what is justice

『What is Justice』 is the representative work of political philosopher Michael Sandel, who became the youngest professor at Harvard University at the age of 27 and was recognized as a world-renowned scholar after publishing 《Liberalism and the Limits of Justice》, which criticized John Rawls's theory of justice. This is a book written based on the class 'Justice' that Professor Sandel actually taught at Harvard, and it is still considered one of the most popular and influential lectures at Harvard University.

This book criticizes how great thinkers thought about 'justice' by taking as its subjects real-world issues such as bailouts, volunteer soldiers, and surrogate births, as well as thought experiments such as a tank that deviates from its course and a test that measures the cost of suffering. Let’s take a look. For example, the author says that Bentham and Mill's utilitarianism supports decisions that benefit the majority, but has moral limitations when it comes to human dignity.

However, the author does not give a firm answer to ‘justice’ in this book. Moreover, by showing that readers of the book can develop their own logic side by side with great thinkers, it provides a groundbreaking framework in which readers have the opportunity to revise and correct their views on justice. And further, let them know ‘what’ and ‘why’ they think that way.