Michael Sandel on the Moral Limits of Markets

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2016

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Sandel is one of the world's most acclaimed and popular political philosophers. He has given the Reith lectures, been called "the most influential foreign figure of the year" by China Newsweek, and his online video lectures for Harvard University attract millions of viewers. His book 'Justice' was an international bestseller. Now he turns his attention to the markets. In this special Intelligence Squared event from 2013 he discussed his provocative new book, 'What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets'. Should we pay children to get good grades? Is it ethical to pay people to test risky new drugs or to donate their organs? What about hiring mercenaries to fight our wars, or selling citizenship to immigrants willing to pay? Isn't there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale? Sandel argued that market values have crowded out nonmarket norms in almost every aspect of life - medicine, education, government, law, art, sports, even family life and personal relations. So... — We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to [email protected] or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared.. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by Krakin.
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0:06.0	He doesn't care where you come from,
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0:10.0	or your outrageous food delivery habits.
0:13.0	crypto is financed for everyone, everywhere, all the time.
0:17.0	Visit Krakon.com slash see what crypto can be to learn more.
0:22.0	Don't invest in as you're prepared to lose all the money
0:24.8	you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. New from DurX, 7 different vibrations you'll want to put on repeat.
0:45.0	Now available at boots and at duerX.co. UK.
0:49.0	Thank you for downloading this Intelligence Square podcast.
0:53.0	For more information on our debates, talks and discussions,
0:56.0	visit Intelligents Square.com and sign up to the newsletter.
1:00.0	Tonight we're going to have not a lecture exactly, but a discussion, or a lecture with discussion,
1:08.8	about one moral dilemma that looms very large in our society today. It's the subject of the new book.
1:17.8	The question is simple to state but not so easy to answer. what role should money and markets play in our society? Today there are
1:30.0	very few things that money can't buy. If you happen ever to be convicted to a
1:40.2	jail sentence in Santa Barbara, California, just in case.
1:46.1	You might like to know that if you don't like the standard accommodations, you can buy a prison cell upgrade.
1:55.0	How much do you suppose it costs?
1:58.0	Anyway, 50?
2:01.0	250? 50, it's $82 a night.
	...

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