Justice by Michael J. Sandel
What is Justice?
To ask whether a society is just, is to ask how it distributes the resources we prize—income and wealth, duties and rights, powers and opportunities, offices and honors. A just society distributes these goods in a reasonable way; it gives each person his or her due. The hard question begins when we ask what is the reasonable way, what people are due, and why.
The book, Justice, by Michael J. Sandel is a searching, lyrical exploration of the meaning of justice, one that invites readers of all political persuasions to consider familiar controversies in illuminating ways. This book is also an enjoyable and relatively simple introduction to several popular philosophical schools of thoughts such as utilitarianism, libertarianism, Kant, Rawls, etc…The structure of the content is mainly consisted of debates reflecting agreement and disagreement about what it means to be just. Is it maximizing welfare? Respecting freedom? Or cultivating virtue?
Some debate explores the strength and weaknesses of these three ways of thinking about justice. Others involve what to do when these ideals conflict. Political philosophy cannot resolve these disagreements once and for all. But it can give shape to the arguments we have and bring moral clarity to the alternatives we confront as democratic citizens.
Sandel demonstrated that to puzzle out the problems of democracy may not require an examination of politics as usual, but rather an investigation of our own notions of just and unjust. And the insight here is that the battles that rage in the halls of congress are intimately linked to those we each fight within our own conscience, and part of the reason it is nearly impossible to come to agreement on basic issues facing society is that many of them depend on moral dilemmas that are beyond our ability to resolve cleanly.
In pushing the readers to track the movements of our own moral compasses, Sandel lays out before us a cavalcade of conundrums based on real-life events, and forces readers to arrive at our own decisions about the appropriate course of action. Pondering these hypothetical scenarios is all the more compelling because the book not only offers a range of perspectives based on competing principles of utility, liberty, and equality, but also provides arguments both for and against all of the positions considered, placing the burden squarely on the readers to understand the dilemma.
Can we put a price tag on life? The common answer in our age is probably “no”. Hmm…Is reducing highway speed limit in exchange for convenience putting a price tag on life? Is price gouging an economically efficient way of maximizing welfare or a horrible act that takes advantages of the unfortunate? Should citizens be allowed to pay for substitute to fight a war? Was the Civil War conscription system invading people’s liberty, or an appropriate method for citizens to fulfil their obligations to protect their nation?
….or is wearing a mask invading people’s freedom of choice, or a just process during a pandemic for people to fulfil their obligations as a citizen to protect their nation that protected their freedom in the very first place?
Throughout the book, we are presented with a potpourri of inflammatory issues that confront a democratic society: the gulf between rich and poor, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, national service, patriotism and dissent, moral limits of the markets, the place government should set foot in society, the sanctity of human life and the rights of individuals to determine their own fate, and the times when we need to sacrifice some personal freedom to fulfill civic responsibilities.
The book is broken down into 10 chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the notion of justice. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss two of the primary approaches to justice covered in the book: utilitarianism and libertarianism. Chapter 4 then offers a chance to compare and contrast utilitarianism and libertarianism on the topic of the morality of markets. Sandel frequently returns to previously-discussed theories when he raises a new hypothetical or an additional example based on current or historical events. Throughout the book, Sandel also identifies the primary philosophers who hold each of the views discussed. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss two of those major philosophers, Kant and Rawls. Both have views falling in the same overall category as libertarianism: the freedom-based approaches to justice. Like Chapter 4, which focuses on the morality of markets, Chapter 7 then applies the theories previously discussed to the question whether affirmative action is just.
The remaining three chapters of the book discuss approaches to justice that incorporate a particular view of virtue. Chapter 8 is devoted to the last of the important philosophers examined in the book: Aristotle. Like Chapters 4 and 7, Chapter 9 primarily takes on a particular issue: whether current generations should apologize or offer reparations for the actions of past generations. Reviewing the answers that the previously-discussed philosophies would provide, Sandel offers an alternative based on “obligations of solidarity”. Sandel then expands on these communitarian views in Chapter 10, arguing for tackling moral issues along with questions of justice—an approach Sandel views as promising.
To summarize, this book is a serviceable and easy introduction to political philosophy and ethics that is welcoming all readers to pick up. Overall the author’s writing style bears the unmistakable imprint of an accomplished lecturer. While reading certain passages I can almost see him pacing beside the lectern, pausing to give emphasis to a particular thought or casting his eyes over the audience in search of a willing volunteer for questioning. If you ever have the chance, please do not hesitate check it out.
