Democracy’s Discontent

Public Lecture

Public Lecture by Michael J. Sandel (Harvard University)

The divide between winners and losers in our societies has been deepening, poisoning our politics and setting us apart.  The polarization that afflicts politics today was decades in the making, the result of a neoliberal globalization project embraced by center-left and center-right parties alike.  At a time when democracy is in peril, governing elites need to acknowledge the failure of that project.  This means rethinking meritocratic notions of success, renewing the dignity of work, and seeking a „political economy of citizenship.“  Addressing democracy’s discontent requires taking seriously the legitimate grievances that fuel the populist backlash against elites.

Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University. His writings—on justice, ethics, democracy, and markets–have been translated into more than 30 languages.
Sandel’s most recent books, Democracy’s Discontent (Das Unbehagen in der Demokratie) and The Tyranny of Merit (Vom Ende des Gemeinwohls), show how the polarized politics of our time arose from the market-driven version of globalization embraced by center-left and center-right parties in recent decades.
Sandel’s previous books include What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (Was man für Geld nicht kaufen kann); Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (Gerechtigkeit); The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering (Plädoyer gegen die Perfektion); and Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics (Moral und Politik).
Sandel’s free online course “Justice” has been viewed by tens of millions of people. His BBC series “The Global Philosopher” engages participants from around the world in discussion of issues such as immigration, climate change, and free speech.  
A recipient of the Princess of Asturias Prize, Sandel has been a visiting professor at the Sorbonne and delivered the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Oxford. His global lectures have packed such venues as St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), the Sydney Opera House (Australia), and an outdoor stadium in Seoul (S. Korea), where 14,000 people came to hear him speak.