Back to Blog
Tyranny of merit7/4/2023 The political competence required by government for the sake of such a common good is technocratic, the mastery of means. He targets an economic interpretation of the common good (p.28), whereby it is understood as Gross Domestic Product, the summation of the satisfaction through market exchanges of the needs and desires of consumers (p.29). Sandel focuses on one polarisation in particular. It is not merely that some ignore the topic, while others engage with it rather, those who use the notion of common good are not in agreement about its meaning. It is acknowledged to be an inescapably contestable term (p.214). ‘Common good’ is not offered as a panacea or readymade solution to the problems discussed. However, it is possible from his many references to the term to piece together a sense of what is at stake. Like many of the other authors who invoke the term, Sandel does not directly discuss the notion of common good or articulate what it might mean. Sandel’s volume is yet another recent book expressing both concern for and partisanship for the common good, as noted in a previous contribution to Thinking Faith. I begin with the second topic of the common good. The explicit question in the subtitle – ‘what’s become of the common good?’ – suggests that there has been some change in the status or nature of the common good. The assertion is that there is a tyranny of merit. The title and subtitle of this book contains an implied assertion and an explicit question. Like this latest volume, his books are addressed to a wide audience and are eminently readable. This well-deserved reputation is largely due to his online profile, presenting Harvard’s course on justice and the BBC Radio 4 series The Global Philosopher, as well as his many publications. Sandel has acquired a reputation as the world’s foremost public philosopher.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |