Justice

By: Michael J. Sandel

Narrated by: Michael J. Sandel

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

What are our obligations to others as people in a free society? Should government tax the rich to help the poor? Is the free market fair? Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? Is killing sometimes morally required? Is it possible, or desirable, to legislate morality? Do individual rights and the common good conflict?

These questions are at the core of our public life today - and at the heart of Justice, in which Michael J. Sandel shows how a surer grasp of philosophy can help us to make sense of politics, morality, and our own convictions as well.

Sandel's legendary Justice course is one of the most popular and influential at Harvard. Up to a thousand students pack the campus theater to hear Sandel relate the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of the day. In the fall of 2009, PBS will air a series based on the course.

Justice offers listeners the same exhilarating journey that captivates Harvard students - the challenge of thinking our way through the hard moral challenges we confront as citizens. It is a searching, lyrical exploration of the meaning of justice, an audiobook that invites listeners of all political persuasions to consider familiar controversies in fresh and illuminating ways.

Affirmative action, same-sex marriage, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, national service, the moral limits of markets, patriotism, and dissent - Sandel shows how even the most hotly contested issues can be illuminated by reasoned moral argument.

Justice is lively, thought-provoking, and wise - an essential new addition to the small collection of works that speak convincingly to the big questions of our civic life.

©2009 Michael J. Sandel (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"This outstanding collection successfully blends historical and contemporary thought, on issues of theoretical and practical importance, to illuminate the main problems of justice. It is accessible to undergraduates in philosophy, with breadth and depth enough to engage the experienced philosophical reader hoping to rethink some central debates." (Michele Moody-Adams, Director and Hutchinson Professor of Ethics and Public Life, Cornell University)

How I started to love philosophy

Would you listen to Justice again? Why?

definitely, It is so full of context, and so well narrated that made me enjoy every minute of it. Besides, it does not "fool around" (without offense to other philosophers, this is mainly because of my problem concentrating for longer periods) and gets to the main points, analyzes several opinions and most of the times leaves it up to you to make up your mind and start thinking.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The way it is organized... it is not chronollogically... i think sandell was a genius when using different situations and dilemmas to introduce the listeners to the different stands on political and moral philosophy. He does not go very deep into each one of them, but gives you just the right amount to let you on your own if you feel like it.

What about Michael J. Sandel’s performance did you like?

Excellent... clear, passionate, and very good overall...

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not exactly extreme like those emotional responses... (i am not good at expressiong my emotions) BUT it was not few times when I was left in awe because of these new ideas that i had never thought of... or that, even though I had, I could not put them into words... to know that there are (and were) people thinking about these big and important ideas made me very very happy... I felt like a little child when I learned something new and ran to my girlfriend to tell her about so we could speak a little better now (she is far better educated than me and sometimes i felt bad about not understanding what she was saying)

Any additional comments?

to mr sandell...

Please write more books like this... only getting to understand the intuition and a general idea about what philosophy does for humanity, and specially with the talent you have to transmit that knowledge, i guess only then will the lay people like me start to appreciate it.

Required reading

Should be required reading in today’s political environment. Balanced, challenging, and well though-out. Prophetically marks a way forward in a time that sometimes feels like it has none.

thought provoking and stimulating.

I loved it but after my second listen. It was so interesting I had to listen twice.

Amazing book

If you like learning about our moral standards origins and understand discussions of the modern world this is the book you want!

Excellent

Sandel does a great job writing and narrating this wonderful work of philosophical literature. Definitely worth listening to

Makes the complex understandable

Fantastic audio book. The Author takes incredibly complicated theories from greats like Aristotle and Kant and lays them out and explains them in caring and insightful ways. Highly recommend this book

Moral Philosophy for the Novice

This is far more than "Moral Philosophy for Dummies" while an exceptional, thougthful discussion of the topic. The section on Kant was worth the price alone. If you are looking for the "definitive work" on moral philosophy you may be disappointed. If you are interested in developing your understanding of the subject, this is a great place to start.

The book is written and read very well by the author himself.

Political philosophy made interesting

Michael Sandel does an excellent job of making political philosophy understandable and interesting. His stories are relevant and interesting. This is a very good read on important and current topics. A definite five.

One of my Favorite Books

Where does Justice rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my Favorite Books. I keep this on my mp3 always and have relistened many times

Any additional comments?

This course helps think about complex issues and develop your point of view while understanding the view point of others

Dangerous

This is one of the best books I've listened to. I love when the author reads his/her own work as in this case. The sentences always flow better than with another narrator. I thought this book was fluid and compounding. I feel like I understand my own opinions better. At least once I realized the reasons I justified an opinion were not the reasons I held the opinion in the first place. Maybe that is the danger with reading books. It is certainly a danger while reading this one.