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The Tyranny of Merit

What's Become of the Common Good?

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The Tyranny of Merit

By: Michael J. Sandel
Narrated by: Michael J. Sandel
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These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favour of the already fortunate. Stalled social mobility and entrenched inequality give the lie to the promise that "you can make it if you try". And the consequence is a brew of anger and frustration that has fuelled populist protest, with the triumph of Brexit and election of Donald Trump.

Michael J. Sandel argues that to overcome the polarized politics of our time, we must rethink the attitudes toward success and failure that have accompanied globalisation and rising inequality. Sandel highlights the hubris a meritocracy generates among the winners and the harsh judgement it imposes on those left behind. He offers an alternative way of thinking about success - more attentive to the role of luck in human affairs, more conducive to an ethic of humility, and more hospitable to a politics of the common good.

© Michael J. Sandel 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 21st Century Modern Political Science Politics & Government Social Classes & Economic Disparity Sociology Capitalism Socialism Thought-Provoking Inspiring Economic Inequality Social justice Taxation Liberalism Economic disparity
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Critic reviews

Sandel is the most important and influential living philosopher. (Paul Collier)
The Tyranny of Merit is original, lively and no mere critique: unlike many others who have written on the "sorting" of society into winners and losers, Sandel produces a persuasive argument about the kind of community we should seek ... The Tyranny of Merit is an important work, and makes a profound point that our leaders would do well to understand. (Nick Timothy)
Engaging and timely... an insightful critique of where our societies went wrong... that will help us to heal our divided societies (Matthew Goodwin)
He is good at dismantling the cheap language of recent politics... compelling, too, in diagnosing the growing use of discriminatory language (Julian Glover)
Credentialism is the last acceptable prejudice... blends fact, analysis and opinion in eminently readable non-fiction (Rana Foroohar)
well-argued, clear, and nicely timed to appeal to the growing disillusionment with meritocracy. (Simon Kuper)
"rich in moral exhortation - the kind that does your soul good" (Polly Toynbee)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the message and gave me warm fuzzy feelings.
Completely resonated with the message of returning to humility and being less harsh towards those who are not lucky enough to have certain traits deemed to be of "value" and "high in merit". A stance against elitism, and one that stands with many people driving the populist movements.

Beautifully humane, almost spiritual

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I listened to and riled against Michael Sandel, Elif Shafak, David Goodhart and Amol Rajan rethinking meritocracy, division and community on BBC Radio 4's "Start the week" programme back in early September. But I'm so glad to have listened to this book. I stand enlightened and corrected. Michael Sandel's book has helped me recognise the extent and nature of my hubris and that of many other higher education credentialed folk. What next?

Resonant

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I am a fan of Michael Sandel's clarity of thought and reliable moral compass, and this book does not disappoint. It makes explicit some of the ideas that are so much part of our social fabric that they are like the water we swim in, invisible and absorbed by osmosis -- and it sets forth the most plausible and realistic assessment I have ever heard of the causes of the current wave of populism, not only in the U.S. but across the world.

A really important book

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Class system created by colleges degrees. Should address this by 1st selecting by academic criterias and then by chance ( many more people that are capable apply than places )
Talks about the utilitarian function of finance. Is there a point to the financial industry we created?

College degree is the new denominator

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Prefer when books are read by professionals, but not such a bad reading by the author. Great content that is easily understood and so lends itself to an audio book. The book is ahead of its time - questioning the meritocratic faith is not yet that fashionable.

Well reasoned

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