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Justice: An Interactive Debate
How to Apply Cool-Headed Reason to Red-Hot Topics
MICHAEL SANDEL has been said to foster “the best Socratic dialogues since Socrates.”
With the goal of restoring the lost art of democratic argument, he presents an open-ended, controversial question, and guides the audience through a civil exchange of ideas. Suspense builds as the microphone travels across the audience as you never know where the conversation will go. Audience members walk away energized and with a deeper understanding of the issues, having dissected perspectives from conflicting angles. Based on his world-renowned course at Harvard, this presentation is an opportunity for your audience to join together and think through the hard questions and ethical dilemmas of everyday life. The Justice experience is different with every audience and is highly customizable to your event. Dig deep into the topics that matter most to your audience, from broad issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, or affirmative action to more specific concerns like employee vs employer pay or the role media plays in our democracy.
A Better Public Discourse
Harvard’s MICHAEL SANDEL speaks directly to the urgent hunger in the United States and around the globe for a transformative kind of public discourse. Addressing the politics of grievance and the widening divide between elites and non-elites, Sandel brings a powerful message that resonates deeply today about how to foster a vibrant civic culture, driving meaningful change. We must repair the tears in the social fabric before it’s too late. In this talk, Sandel explores the roots of our polarization and suggests what we can do to reunite across differences to bring democracy back from the brink.
The Power of Values-Based Leadership
Harvard professor MICHAEL SANDEL challenges leaders to adopt values-based leadership—an essential framework for navigating today's complex landscape. Sandel inspires leaders to prioritize civility and active listening, calling them to action to unite and inspire others around a purpose-driven vision. His insights pave the way for creating a more ethical and engaged organizational culture, where everyone thrives.
Key takeaways from this talk include:
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Will Tech Change What It Means to Be Human?
Harvard professor MICHAEL SANDEL leads compelling discussions on the benefits of AI alongside significant moral questions about identity and the essence of being human. Sandel questions whether technological advancements truly enhance our lives or risk commodifying human experiences, encouraging audiences to examine what constitutes a good life and how technology should promote human flourishing rather than detract from it.
Author Talk: 'The Tyranny of Merit'
In this presentation, MICHAEL SANDEL challenges the prevailing ideology of meritocracy and rejects our reliance on credentialism, following the framework of his book The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good? He argues for a reevaluation of values to create a more just society and heal the widening divide between so-called winners and losers.
We live in a world where hard work leads to success and prosperity—or so they say. The reality is that the odds are stacked in favor of the already fortunate, and those born without means will often work themselves to the bone only to barely scrape by. But the idea that we live in a meritocracy is driving misinformed attitudes about success. Society’s “winners” see their gains as borne from merit alone, discounting the role luck plays in their abundance. Those on the opposite end of the spectrum are blamed for their own misfortune, rather than being acknowledged as victims of circumstance.
Information on book buys and signings is available upon request.
The impact of Dr. Michael Sandel’s class on Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
In a live engagement with Harvard University philosopher MICHAEL SANDEL, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson shared the positive impact of his course, “Justice,” on her career. “I felt myself expanding and growing more visible to myself as I engaged the great philosophical conundrums,” Justice Jackson shared. “The animated discussions about open-ended ethical dilemmas made me come completely alive.”
Event Success Story: Havard Philosopher Dr. Michael Sandel discusses how political movements shape societies
Harvard University philosopher MICHAEL SANDEL joined Amanpour & Co. to discuss what Donald Trump’s political victory says about American society. Reflecting on the polarization that fueled Trump's campaign, and the failure of the Democrats to present themselves as the party of change, Dr. Sandel explains, “A kind of a rejuvenated patriotism is connected to the dignity of work, our mutual dependence, and our mutual obligations for one another as fellow citizens.”
Michael Sandel receives rave reviews for his live events
Harvard University professor MICHAEL SANDEL receives consistent rave reviews for his live events:
Michael Sandel’s books are global bestsellers on justice, ethics, democracy, and markets
Harvard University professor MICHAEL SANDEL’s books address the most vexing moral and civic questions of our time. Among others, he has authored:
Michael Sandel speaks on humanity, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI)
Harvard University’s “rock star” philosopher MICHAEL SANDEL brings forward important conversations on technology, humanity, and artificial intelligence. Rapid advancements in technology, social media, and especially AI raise profound questions about whether these changes will redefine what it means to be human and why this matters.
Addressing the challenges of genetic engineering, Sandel says, “I think the deepest source of discomfort has to do with what it means to be human and how we confront our nature.”
As part of the Harvard Dialogues series in a discussion of AI, Sandel asks, “Will technology change what it means to be human?”
To spark meaningful dialogue about the changes brought on by technological advancement, invite Sandel for a live Socratic debate-style conversation with your audience.
Michael Sandel is one of the most compelling voices on climate change
Harvard University professor MICHAEL SANDEL empowers your audience to engage in a meaningful dialogue about climate change that transcends data and statistics. With his unique insights and captivating presentation style, Sandel will inspire your attendees to rethink their views on responsibility, fairness, and our shared future. Sandel dives into the ethical implications of climate change, challenging your audience to confront difficult questions. Are technological solutions enough, or do we need a profound shift in our relationship with nature?
Harvard political philosopher and bestselling author Michael Sandel has been described as a “philosopher with the global profile of a rock star” (BBC HARDtalk). Renowned for leading lively Socratic debates on the most vexing moral and civic questions of our time, Sandel shows how we can think our way through the hard choices we face in politics, business, and our everyday lives.
Sandel’s books—on justice, democracy, ethics, technology, and markets—have been translated into more than 30 languages. They include Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?; What Money Can’t Buy, and The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?, which seeks a way beyond our polarized politics. A new edition of his classic book Democracy’s Discontent has been described as “essential--and ultimately hopeful--reading for all those who wonder if our democratic experiment will survive in the twenty-first century.”
Sandel’s legendary course “Justice,” one of the most popular in Harvard’s history, is freely available online and has been viewed by tens of millions. His BBC series The Global Philosopher engages participants from around the world in discussing the ethical issues lying behind the headlines. In this and other television, radio, and online programs, Sandel explores tech ethics, robots and AI, markets and morals, climate change, free speech, and other topical issues.
Sandel’s renowned interactive public lectures on the big civic questions of the day show how reasoned debate, leavened with humor and mutual respect, can produce dialogue across our differences.
A “master of life’s big questions” (Guardian), Sandel’s live events have packed St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), the Sydney Opera House (Australia), the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park, and an outdoor stadium in Seoul (S. Korea), where 14,000 came to hear him speak.
My Speaker List
