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A review by shazzamatax
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel
4.0
In hindsight it seems obvious, but I did not expect this book to largely have a philosophical focus.
My takeaways on philosophical concepts:
- Utilitarianism - that moral decisions/laws should be in favour of maximising utility? That more people need to gain/be satisfied by choices than those who are disadvantaged/against the decision.
- Libertarian - principle of self ownership, and that we shouldn’t be governed by laws of the majority - that we should be free to do whatever we want
- Kant’s philosophy - humans have capacity got reason and that is intertwined with our capacity for freedom
- Teological reasoning is requires us to ponder the purpose of a good
And it is the last two, which our society largely tries to argue or judge justice - by reasoning the purpose of what it is to be free and what is a good life
But in this way of judging purpose, stepping back from the values that are so ingrained in our society may reveal things we should really value and shape the way we should live, rather than continue the way in which things have been established. e.g valuing growth and capitalistic values at the cost of things like our climate
My takeaways on philosophical concepts:
- Utilitarianism - that moral decisions/laws should be in favour of maximising utility? That more people need to gain/be satisfied by choices than those who are disadvantaged/against the decision.
- Libertarian - principle of self ownership, and that we shouldn’t be governed by laws of the majority - that we should be free to do whatever we want
- Kant’s philosophy - humans have capacity got reason and that is intertwined with our capacity for freedom
- Teological reasoning is requires us to ponder the purpose of a good
And it is the last two, which our society largely tries to argue or judge justice - by reasoning the purpose of what it is to be free and what is a good life
But in this way of judging purpose, stepping back from the values that are so ingrained in our society may reveal things we should really value and shape the way we should live, rather than continue the way in which things have been established. e.g valuing growth and capitalistic values at the cost of things like our climate