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77th out of 231 books
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95 voters
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Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
What are our obligations to others as people in a free society? Should government tax the rich to help the poor? Is the free market fair? Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? Is killing sometimes morally required? Is it possible, or desirable, to legislate morality? Do individual rights and the common good conflict?
Michael J. Sandel’s “Justice” course is one of the mo
...moreHardcover, 288 pages
Published
September 15th 2009
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
(first published January 1st 2009)
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"He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god."
This quote from Aristotle's Politics was new to me. It was one of many highlights in this book.
Sandel's "Justice" is organized in a very interesting way. He starts with utilitarian, then libertarian political philosophy. You might assume he's following a sequence of conservative (less sophisticated) to liberal (more sophisticat...more
This quote from Aristotle's Politics was new to me. It was one of many highlights in this book.
Sandel's "Justice" is organized in a very interesting way. He starts with utilitarian, then libertarian political philosophy. You might assume he's following a sequence of conservative (less sophisticated) to liberal (more sophisticat...more
2009#69
Pertama tentang penulisnya dulu. Michael Sandel adalah salah satu dosen filsafat politik paling terkenal di Harvard (dan mungkin dunia). Tidak banyak pemikir politik lain yang mampu menarik begitu banyak mahasiswa berjubelan di ruang kuliah seperti Sandel (dari zaman ini mungkin hanya Zizek, dan dari generasi sebelumnya, mungkin hanya Foucault). Seri kuliah Sandel, "Justice", harus dipindah ke gedung Sanders Theatre di Harvard karena dihadiri ratusan mahasiswa dan saking m...more
Pertama tentang penulisnya dulu. Michael Sandel adalah salah satu dosen filsafat politik paling terkenal di Harvard (dan mungkin dunia). Tidak banyak pemikir politik lain yang mampu menarik begitu banyak mahasiswa berjubelan di ruang kuliah seperti Sandel (dari zaman ini mungkin hanya Zizek, dan dari generasi sebelumnya, mungkin hanya Foucault). Seri kuliah Sandel, "Justice", harus dipindah ke gedung Sanders Theatre di Harvard karena dihadiri ratusan mahasiswa dan saking m...more
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Detailed discussion of lofty ideas about justice (utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative, Rawls' concept of reasoning from the "original position" behind a "veil of ignorance" about what position you personally will hold in the society you are building, MacIntyre's communitarian views expressed in the book After Virtue, and so on) applied to contemporary topics (affirmative action, stem cell research, etc. etc. etc.).
Lively writing, incisive analyses, even-ha...more
Lively writing, incisive analyses, even-ha...more
Justice: What’s The Right Thing to Do? By Michael J. Sandel
“Justice: What’s The Right Thing to Do?” is a fascinating book about practical justice. Harvard law professor Michael Sandel takes his very popular class to the public and hits upon the most fascinating and controversial topics in an even-handed approach. This excellent 320-page book is broken out in the following ten chapters: 1. Doing the Right Thing, 2. The Greatest Happiness Principle/Utilitarianism, 3. Do We Own Oursel...more
“Justice: What’s The Right Thing to Do?” is a fascinating book about practical justice. Harvard law professor Michael Sandel takes his very popular class to the public and hits upon the most fascinating and controversial topics in an even-handed approach. This excellent 320-page book is broken out in the following ten chapters: 1. Doing the Right Thing, 2. The Greatest Happiness Principle/Utilitarianism, 3. Do We Own Oursel...more
If you think "Justice" and "Philosophy" are things you don't really care of or something you consider as 'way too complicated to learn of', the i recommend you to pick this book and add it in your personal bookshelves. I bought this book due to my passion on debating and i thought this book will improve my speech quality. It turned out, Michael J. Sandel fulfills my expectation.
Here's my review :
1. Sandel gives a comprehensive overview toward all basic...more
Here's my review :
1. Sandel gives a comprehensive overview toward all basic...more
Smartly written and easy to read, this book is Sandel's writeup of his legendary Harvard course on Ethics and Justice. I first watched the course online (iTunes) and wanted to read the book.
Both are excellent -- entertaining and enlightening. I can't recommend them more highly.
The book uses real life cases, major ethical "rocks" (abortion, selling human organs, ..) and hypotheticals (e.g. trolley car problems) to elucidate and clarify the totally of Western theo...more
Both are excellent -- entertaining and enlightening. I can't recommend them more highly.
The book uses real life cases, major ethical "rocks" (abortion, selling human organs, ..) and hypotheticals (e.g. trolley car problems) to elucidate and clarify the totally of Western theo...more
A very thought-provoking read. Sandel begins with a basic survey of utilitarianism, liberterianism, and some of the philosophers -- ancient and contemporary -- who espoused various theories of justice. The book gathers momentum as it approaches the end when Sandel begins tying the concepts together and emerging with a statement of his own view. Pointing out the deficiencies of justice systems based solely on maximizing utility or preserving individual freedom, Sandel's take is a breath of fresh ...more
OK, to be up front, I didn't actually read this book; I watched the 12 hour video podcast of this Harvard Class that I got from iTunesU. The unabridged audiobook is 11 hours and 1 minute, so I figure, "close enough." That having been said, I really enjoyed this experience on two levels: First, the subject matter is a review (by way of discussion) of moral and political philosophy, referencing the great moral philosophers. Sandel starts out with basic tenets and builds into fairly compl...more
Amidst all this recession and economic downturns experienced in G8 countries..Michael J. Sandel makes sense. He believes that markets if left to themselves or encouraged to spread too far, can injure basic moral values and short change the common good.
From the things I've heard on the Intenet, This Harvard Lecturers introductory course on justice is a hot ticket on the campus. Now readers get to read his arguments in a book form and I have no doubt that this book would appeal to anyon...more
From the things I've heard on the Intenet, This Harvard Lecturers introductory course on justice is a hot ticket on the campus. Now readers get to read his arguments in a book form and I have no doubt that this book would appeal to anyon...more
Evanston Public Library
added it
A provocative inquiry into the intellectual balancing act of all significant decision-making. In the public sphere, how should we weigh liberty versus equality? Should we try to legislate morality? In private life, when might it be ethical to lie? Or to kill? Do the same standards apply to killing as public policy?
Consider just one of Sandel's many clever morality tales. When hurricanes rip Florida and knock out power, is it wrong for gas stations to jack up the price of ice? ...more
Consider just one of Sandel's many clever morality tales. When hurricanes rip Florida and knock out power, is it wrong for gas stations to jack up the price of ice? ...more
When most people hear the term "justice" they probably bring to mind "criminal justice." However, the vast majority of concerns over right and wrong are economic. Few of us are criminals, but everyone needs to eat. How does money get distributed and what do people from various schools of thought have to say about it? Libertarians see no obligatory relationships apart from contractual ones; utilitarians advocate the most good for the most number; 20th century American thin...more
Michael Sandel's Justice reviews four conceptions of justice and advocates one of these conceptions. The first conception (utilitarian) is justice as maximizing the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. The second conception (libertarian) of justice is based on the idea of self-ownership and complete entitlement to the products of one's labor. The third conception (liberal) is justice as arriving from impartial principles or an impartial position and is largely concerned...more
A concise, accessible overview of political philosophy, with utilitarianism, libertarianism and a promoting-virtue perspective. Makes the case that by trying to use abstract principles like fairness, liberals created a void that cultural conservatives entered with emotionally compelling and intuitively compelling arguments.
An example is abortion: people, even with great educations, aren't always going to get emotionally involved in "choice" or women's rights generally. Th...more
An example is abortion: people, even with great educations, aren't always going to get emotionally involved in "choice" or women's rights generally. Th...more
"Justice" is the distillation of the introductory ethics course that Michael Sandel has been teaching for years. You can check out justiceharvard.org to see video lectures covering many of the same topics covered in "Justice". While the book gives Sandel a bit more space to go into some details not offered in these videos, the two formats are nearly identical.
When it comes to ethics and modern example of ethical theories in action, I'm not sure I've read anyon...more
When it comes to ethics and modern example of ethical theories in action, I'm not sure I've read anyon...more
The author is Professor of Government at Harvard University and the book jacket says his course, "Justice", "is one of the most popular and influential at Harvard. Up to a thousand students pack the campus theater to hear Sandel relate the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of the day, and this fall, public television will air a series based on the course." I read this book faster than I should have because I needed to return it to the library ...more
An accessible introduction to several major schools of philosophy and philosophers including utilitarianism, libertarianism, Immanuel Kant, John Rawls, and Aristotle, among others. But just because it's accessible, doesn't mean it's necessarily easy reading. There are deep concepts here that take a while to digest; don't pick this one up looking for a quick read.
Michael Sandel methodically and thoroughly discusses each approach to the concept of justice, defining it, elucidating wi...more
Michael Sandel methodically and thoroughly discusses each approach to the concept of justice, defining it, elucidating wi...more
People may say that this book is beyond my years of learning, since I'm only 17 years old. I do have to admit, I took down this book for several days and then back to reading it again.
So why did I continue reading?
I'm in love with the facts, that's it. And this book doesn't just explain about justice, it explains what people should do. Justice has many different forms in other cultures. And Michael, I think, defines it as a moral conscience that people has and what it'll do for...more
So why did I continue reading?
I'm in love with the facts, that's it. And this book doesn't just explain about justice, it explains what people should do. Justice has many different forms in other cultures. And Michael, I think, defines it as a moral conscience that people has and what it'll do for...more
David Lundqvist
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those looking for ideas
Recommended to David by:
The Economist
Shelves:
philosophy
Michael J. Sandel's Justice offers a refreshingly different look into the world of moral philosophy. It analyses the philosophical positions of Utilitarianism, Teleological thinking, Libertarianism and Liberal Egalitarianism in reference to justice. The analysis is done through a series of moral dilemmas many entertaining and they are sure to divide readers. The book is well written and the explanations of the theories are fantastic and simple to understand. This is a book created with accessibi...more
I'll make this short and simple: if you care anything about how justice is administered in your country, whatever country that may be, and how the notions of justice are mixed with other areas of life such as politics, markets, civic virtue, citizenship, and so on, then you need to read this book.
It's not a book that has any kind of earthshaking, groundbreaking reveals, nor does it go on to utterly refute one philosophy over another in a dazzling display of deft thought and astute, ...more
It's not a book that has any kind of earthshaking, groundbreaking reveals, nor does it go on to utterly refute one philosophy over another in a dazzling display of deft thought and astute, ...more
This book takes provocative moral hypotheticals as a starting point for discussions about different approaches to moral reasoning in the Western philosophical tradition. The author does a very fine job of summarizing utilitarianism, libertarianism, Rawlsian liberal theory and a more classical Aristotelian method, and he is careful to point out the obvious problems with each approach the the likely retorts of advocates. I found his discussion of certain contemporary issues in our public moral-leg...more
This book provided something I've been wanting to find over the past few years but did not think was probably out there, which is an engaging, readable breakdown of the great historical thinkers in moral and political philosophy: Aristotle, Descartes, Bentham, Kant, Rawls. While my reading in this area has been limited to the psychological side of making moral decisions and determining what actions are "just," Sandel provides the philosophical arguments behind the concepts of what is...more
Considering that I expected this book to be really great and brilliant and live up to its hype, I am somewhat disappointed in the book upon finishing it. I thought the prof was interested more in showing off or managing his reputation than giving something of value to the reader. The book may have become a bestseller largely due to the author's association with Harvard.
Having said that, the book did engage me with interesting ideas and it challenged me on various things. Being a philosophy...more
Having said that, the book did engage me with interesting ideas and it challenged me on various things. Being a philosophy...more
One of the clearest and most fun books on moral and political philosophy that I've read in a long time.
The core of this book is a very clear and concise explanation of the major approaches to the question of justice throughout the history of philosophy, which I suppose could be roughly classified as utilitarian, libertarian, Kantian, Rawlsian, Aristotelian, and communitarian. (Yes, Sandel covers them in roughly that order. It's not chronological, but it effectively highlights the si...more
The core of this book is a very clear and concise explanation of the major approaches to the question of justice throughout the history of philosophy, which I suppose could be roughly classified as utilitarian, libertarian, Kantian, Rawlsian, Aristotelian, and communitarian. (Yes, Sandel covers them in roughly that order. It's not chronological, but it effectively highlights the si...more
A great listen--
I say this as someone who majored in Philosophy in college: this book is probably the best introduction to moral philosophy I have ever read. Not only does Michael Sandel breaks down Kant's difficult philosophy for laypersons in lucid prose but also makes a compelling case against John Rawls's conception of justice as social equality and holds up communitarianism along with the Aristotelian concepts of virtue and justice.
I was familiar with utilitarianism as c...more
I say this as someone who majored in Philosophy in college: this book is probably the best introduction to moral philosophy I have ever read. Not only does Michael Sandel breaks down Kant's difficult philosophy for laypersons in lucid prose but also makes a compelling case against John Rawls's conception of justice as social equality and holds up communitarianism along with the Aristotelian concepts of virtue and justice.
I was familiar with utilitarianism as c...more
This book should be required reading for citizens and politicians who tend toward blind adoption of political and social theologies, without giving much thought to the moral dilemmas which can arise therefrom. This book cannot be given its due without some serious thought about issues that are inherently conflicted. It is the most thought-provoking book I have read in recent memory. If one gives each moral issue due consideration, one comes away with the notion that social policies ought to b...more
I'm within 50 pages of finishing this book, and am close enough to say I have read it. This book has been a struggle; I have had to read several chapters over again. I am not in the habit of thinking logically about political questions, about morality, about the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
I would give this book a rating of "5" if it weren't so difficult to read (for me, anyway). It deserves a 5 because of what I have learned. I am now aware of how muc...more
I would give this book a rating of "5" if it weren't so difficult to read (for me, anyway). It deserves a 5 because of what I have learned. I am now aware of how muc...more
Another book with dust-jacket praise from the left and right; this time E.J. Dionne and George Will. The author Michael Sandel argues for the importance of exposing ourselves to hard moral questions about complex topics such as justice, morality and freedom. Doing so forces us into deliberation and moral reflection, then only through discussion and dialogue with others are we able to progress toward an understanding of what is right. What I like most about this book is that it focuses on the ...more
A very thought-provoking read. I wish I didn't have to read this on a timeline (bookclub), but I guess if I didn't I probably wouldn't have read it. My only qualm is that Sandel would bring up some really interesting scenarios and then quickly move on, so I was overwhelmed with multiple difficult choices I was being asked to make, in a short amount of time. (Granted I could have stopped and thought about each separately, but to make his point there were several examples lumped together) I would...more
Excellent book. Challenged much of the way I've thought about many things and deepened my understanding of my own moral philosophy. I hope this book is widely read by students, politicians, and citizens. If our society could get an understanding of the principles presented here, our public discourse would be very different.
I still think that some public issues are best debated and decided by leaving arguments about morality out (an idea the author disputes). But questions about morality and...more
I still think that some public issues are best debated and decided by leaving arguments about morality out (an idea the author disputes). But questions about morality and...more
Một quyển sách quá hay. Đâu là công lý, đâu là việc đúng nên làm, nhiều khi có những điều mà ta thấy đó là điều hiển nhiên, thế mà thực chất tất cả đều có những căn cơ của nó. Cuốn sách đã trình bày, khơi gợi lên những vấn đề gai góc gây nhiều tranh cãi nhất của thời đại này: nhập ngũ, đẻ thuê, ưu tiên thiểu số khi tuyển sinh, vấn đề nhập cư...
"Trong suốt hành trình này, chúng ta đã khám phá ba cách tiếp cận công lý. Cách thứ nhất nói công lý nghĩa là tăng tối đa tiện ích hay p...more
"Trong suốt hành trình này, chúng ta đã khám phá ba cách tiếp cận công lý. Cách thứ nhất nói công lý nghĩa là tăng tối đa tiện ích hay p...more
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Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1980, and the author of many books. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
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