The 1990s were a heady time. The Cold War had ended, and America鈥檚 version of liberal capitalism seemed triumphant. And yet, amid the peace and prosperity, anxieties about the project of self-government could be glimpsed beneath the surface. So argued Michael Sandel, in his influential and widely debated book Democracy鈥檚 Discontent, published in 1996. Now, a quarter century later, Sandel updates his classic work for an age when democracy鈥檚 discontent has hardened into a country divided against itself.
In , Sandel extends his account of America鈥檚 civic struggles from the 1990s to the present. The book is an essential--and ultimately hopeful--reading for all those who wonder if our democratic experiment will survive in the twenty-first century.
Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University, where his legendary course 鈥淛ustice: Ethical Reasoning in Polarized Times,鈥� fills Harvard鈥檚 largest auditorium. Sandel is also the author of , which seeks a way beyond the polarized politics of our time. His other previous books include Justice: What鈥檚 the Right Thing to Do? and What Money Can鈥檛 Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets.
Join us at the City Club for a conversation with Michael Sandel on how to reinvigorate democracy, reconfigure the economy, and empower citizens as participants in a shared public life.
Speaker
- Michael Sandel
Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, Harvard University