Welcome to Justice!
Justice is one of the most popular courses in Harvard's history, and has captivated more than 14,000 students.
Now it's your turn to hone your critical-thinking skills and explore the moral decisions we all face in our lives. Check out this short introduction video and begin your journey.
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The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive Michael Sandel visits Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report for a discussion about money and market values and ethics. What does Sandel mean by the Moral Limits of the Markets? Watch Stephen Colbert and Michael Sandel talk it over in [...]
If you had to choose between killing one person to save the lives of five others and doing nothing, what would you do?
Sandel presents some contemporary cases in which cost-benefit analysis is used to put a dollar value on human life.
With humorous references to Bill Gates and Michael Jordan, Sandel introduces the libertarian notion that redistributive taxation (taxing the rich to give to the poor) is akin to forced labor.
If we all have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and property, how can a government enforce tax laws passed by the representatives of a mere majority?
During the Civil War, men drafted into war had the option paying less privileged citizens to fight in their place. This leads to a debate about war and conscription. Is today’s voluntary army open to the same objection?
Professor Sandel introduces Immanuel Kant, a challenging but influential philosopher. Kant argues that only when we act out of duty, do our actions have moral worth.
If your friend were hiding inside your home, and a person intent on killing your friend came to your door and asked you where he was, would it be wrong to tell a lie?
Rawls argues that even meritocracy, a distributive system that rewards effort, doesn’t go far enough in leveling the playing field because those who are naturally gifted will always get ahead.
Should we compensate for historical injustices such as slavery and segregation? When a university’s stated mission is to increase diversity, is it a violation of rights to deny a white person admission?
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