Michael Sandel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Sandel
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Sandel in 2012
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Michael Joseph Sandel
March 5, 1953 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
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Notable work
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| Awards | American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002) |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
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| Institutions | Harvard University |
| Thesis | Liberalism and the Problem of the Moral Subject (1980) |
| Doctoral advisor | Charles Taylor |
| Doctoral students | Yascha Mounk |
| Other notable students | Ketanji Brown Jackson |
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Main interests
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Notable ideas
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Communitarian critique of liberalism |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Michael Joseph Sandel (/sænˈdɛl/; born March 5, 1953) is an American political philosopher. He teaches at Harvard University. His course, Justice, was the first at Harvard to be offered for free online and on TV. Millions of people worldwide have watched it. In China, he was even named the "most influential foreign figure of the year" in 2011.
He is also well-known for his ideas about John Rawls's book, A Theory of Justice. Sandel wrote about his views in his first book, Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (1982). He became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Sandel was born in 1953. When he was thirteen, his family moved to Los Angeles. He was a top student at Palisades High School.
He earned his bachelor's degree in politics from Brandeis University in 1975. Later, he received his doctorate from Balliol College, Oxford in 1985. He studied there as a Rhodes Scholar with the philosopher Charles Taylor.
Sandel's Ideas on Society
Sandel is known for his ideas that people are deeply connected to their communities. He believes we are shaped by our families and the groups we belong to. He doesn't always like the label "communitarianism" for his views, but it describes some of his main thoughts.
He is famous for disagreeing with some ideas from another philosopher, John Rawls. Rawls suggested thinking about justice from behind a "veil of ignorance." This means imagining you don't know your own place in society (like if you're rich or poor, smart or not). Rawls thought this would help create fair rules for everyone.
Sandel argues that we can't truly separate ourselves from our connections. He says we are born with ties to our families and communities. These ties are a part of who we are, and we don't choose them. Because of this, Sandel believes it's impossible to completely step behind a "veil of ignorance." He thinks we should consider these connections when we think about what is fair and just.
Teaching Popular Courses
The Justice Course
Sandel started teaching at Harvard University in 1981. For over twenty years, he has taught his famous Justice course. More than 15,000 students have taken this class, making it one of the most popular at Harvard.
The course uses the Socratic method, which means it's based on discussions and questions, not just memorizing facts. Sandel makes the topics interesting by using real-world examples. For instance, he might start a class by discussing if it's fair to sell concert tickets for a much higher price.
In 2005, the course was recorded and made available online. Later, a shorter version became a 12-episode TV series called Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?. There is also a book and a collection of readings that go along with the series. The BBC even broadcast parts of the series in the UK.
Online Learning with edX
Sandel also teaches his Justice course on edX. This is a platform for MOOCs, which are "massively open online courses." These courses are available to many students around the world.
In 2013, some professors worried that online courses might harm traditional university departments. Sandel responded by saying that these concerns were important. He stated that he did not want his online lectures to negatively affect other teachers.
Other Teaching Areas
Sandel also teaches a class called "Ethics and Biotechnology." In this seminar, he and another professor, Douglas Melton, discuss the moral questions that come up with new biotechnological procedures.
Writing About Important Ideas
Sandel has written several books that explore big questions about society and fairness.
In his book Democracy's Discontent, Sandel writes about how people feel they are losing control over their lives. He suggests that as the global economy grows, countries might feel less able to govern themselves. He also talks about how the moral connections within communities might be weakening.
His book Public Philosophy is a collection of essays. It looks at how morality and justice play a role in American politics. Sandel discusses how moral values and community spirit affect elections and political discussions.
In 2009, Sandel gave the Reith Lectures on BBC Radio, titled "A New Citizenship." He talked about how we might create a new kind of politics focused on the "common good"—what's best for everyone.
His 2012 book, What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, explores what things should not be bought or sold. He argues that some valuable things, like human organs or the right to harm endangered animals, should not be traded for money. Sandel believes that focusing too much on markets can sometimes weaken people's moral values.
In his 2020 book, The Tyranny of Merit, Sandel discusses the idea of "meritocracy." This is the belief that people succeed based on their hard work and talent. Sandel argues that this idea can make successful people arrogant and lead to a lack of understanding for those who struggle. He suggests that the "American Dream" promise—that anyone can succeed if they try hard enough—can cause anger and frustration when people see that social mobility is stalled and inequality is growing. He believes this frustration has contributed to the rise of populism in some Western countries.
Personal Life
Michael Sandel is married to Kiku Adatto, who is also a professor at Harvard.
Public Service
Sandel served on the George W. Bush administration's President's Council on Bioethics. This council discussed ethical issues related to biology and medicine.
Awards and Honors
- 1985: Harvard-Radcliffe Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize
- 2012: Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award for What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets
- 2012: Named a Top Global Thinker by Foreign Policy magazine
- 2014: Honorary doctorate from Utrecht University
- 2018: Premio Princesa de Asturias de las Ciencias Sociales
- 2023: Honorary doctorate from Radboud University
Works
- Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (1982)
- Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy (1996)
- Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics (2005)
- Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (2009)
- Justice: A Reader (2009)
- What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (2012)
- The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Michael Sandel para niños
- American philosophy
- List of American philosophers
