How to fight populism? Michael Sandel on renewing the dignity of work 

There is much truth in this analysis and I have always admired Professor Sandel's breadth of vision. It is perhaps important to remember that even many of those with university degrees also live in relative poverty and are unable to escape the burden of debt which crushes their aspirations.

Great speech on the dignity of work and the 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉disappointment of the laboring class at feeling secure and appreciated. As a 94 year who has observed the changes in my country U.S.A. I would add that the expectations of both the laboring class and the college educated that their children could do as well or better has been dashed by the constant rise in the cost of living and their inability to save for the future. Added to this is the fact that corporations no longer care for their employees as they once did.The retirement plans are gone replaced by 401ks and shareholders and managers profits are primary resulting in profits for them and insecurity for the workers. We have gone backwards. Also our countries constant wars have raised our national debt incredibly with huge profits for the military industrial complex and insecurity for the rest of us. I am no longer proud to be an American as I was after World War Two. I feel we have lost our moral compass and are by driven by materialism and greed.

Fantastic presentation.

Absolutely Brilliant. Brilliantly Explained. Superb

Thank you very much for the excellent explanation. I wish more young people should listen this conversation to understand the world around us and the duty we should do on behalf of each other.

In 2024, this is what 'speaking truth to power' sounds like. Nice job, Prof. Sandel.

Brilliant explanation ❤

Many of my friends who never got a university degree are already comfortably retired (at 55 years old) and own their own homes and have had children. I have university degree in the humanities and have spent my entire life working for 10 dollar per hour jobs and less in seven countries in North America and Asia. Never owned a home or a car, no children and no hope pension and no hope of retiring. It took years to pay off student loans. It seems Michael Sandel has never recognized the fact of unemployment and under-employment among those with university degrees.

He has a solid point on the erosive social dynamics that neoliberal "meritocracy" creates. Its not a meritocracy anyway. It is a marketocracy. The.madra " there is no society , only individuals, there are no societal goals only individual goals and careers" of neoliberal thinkers like hayek ( i mention him because he is one of the most articulate) has dominated our culture for far too long. Not to mention the technocratic matrix of tons of information mixed with advertisement mania etc. The modern individual is so fragmented and out societies are spinning out of control. We bought this fairytale of the world as a happy global supermarket for much too long. Plus : even thise with university degrees are buried in debt.

I very much enjoyed this lecture and agreed for the most part with Mr. Sandel perspective. I had one issue with the lecture. 1) Meritocracy really is the only sociological system that has even a fragment of fairness built in. The rest is a proto Marxian view of universal equality for all humans and historically, those attempts have not worked out as advertised. Nothing or no one is entitled to any fragment of equality in existence. From the simplest form of life to arguably, humans. Every lifeform has been extremely fortunate to even exist. The rest we all must fight for. Every life form is in a mortal battle for existence. None of us should ever forget this. We seem isolated from this fact, but the reality is just out of view for most humans.

Insightful lecture. Thank you

I would like to hear his take today, September 2024, on democracy and how the democratic party nominated their own candidate.

I like Mr. Michel Sandel's Speeches toomuch. God bless you Sir.

Great ❤❤❤🎉

Great speech ❤

AOC are you listening? These are answers to your future Presidency or Speaker of the House or Senate majority leadership. You of all people should understand his argument.

One of the main values of populists in USA is hard work

I salute you, Sir :)

I vehemently disagree with the use of the pejorative word 'populist'. If what the MAJORITY of the electorate want are policies which they believe will act in their best interests, then so be it. This is democracy at work.

I still regret that I wasn't there at this event but a few hundred meters away at the theater (and a bad play). I admire Michael Sandel since I followed his Justice-course here on RU-vid. But thank you for putting the video of the event up here.

He thinks it’s an aesthetics battle. No, liberalism is oligarchy

He is pointing out to rise of far right because of erosion of support for centre left...but we must also think if the far right has some populism of its own A well articulated lecture though

Back in the 80's and 90's, work and stature could be based on a University you received a degree from. But today, a university education is dead. The democrats continuously fail to see that. I dont want free education, i want a tax break for the work i do. Republicans understand that. I love Mr. Sandels speeches and courses, but this one is dated. Both parties have significant flaws that were not discussed. All politics need reform. They are leaving a negative impact in our society.

The story he tells explaining the rise of Trump and Brexit and so on sounds very plausible to me, but I wish he's given just a little more empirical evidence in support of it. Otherwise, a great lecture - beautifully clear and well-structured and big-hearted, as always with this wonderful man.

I do not know if my message will find attention of honorable Mr. Sandel, after listening to this complicated situation of neo liberal side effects and globalization we have another factor of automation/virtuality and now the AI revolution as of 2022. If we can have this added to analysis to the value contribution of future work? Will we need a community if the work is not required for a sizable population as this can be replaced at a ever accelerating pace in this new age and era.

Thank you sir 👍 Great speech and good work I hopp that oll people unterstand your message 🙏

The % of people who have the right to grow old in the same world they grew up in is a very simple number: zero.

Lavrentiy Beria , the manager of USSR nuc project was a school teacher of physics

Sandel is my hero.

Thank you for a wonderful talk. What I wonder is, whether such political discourse as seems to be necessary for a healthy society to emerge and persist and prosper, there is an underlying assumption of homogeneity? Can we rise above our biases - that almost seem inbuilt - and create a fair society? Can we accommodate substantial differences in the age of globalization? We may not want to lose the economic benefits of globalization and at the same time we want to remain a closely-knit society, is that possible?

It's inevitable in a democracy. Progression

Interesting how Mr. Mandel mentions Mises, one of the main enemies of Marx, who placed work at the center of his analysis and the working class at the center of the revolutionary struggle. Then came people like Mises to tell us that everything revolves around subjective wants and desires. The moral and ethical consequences of this are what we're suffering today.

karl polanyi double movement is revisited will it have the same outcome as it did in late 1930s

Why would anyone say they are against "populism"? That's like pro-choice people accepting the label of "anti-life". You're literally saying you are against the general public. It's an inherently elitist thing to say. Say you're against "fascism", which, afaict, is the same as "right-wing populism"

Negative income tax, like Milton Friedman used to propose. Because you don't want the death of all meritocracy.

I am so tired of hearing “far right” former presidents Trump is nothing far right. At all

BRÉSIL ❤

Meritocracy assures us that we have the most competent physicians, lawyers and other professionals. It does not signify that these professionals may be filled with hubris only their competency is relevant. Otherwise we all look like Cuba, Russia or China where "success" is not a function of competency but of favor with the regime.

If there were a functioning meritocracy, I'd be more sympathetic to it. But that kind of talk is for the propagandists and "intellectuals". If you read business or management magazines or advice on climbing the corporate ladder, nobody there pretends we have a meritocracy. And I think we should stop lying to kids that there is one.

Thank🫂YOU ‼️‼️

🙏🙏🙏

Micheal Sandel, you are so famous for being a deep thinker, such a truly great mind. I’m so, so disappointed to hear your opening statements, being so one sided and demonizing trump… I will continue to watch this video and hope that you bring things to something thoughtful and balanced as we all know you are so capable of. And I will revisit, again, your life’s achievement IMO “what is justice”, because, regardless of whether you have decided to be a spokesperson for a “side”, I know you are capable of more and I will remember you for your greatness rather than your shortcomings.

"that ugliness and the peril it poses.....strikes us so prodoundly that it can also distract us from asking.. Nothing we offer working people..." The irony of his words is that this allusion to "we" which he keeps using is evidence of the very upper class hubris which he higlights! Astonishing too that an obviously intelligent person like this could regard Biden with anything other than dismay and contempt. "Has to address a widespread sense of disempowerment". There is an underlying condescaneding tone of this professor claiming to be concerned about the under priviledged yet while doing so continuting to regard those not at his level of achievement as inherently "not us". Of course superior professors like this determine what grievances are legitmate (his word) and which grievances are not legitmate. Michael Sandel is an example of the very hubris he warns about. He states that only 30% of US citizens have university degree and does not dream of himself addressing the 70%. His audience will remain the 30% and those from the priviledged class who do address the 70% will continue to be dismissed as "populist". The "Phoney-Tony" Blair quotation-"questioning globalisation is like questioning whether winter autumn should follow winter" is ironical given that globalists are busy working on ways of changing world climates. Having said all that, I think his intellectual concern is genuine and his comment sabout people's sense of being themselve obsolescent is spot on. I don't think that so-called "progressive" parties will give a hoot about people being recognised and honoured for contributing to the common good and the dignity of labour. Has Michael Sandel not even heard of the World Economic Forum ? The Blidebergers? Doesnt he know that the globalists have "progressive parties" in their pocket and have no intention of following the kind of "political agenda" which he is advocating here?

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Sir, please explain, how extent,Marxism is relevant to cope with inequality presently.

Copenhagen

I like this professor but... he is not politically balanced in his opinions. He is a voice-piece for the Dems. Always that into consideration, folks. And, that he teaches is a liberal college. Libs have captured higher education. Scary.

Populism is called a democracy

vacuous bankers' puppet, THIS is the big ethics guy? LOL

Sandels diagnosis is identical to Slavoj Zizeks and Sahra Wagenknechts. The moderate left and greens also stand for modern feminism which is a problem: modern feminism doesn't help the women of the lower class and damages the lifes of the men of the lower class. That's one of the most important reason why lower class people don't vote left anymore. The first victim of right-wing populism in Europe was the UK, not because of feminism but because globalization was destroying British industry. The industry was bought up by Chinese and German competitors or simply shut down which causes unemployment and hurting national pride. Right-wing populism resulted in Brexit and after many years of economic decline, the public (and the political left) has finally understood the direction the future must take. The majority of continental Europe is not that far along yet (possible exception: Poland) but still has this valley of right-wing populist economic destruction ahead of them.

Populism is good. Contra elitism