Shaikh. He shares how his grassroots organization Migrants Resilience Collaborative is making life-changing benefits like social security and health care accessible to those who need them while also amplifying migrant voices — paving the way towards a world that supports the workers actually building it. (This ambitious idea is a part of the Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #migrants

Continue Reading

Nonprofits & Activism

How to Design for Dignity During Times of War | Slava Balbek | TED

What happens when architecture meets empathy? Through the challenges of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, architect and humanitarian Slava Balbek, who volunteers part-time on the front lines, highlights the importance of designing for dignity when building temporary housing for the people of Ukraine who have lost their homes. A stirring reminder of the healing power…

Published

on

What happens when architecture meets empathy? Through the challenges of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, architect and humanitarian Slava Balbek, who volunteers part-time on the front lines, highlights the importance of designing for dignity when building temporary housing for the people of Ukraine who have lost their homes. A stirring reminder of the healing power of the built environment — and how it can provide comfort amidst chaos.

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Ukraine

Continue Reading

Nonprofits & Activism

An Israeli and a Palestinian Talk Peace, Dignity and Safety | Ali Abu Awwad and Ami Dar | TED

Israel and Palestine have grappled with enduring territorial disputes and complex geopolitical tensions across generations. In this profound TED Membership conversation, Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and Israeli founder of Idealist.org Ami Dar envision a future built on mutual respect, recognition and nonviolent activism, where both identities coexist harmoniously. Listen for a testament to…

Published

on

Israel and Palestine have grappled with enduring territorial disputes and complex geopolitical tensions across generations. In this profound TED Membership conversation, Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and Israeli founder of Idealist.org Ami Dar envision a future built on mutual respect, recognition and nonviolent activism, where both identities coexist harmoniously. Listen for a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the belief that, despite entrenched conflict, a shared commitment to dignity and justice is possible.

This conversation, hosted by TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks, was part of a TED Membership event recorded on February 8, 2024. Visit to access exclusive benefits by becoming a TED Member today.

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #israelpalestine

Continue Reading

Trending