Green: Moral Law at Harvard?

Provost Jerry R. Green called on the University to incorporate the Jewish tradition of moral law into Harvard policy in a talk at Hillel last night.

In an informal speech titled "Beyond the Call of Duty: Lessons for the University from Jewish Law," Green said the concept of "super-arrogation," or going beyond what is explicitly required, is a good guide for decision-making by students and administrators.

"Harvard should be a leader," Green told the audience of about 50. "I think our rules should be minimalist and should be enforced."

Such a minimalist framework of regulation may actually encourage moral acts, he said, citing Harvard's financial aid policy as an example.

"Harvard has a financial aid policy beyond the letter of the expectation of society," Green said. "If we were in a society where things were tighter...Harvard would not feel the initiative to be as generous as it is."

Green named scientific research policy and faculty commitment to teaching as areas which also should not be excessively regulated.

After the speech, Green was asked repeatedly about employee demands for insurance coverage to be extended to same-sex domestic partners of employees. Green chairs Harvard's committee on domestic partners.

"I think Harvard should be a leader, but there are a lot of things to think about," Green said. "If it's something we can afford to administer and it's more valuable than other things the University is doing for its employees, then I think it should be substituted for something of lower priority."