MICHAEL SANDEL

Political philosophy Professor, has taught the famous "Justice" course, one of the most highly attended in Harvard's history


  • Has been described as “perhaps the most prominent college professor in America,” “the most relevant living philosopher,” a “rock-star moralist”
  • Challenges audiences to examine the moral and ethical assumptions underlying the most hotly debated political and social issues
  • His latest book, The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?, was named a best book of the year by The Guardian, Bloomberg, New Statesman, The Times Literary Supplement, Le Point (Paris), and New Weekly (Beijing).
  • Sandel’s free online course “Justice” has been viewed by tens of millions of people
  • In What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, Sandel rethinks the role that markets should play in a democratic society and people’s lives

Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University. His books—on justice, democracy, ethics, and markets—have been translated into more than 30 languages. He has been described as a “rock-star moralist” (Newsweek) and “the most popular philosopher in the world.”(El País)
Sandel’s latest book, The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good? (La tiranía del merito), was named a best book of the year by The Guardian, Bloomberg, New Statesman, The Times Literary Supplement, Le Point (Paris), and New Weekly (Beijing). The book offers hope for healing our divided societies and points the way to a new politics of the common good.

Sandel’s free online course “Justice” has been viewed by tens of millions of people. His BBC series “The Global Philosopher” explores the ethical dilemmas behind the headlines with participants from around the world.

A recipient of Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, Sandel’s 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 came to hear him speak.  

Professor Sandel tailors each presentation to the needs of his audience and is not limited to the topics we have listed below:

  • Justice
  • The Tyranny of Merit
  • Political Philosophy
  • Bioethics
  • Moral and Ethical Dilemmas

Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?

Topics Include: Justice for All Doing the Right Thing in Public and Private Life. What Do We Owe One Another as Citizens? Reasoning Together About Hard Moral Questions

Hard Questions, Big Ideas: How to Think About Moral and Ethical Dilemmas in a Global Age

Topics Include: Globalization and Its Critics Globalization and Its Discontents Is Globaliza-tion Good For Democracy? Capitalism, Democracy, and the Common Good 

The Lost Art of Democratic Argument: What’s Become of Civility?

Topics Include: Restoring Civility to Democratic Politics Why Is Politics Today So Bitter and Partisan, and What Can We Do About It? Does Religion Belong in Politics? The Role of Faith in Public Life 

Markets, Morals, and Civic Life

Do bankers deserve to make hundreds of times what school teachers earn? Is the free market fair? What have we learned from the financial crisis? What is the real cost of economic inequality? What is the role of markets in achieving the public good? Join Michael Sandel, Harvard political philosopher and author of the New York Times best seller Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? for a lively discussion of markets, democracy, and the big ethical questions that confront American society today.