Michael Sandel has a new book out for 2020: The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? I’ll be sure to read this. I have read his books Justice, and What Money Can’t Buy. A few years ago I took his on-line lecture course on iTunesU (Justice) which is said to be one of the most popular free web based courses. Of the several courses I’ve taken, the lectures by Sandel are far and away the most clear, insightful and rewarding. Sandel’s view of public morality is communitarian. Some things are public and must be equitable and shared. Personal liberty and freedom of thought are just that, personal and this realm of justice has ethical constraints and choices that belong to that realm. It seems to me that Sandel thinks public or shared activities are of a different kind. We should think about how we value our community and act as if public ethics are as valuable as personal morality. When I think about Sandel’s work I am reminded of the ancient Greek philosophers who wrote about virtue largely as a measure of one’s relationship to others.
Two Strikes 