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This is not a comforting book -- it is a book about disturbing issues that are urgently important today and enduringly critical for the future. It ...
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Feb 14, 2011
Jarrod
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Sowell discusses two very different conceptions of justice in this thoughtful and important book. The traditional concept is that the rules or standards are known to all participants and applied equally. Rewards and punishments are doled out based on these widely known, equally applicable rules. Sowell argues that this is the concept known to the founding fathers and the one that works best in practice. The amount of knowledge required to implement this form of justice is manageable—-one need on
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Mar 09, 2010
"Terrence"
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As a young conservative in the 1980s, I was a cheerleader for Thomas Sowell's work. It was a bit of a surprise, then, to see him using so many of the same arguments in this book, almost verbatim from his earlier works. Like many conservatives, Sowell writes very much as if he's stuck in the debates of the 1970s. As in many of his econ books, the options here are economic extremes, Cold War extremes; it's always a choice between a free market and a Stalinist command economy. Even his examples rem
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Dec 18, 2011
Frederick
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The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell[return][return]Chastising the Self-Anointed…. June 27, 2000[return][return]Thomas Sowell may be one of the most despised black men in America-despised by extremist liberals, black and white, because Sowell has devoted his abilities to exposing their destructive ideologies of social redemption as counterproductive to the best interests of all Americans. Widely known for his provocative, nationally syndicated newspaper articles and other books, he focu
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Jan 28, 2011
Void
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Many people think, or like to think, the choices are between good and evil, however with this way of thinking they tend to miss the problem of choosing something that sounds better over something that actually does better. This book helps clear out some of those misconceptions with examples from all over the world and all through history. It argues for healthy productive processes rather than fancy sounding ideals that don't actually look at the results they produce, but instead choose to focu
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Aug 16, 2009
Shelli
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Thomas Sowell is an economist at Stanford University. He has a popular blog on economics and politics. I like his writings because they are practical and accessible to someone like me with no background in economics. In this book, he discusses how our quest for cosmic justice actually brings about greater inequality and social injustice. There is no such thing as cosmic justice since none of us are gods and can't change the laws of the universe. Emotions tend to cloud our judgment as we see
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Jun 17, 2008
Ezra
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Sowell hits it out of the park. The most interesting parts to me were the discussions of pacifism in the early 20th century.
Sowell has drunk the Bork kool-aid about judicial restraint; but other than that, it's a terrific tome.
Sowell has drunk the Bork kool-aid about judicial restraint; but other than that, it's a terrific tome.
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Nov 16, 2009
Jeremy
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“A society that puts equality – in the sense of equality of outcomes – ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests.” Milton Friedman
“In short, traditional justice is about impartial processes rather than either results or prospects.”
“The challenge of determining the net bala More...
“In short, traditional justice is about impartial processes rather than either results or prospects.”
“The challenge of determining the net bala More...
Jun 16, 2008
Paul
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Sowell’s first chapter in this book, with the same name as the book title, is the best essay (although maybe the only) I have ever read on the illusion of what is commonly called (in liberal politics and academia) “social justice.” The idea is that there is no way of forcing someone’s (and each individual’s may vary widely) idea of social justice on the whole of society without limiting freedom.
Quoting Freidman:
“Few can fail to be moved by the contrast between the lux More...
Quoting Freidman:
“Few can fail to be moved by the contrast between the lux More...
Nov 19, 2007
Jason
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I read this book because the library did not have Race and Economics also by Sowell. I was interested in Sowell after reading Justice Thomas' autobiography, in which states that he came to many of his policy positions after reading Sowell.
This has an interesting premise that intellectual liberal elite screw things up when they try to fix problems because (1) they don't look at statistics on the after effects; (2) they don't know what regular people are up to; and (3) that they're go More...
This has an interesting premise that intellectual liberal elite screw things up when they try to fix problems because (1) they don't look at statistics on the after effects; (2) they don't know what regular people are up to; and (3) that they're go More...
Oct 25, 2009
Ari
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The first half of the book is really excellent; the writing is crisp, the ideas are fresh and well presented, and the examples are apt and un-obvious. I think Sowell has gotten hold of one of the really key differences between right-wing and left-wing views of the world, and he explains it very clearly.
The second half is quite good, but one gets the sense that the author is a bit of a cranky grandparent complaining about everything that he's impatient with. And while the impatience i More...
The second half is quite good, but one gets the sense that the author is a bit of a cranky grandparent complaining about everything that he's impatient with. And while the impatience i More...
Aug 02, 2011
This is a great book. If you have ever thought that the "do gooders" of the world impinge on your freedoms by trying to do whats best for you, without your consent, then this book is for you. If you have ever thought that some segments of society seemingly are awarded special privilege at another groups expense, then this book is for you.
Jan 02, 2009
David
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Very insightful book that delineates the danger of trying to compensate on a large, governmental scale for the inequities of the past. A solid argument in favor of legal justice and equality instead of over-zealous field-leveling. I don't agree with Sowell completely, but his arguments are serious and worthy of reflection.
Nov 05, 2008
Chris
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Sowell brings together themes from his other works that he explored in more detail there. But this is a very good Sowell overview. If you are concerned about justice and oppression, then please, please take some time to read this little book from cover to cover.
For a defense of intellectual humility, the complexity of human life, the pluralism of life experiences, and importance of all of the little things that we take for granted, I put this book up there with Lewis's An Experimen More...
For a defense of intellectual humility, the complexity of human life, the pluralism of life experiences, and importance of all of the little things that we take for granted, I put this book up there with Lewis's An Experimen More...
Dec 16, 2009
Helena
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I almost want to give this 5 stars but there were a few spots where I thought his logic was lacking or oversimplified, so I will give 4. It is a book written for the common reader, rewritten from an academic paper, so perhaps we can forgive the oversimplification, but there were a few logically strange points that still bugged me even given that, Nonetheless, I really really enjoyed this book, and I'm glad I read it. It made me want to start thinking about econ again...of course before I could d
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Aug 27, 2011
Jeff
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An excellent read, similar to but not as deep as Dr. Sowell's A Conflict of Visions. Unlike that book, however, Dr. Sowell makes it clear on which side of the issues he stands (hint: he's not a believer in Cosmic Justice). Highly recommended.
Aug 18, 2010
Stan
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Great book. Dr. Sowell is able to take complex issues and present them in a way that anyone should be able to understand them.
Jan 08, 2009
Greg
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A remarkable book by a remarkable thinker. In my opinion, one of the most persuasive of the twenty-first century.
If the desire to better understand the world of today, I highly recommend this work.
It's not an easy read, and I found myself re-reading parts more than once, just to be certain that I was fully digesting it in all it's richness.
Another Sowell homerun.
If the desire to better understand the world of today, I highly recommend this work.
It's not an easy read, and I found myself re-reading parts more than once, just to be certain that I was fully digesting it in all it's richness.
Another Sowell homerun.
Aug 14, 2009
Mrs N
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Thought-provoking exploration of the differences between traditional justice and cosmic, or social justice.
Aug 14, 2008
Andy
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A book you will love to read, and love to be infuriated by. Sowell, an economist, really delves into social policy that is driven by an idealistic and damaging world view. I never put it down, and though my own personal views weren't changed, it really opened my eyes to more of the statistics and facts that are often overlooked or skewed by people. Very interesting stuff.
Jul 28, 2010
Longanlon
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http://kaka-cuuka.com/knigi/the-quest-fo...
Всички искаме равенство. Но какво представлява равенството? Равенство на всички пред закона и еднакви възможности за всички? Оказва се, вече не.
Всички искаме равенство. Но какво представлява равенството? Равенство на всички пред закона и еднакви възможности за всички? Оказва се, вече не.
Jan 15, 2010
Andrés
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This is a man with a lot of animus. Unfortunately, this gives the book more of a feel as a polemic than as a clearly reasoned argument. I still don't have a firm idea what he means by "cosmic justice." His attacks are too broad, his defences too unclear, and his bibliography too narrow, which is all a pity since the kernel of his ideas is persuasive usually.
Aug 12, 2010
Brian
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Not a traditional Thomas Sowell book, in that it is more philosophical than it is economical. However, he gives a great explanation of how "cosmic justice" is an illusion that is often used to promote "social justice". These two types of "justices" have become intertwined--a confusion of theology that produces devastating economic results.
Nov 12, 2008
Cristina
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I couldn't believe how right on this book was after the situations were being pointed out. I highly recommend this book.
May 15, 2010
Blake
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The foundation for several of his later books. The dangers of ideas not checked by reality.
Dec 24, 2009
Atchisson
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ANYTHING you get to read by this man is a treat -- sometimes challenging, but ALWAYS a treat.
Feb 02, 2012
