Who Owns the Moon?

Does history give us confidence that humankind’s rapidly approaching commercial exploitation and perhaps colonisation of the moon and Mars will be peaceful and constructive, instead of a further reason for conflict, trouble and wars?

If we look at the precedents – at humanity’s ‘common inheritance’ of such places as the Antarctic and the world’s oceans – we must ask: How well have we succeeded in avoiding international competition and conflicts over them? In general, how well do international agreements work? The history of ‘gold rushes’ and the infamous ‘Scramble for Africa’ in the 19th century are troubling examples of what could go wrong in space. How shall we avoid that happening?

In this Ethical Matters talk, leading philosopher and author AC Grayling examines these questions and the precedents set by recent history to ask: What should be done to avoid competition in space becoming conflict on earth?