Q&A With Michael Sandel
Oct. 7, 2009
Harvard professor and author Michael Sandel stayed after his interview with Diane to respond to a few of your questions that we couldn’t get to on the air.
Q: Every time the issue of economic justice comes up in our politics, the Right starts yelling "Socialism!" How do we stop this long-engrained propaganda? (From Eric)
A: Laissez-faire, free market proponents also have in mind a conception of economic justice — such as the principle that people are morally entitled to what they earn in the market. So perhaps you could draw out your interlocutor about the principle that leads them to leave market distributions in place, and then examine that principle. Also, socialism is a pejorative in the U.S., but in many European democracies the term simply describes the idea that the fortunate have certain responsibilities to the less fortunate.
Q: Where does Mr. Sandel stand on illegal immigration? Some people are in favor of open borders as the immigrants are only trying to better their lives. However, others argue that this just allows some countries to export their problems to the U.S., instead of doing the right things for their citizens. (From Steve)
A: The immigration debate raises large and difficult questions about justice. For example: What is the moral significance of national boundaries? Do we owe more to our fellow citizens than we do to citizens of other countries — and if so, why? Is patriotism a virtue, or is at a prejudice for one's own people? The political debates we have on immigration, unfortunately, rarely address these fundamental questions.
