Political, History & Theory 

"For Michael Sandel, justice is not a spectator sport," The Nation¡¯s reviewer of Justice remarked. In his acclaimed book -- based on his legendary Harvard course -- Sandel offers a rare education in thinking through the complicated issues and controversies we face in public life today. It has emerged as a most lucid and engaging guide for those who yearn for a more robust and thoughtful public discourse. "In terms we can all understand," wrote Jonathan Rauch in The New York Times, Justice "confronts us with the concepts that lurk... beneath our conflicts."

Affirmative action, same-sex marriage, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, national service, the moral limits of markets... Sandel relates the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of the day, and shows how a surer grasp of philosophy can help us make sense of politics, morality, and our own convictions as well. Justice is lively, thought-provoking, and wise -- an essential new addition to the small shelf of books that speak convincingly to the hard questions of our civic life.

Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1980, and the author of many books. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

"Harvard government professor Sandel dazzles in this sweeping survey of hot topics: the recent government bailouts, the draft, surrogate pregnancies, same-sex marriage, immigration reform and reparations for slavery - that situates various sides in the debates in the context of timeless philosophical questions and movements. Sandel takes utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative and Rawls's theory of justice out of the classroom, dusts them off and reveals how crucial these theories have been in the construction of Western societies. The content is dense but elegantly presented, and Sandel has a rare gift for making complex issues comprehensible, even entertaining. - from Amzon