Ep. 307: Michael Sandel on Populism, Saving Democracy, and Tyranny of Merit

Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University. His writings – on justice, ethics, democracy, and markets – have been translated into more than 30 languages. His course ‘Justice’ is the first Harvard course to be made freely available online and on television, being viewed by tens of millions worldwide. Michael has served on the President’s Council on Bioethics and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Michael’s books relate enduring themes of political philosophy to the most vexing moral and civic questions of our time. His most recent works are ‘The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?’ and ‘Democracy’s Discontent: A New Edition for Our Perilous Times’. In this podcast we discuss: 

• Sandel’s intellectual journey 
• Post-Cold War disillusionment, concerns about growing disempowerment and loss of community  
• Critique of meritocracy; creates hubris, humiliates losers, fuels populist resentment 
• Limitations of equality of opportunity 
• Myth of upward mobility 
• ‘You can make it if you try’ and populist backlash 
• Declining trust in higher education 
• Critique of Rawlsian liberalism 
• Moral and spiritual vacuums 
• Civic renewal and the common good 
• Problem with screens and social media 
• Political reckoning and the response to Trump 
• Books mentioned: The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? (Sandel), Democracy’s Discontent: A New Edition for Our Perilous Times (Sandel) 

You can find out more about Michael’s work and courses here. 

(The commentary contained in the above article does not constitute an offer or a solicitation, or a recommendation to implement or liquidate an investment or to carry out any other transaction. It should not be used as a basis for any investment decision or other decision. Any investment decision should be based on appropriate professional advice specific to your needs. You are not permitted to publish, transmit, or otherwise reproduce this information, in whole or in part, in any format to any third party without the express written consent of Macro Hive. This includes providing or reproducing this information, in whole or in part, as a prompt.)