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Michael Joseph Sandel

マイケル・サンデル

Michael Sandel

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1953-03-05 （Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States → Waltham, Massachusetts, United States → Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Career

Occupations
Philosopher, Professor, Political philosopher, Ethicist, Public philosopher
Active Years
1975-
Affiliations
Harvard University
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Influenced By
Aristotle, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, John Rawls, Charles Taylor, Michael Walzer

Education

Brandeis University
College of Arts and Sciences / Political Science
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1971-1975
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: United States
Balliol College, University of Oxford
Political Philosophy
Degree: Ph.D.
Period: 1975-1981
Year of Graduation: 1981
Country: United Kingdom
Studied as a Rose scholar

Awards

Prince (Princess) of Asturias Award — Social Sciences
2018
Category: 社会科学
Organization: Princess of Asturias Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Liberalism and the Limits of Justice

1982 Political philosophy

Examines liberalism and its limits, critiquing liberal theory from a communitarian perspective.

liberalismjusticecommunitarianism
Translations
  • Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (Japanese translation)

Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy

1996 Political philosophy / Public philosophy

Discusses the lack of a public philosophy in American politics and possibilities for its recovery.

public philosophycitizenshipdemocracy
Translations
  • Democracy's Discontent (Japanese translation)

Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics

2005 Public philosophy

A collection of essays on the relationship between politics and morality, including pieces aimed at a general audience.

morality and politicspublic debate
Translations
  • Public Philosophy (Japanese translation)

The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering

2007 Ethics

Examines ethical issues around genetic engineering and human enhancement.

bioethicsgenetic engineeringhuman dignity
Translations
  • The Case Against Perfection (Japanese translation)

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

2009 Ethics / Public philosophy

An accessible, lecture-style introduction to questions of justice for a general audience.

justicemoral dilemmaspublic debate
Adaptations
  • [TV program] Justice with Michael Sandel (2010)
Translations
  • Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (Japanese translation)

What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

2012 Ethics / Political philosophy

Argues about the moral limits of markets and how market thinking can crowd out nonmarket values.

ethics of marketspublicnesssocial value
Translations
  • What Money Can't Buy (Japanese translation)

The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?

2020 Political philosophy / Ethics

Analyzes the consequences of meritocracy and how it undermines the common good, contributing to social division.

meritocracycommon goodsocial division
Translations
  • The Tyranny of Merit (Japanese translation)

Bibliography

  • Liberalism and the Limits of Justice
  • Democracy's Discontent
  • Public Philosophy
  • The Case Against Perfection
  • Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
  • What Money Can't Buy
  • The Tyranny of Merit

Adaptations

  • Justice with Michael Sandel (TV series / lecture program)

Translations of Works

  • Japanese translations of several works (e.g. Justice)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lecture/dialogue style accessible to general audiencesExpository writing aimed at stimulating public debate
Recurring Motifs
the common goodjusticepublicnessethics of marketscritique of meritocracy

Legacy

Known as a public intellectual who popularized public philosophy through widely attended university courses, books and media; a leading communitarian voice influencing debates in political philosophy in the U.S. and abroad.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Archives

In Popular Culture

  • Public outreach through the 'Justice with Michael Sandel' TV/lecture series
  • Lectures and TV appearances in Japan

Quotes

  • No matter how hard we work, we do not stand on our own; luck and social conditions contribute to our success.
    Source: The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? (2020)

Trivia

  • Known as a fan of the Boston Red Sox.
  • Became widely known in Japan through the NHK broadcast of 'Justice with Michael Sandel'.
  • Served on the U.S. President's Council on Bioethics from 2002 to 2005.
  • Was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Yomiuri Giants game in 2011; the event was canceled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.