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The Tyranny of Merit

What's Become of the Common Good?

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Brought to you by Penguin.

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 Inspiring Economic Inequality Social justice Taxation Liberalism Economic disparity

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
A poignant and necessary treatise for our time. Few thinkers can so vividly articulate our condition

exquisite

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An essential read for how to fix the general feeling of disillusionment we all have about the enforced neo liberal policies. A step by step approach to the mentality that drives people to react in such an seemingly absurd manner.

Profound and honest critique of neoliberal policy

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Thank you for this book.We needed it as a society to get our facts straight.

EXCELLENT

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If there was ever a subject that needed airing this is it. This is an eye opener which brings a real clarity to the issues we face today but then realize our now out-with our control. Whilst much time is spent on education, that subject does drive home the message which means it is easier to grasp the economic message. “It’s the economy, stupid” and we have been made to look stupid by our leaders.

A Book for Our Time

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I really wanted to listen to this book, but I just found it too much to try and heave through it with the author at the helm of the audio edition. I gave it a fair shot, but it was impossible to finish. I will probably buy a hard copy, but the author should have handed over tone narration to a professional and not tried to tackle it himself.

Author unsuitable narrator

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