Summary

In "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?," Michael Sandel explores the multifaceted concept of justice, challenging readers to critically examine their own moral reasoning. He presents various real-life dilemmas and hypothetical scenarios, such as the price gouging after Hurricane Charley, the moral implications of the runaway trolley problem, and the controversial Baby M surrogacy case, to illustrate the complexities and inherent tensions within different approaches to justice.

Sandel delves into prominent philosophical theories, beginning with utilitarianism, championed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. He critiques utilitarianism's focus on maximizing overall happiness, highlighting its potential to infringe upon individual rights and reduce complex values to a single scale. The book then explores libertarianism, advocating for individual freedom and minimal government intervention, as articulated by Friedrich Hayek and Robert Nozick. Sandel examines the implications of self-ownership and the moral limits of markets, questioning whether all goods and services should be subject to market principles.

The narrative progresses into Immanuel Kant's deontological ethics, emphasizing the importance of motive, duty, and respect for persons as ends in themselves. Sandel elucidates Kant's categorical imperative and its implications for moral decision-making. The book then transitions to John Rawls's theory of justice as fairness, imagining a hypothetical social contract behind a veil of ignorance to derive principles of justice that ensure basic liberties and address social and economic inequalities. Sandel also examines affirmative action, exploring arguments for and against racial preferences, and considers Aristotle's virtue ethics, emphasizing the role of teleological thinking and the cultivation of civic virtues.

Sandel further discusses issues of loyalty and obligation, presenting dilemmas related to public apologies for historic injustices, national responsibility, and the tension between community ties and universal moral principles. He introduces the concept of moral individualism and contrasts it with narrative approaches that acknowledge the influence of community and tradition on moral identities. Finally, the book explores the connection between justice and the common good, advocating for a politics of moral engagement that addresses substantive moral questions and promotes civic virtue.

Throughout "Justice," Sandel invites readers to confront difficult ethical questions, challenge their assumptions, and engage in reasoned dialogue. He emphasizes the importance of moral reflection in shaping a just society, where principles of welfare, freedom, and virtue are thoughtfully considered and balanced.