Michael Sandel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Sandel
|
|
|---|---|
Sandel in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Michael Joseph Sandel
March 5, 1953 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
|
| Education | |
|
Notable work
|
|
| Awards | American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002) |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School |
|
| 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 |
|
Main interests
|
|
|
Notable ideas
|
Communitarian critique of liberalism |
|
Influences
|
|
|
Influenced
|
|
Michael Joseph Sandel (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.
Sandel is well-known for his ideas that question some parts of 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. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was thirteen. He was a leader in his high school class.
He earned his bachelor's degree in politics from Brandeis University in 1975. Later, he studied at Balliol College, Oxford, in England. He received his doctorate in politics in 1985. During his time there, he was a Rhodes Scholar and studied with the philosopher Charles Taylor.
Understanding Sandel's Ideas
Sandel is often linked to a way of thinking called communitarianism. This idea suggests that our identities are shaped by our communities and relationships. He is famous for disagreeing with some parts of John Rawls's theory of justice.
Rawls's theory uses an idea called the "veil of ignorance." This means imagining you are deciding rules for society without knowing who you will be in that society. You wouldn't know if you'd be rich or poor, smart or not. Rawls believed this helps create fair rules.
Sandel argues that we are always connected to our families and communities. These connections are not choices we make. He believes it's impossible to completely separate ourselves from these ties, even in our thoughts. He thinks these connections are a big part of who we are.
Rawls later explained that his theory was more about politics than about how people truly are. He said it was a way for different groups to agree on fair rules.
Teaching and Public Discussions
The Justice Course
Sandel started teaching at Harvard University in 1981. He has taught his popular "Justice" course for over two decades. More than 15,000 students have taken this course, making it one of the most attended in Harvard's history.
The course was recorded in 2005 and offered online. In 2007, it had 1,115 students, the largest class ever at Harvard. A shorter version of the course became a 12-episode TV series called Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?. This show was made by WGBH and Harvard University.
The show's popularity comes from its discussion-based style. Sandel uses the Socratic method, which means he asks questions to get students to think deeply. He often uses real-life examples, like discussing the ethics of ticket scalping, to make ideas clear.
The BBC also broadcast parts of the series in 2011. In 2012, BBC Radio 4 aired a three-part series called The Public Philosopher. In these shows, Sandel debated with audiences about important questions. For example, he discussed if universities should favor students from poorer backgrounds. He also talked about whether nurses should be paid more than bankers.
Online Learning
Since 2013, Sandel has continued to teach his Justice course on edX. This is an online learning platform. Some people worried that online courses might harm traditional university departments. Sandel agreed that this was a serious concern. He stated that he did not want his online lectures to hurt his fellow teachers at other schools.
Other Teaching Areas
Sandel also teaches a seminar called "Ethics and Biotechnology." In this course, he explores the moral questions that come up with new biotechnological procedures.
Views on Politics
According to The Guardian newspaper in 2020, Sandel's political views are generally on the left. In 2012, he spoke to the Labour Party (UK) conference in the UK. He talked about the moral limits of markets. His ideas helped inspire some of the party's criticisms of "predatory capitalism."
Books and Ideas
Sandel has written several books. These include Democracy's Discontent and Public Philosophy. In Democracy's Discontent, he writes about people feeling like they are losing control. He suggests that as the global economy grows, the power of national governments might seem to shrink.
Public Philosophy is a collection of his essays. It looks at the role of morality and justice 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. These talks were about "A New Citizenship" and explored how we can build a politics focused on the common good.
His 2012 book, What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, argues that some things should not be bought and sold. For example, he suggests that human organs or the right to harm endangered species should not be traded for money. He 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 a system where people succeed based on their talent and hard work. Sandel argues that this idea can make successful people arrogant. He also believes it can make those who struggle feel like failures. He suggests that the promise of the "American Dream" (that anyone can succeed if they try) can lead to anger and frustration when it doesn't come true for everyone. This, he says, can contribute to the rise of populism.
Many reviews of his 2020 book discussed his ideas. Some said he was good at identifying problems but less clear on solutions. Others noted his argument that even a perfect meritocracy might not be fair.
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 Recognition
- 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
- 2018: Received the Premio Princesa de Asturias de las Ciencias Sociales
See also
In Spanish: Michael Sandel para niños
- American philosophy
- List of American philosophers
