Michael Sandel, a Harvard political philosophy professor and author of 'Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters,' dives into the complexities of ethics and democracy. He discusses how human nature informs governance and the essential role of higher education in fostering free expression. Sandel highlights the challenges of moral disagreements in politics and emphasizes the need for respectful dialogue in today's polarized environment. He also reflects on the implications of ideological imbalances in academia and the importance of diverse perspectives in public discourse.
01:22:36
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Democracy's Uncertain Path
The arc of history doesn't necessarily bend towards democracy.
History is contingent, and assuming a certain moral arc can lead to hubris and negative consequences.
insights INSIGHT
Embrace Moral Discourse
Bringing moral arguments into politics is essential for a healthy democracy.
Avoiding these discussions leads to outsourcing moral judgments to seemingly neutral markets, creating a moral vacuum.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Bioethics Council Debate
Sandel served on President Bush's bioethics council, debating embryonic stem cell research.
He engaged in discussions about the moral status of embryos, influencing ambivalent members despite not swaying those with firm theological views.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Democracy's Discontent,' Michael Sandel examines the American political tradition and identifies a defect in the public philosophy that underlies contemporary American politics. He argues that the shift from a 'political economy of citizenship' to a 'political economy of growth' has eroded civic responsibilities and community, leading to widespread discontent. Sandel traces historical debates from the founding of the United States to contemporary issues, highlighting the tension between liberal and republican strands of American political thought. He advocates for a return to civic republicanism to address the sense of powerlessness and lack of social cohesion in modern America[2][4][5].
The Tyranny of Merit
What's Become of the Common Good?
Michael Sandel
In 'The Tyranny of Merit', Michael J. Sandel argues that the current system of meritocracy has led to significant social and political issues. He contends that meritocracy stratifies society into winners and losers, based largely on economic status and educational credentials, resulting in hubris among the successful and resentment and humiliation among those who are not. Sandel suggests that this system ignores the role of luck and external factors in success and instead attributes success solely to individual talent and hard work. He advocates for a new way of thinking about success, one that is more attentive to the role of luck, more conducive to an ethic of humility and solidarity, and more affirming of the dignity of all work. The book also explores the impact of credentialism and the need to restore dignity to work that does not require a college degree, promoting a politics of the common good[1][3][5].
Equality
Edward Bellamy
This is an episode we think you’d enjoy of Stay Tuned with Preet.
Michael Sandel is a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University. He’s also the author of several publications, including his latest, Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters. Sandel joins Preet to discuss what human nature can tell us about our government, how higher education can foster free expression, and dealing with moral disagreements in our politics.
Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
You can listen to more of this podcast by searching for Stay Tuned with Preet in your podcast app.
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway 
