The Times of Possibility

About this episode

Annabel Brett discusses the concept of moral possibility and its implications for legal obligation and political agency.

Legal scholar Annabel Brett explores the idea of “moral possibility”—the boundary between what laws demand and what people can realistically or ethically be expected to do. Drawing from early modern thinkers like Aquinas, Suarez, and Hobbes, Brett shows how moral impossibility has long shaped debates about legal obligation, resistance, and political agency. Commentators Melissa Lane and David Dyzenhaus join the discussion, examining how this concept applies to everything from climate action and military conscription to unjust regimes and democratic norms. Together, they highlight how institutions, customs, and time shape the space between legal duty and human capacity—and why recognizing this gap is vital to both justice and legitimacy. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40431]

People in this episode

Guest: Annabel Brett

Topics covered

• moral possibility
• legal obligation
• political agency
• climate action
• military conscription
• unjust regimes
• democratic norms

Keywords

• moral impossibility
• legal duty
• human capacity
• justice
• legitimacy
• institutions
• customs
• time

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Aquinas, Suarez, Hobbes

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