Book review. “Justice what’s the Right Thing to Do?” By Michael J. Sandel

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Book review: “Justice what’s the Right Thing to Do?” By Michael J. Sandel
Sandel's book raises fundamental moral concepts prevalent in society today. It uses various theories from renowned philosophers such as Aristotle and Krant to draw the picture of what constitutes a just society. He uses contemporary and historical issues such as slavery, torture, global financial crisis, same-sex marriage to illustrate the approaches to Justice. The book describes how modern theories of Justice tend to lean heavily towards promoting freedom.
To promote justice an individual should be allowed to freely choose the way that best suits them.
The book begins by illustrating price gouging, which was evident in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, which rocked Florida in 2004. People were shocked by the inflationary prices charged on the necessities. Many were shocked that suppliers looked to make profits despite the disaster that had struck Florida. Sandel used this incident to highlight the moral aspects raised by price gouging. Some economists and scholars argued against the notion of just price. They argued that it is a free market where buyers and sellers choose the value of exchange (Sandel 7). This illustration brings out the morality issue when it comes to the question of law. Sandler uses this example to question whether it’s right for sellers to inflate their prices in times of disasters despite being a free market. The right thing is for sellers to weigh the burden they place on buyers in times of turmoil. They should not let their greed for profits cloud their moral judgment. A good society is one that takes care of the needs of its members during a crisis. Excessive greed doesn’t make a good society.
The book thoroughly examines three rival approaches to Justice based on renowned philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and John Rawls. The first is the utilitarian's where the right thing is one that will maximize the welfare of the society as a whole. The second is the libertarian, which views Justice as providing freedom of choice for individuals. While the third approach promotes virtue that Justice is rewarding people with what they morally deserve (Sandel 76). Therefore, the multiple paths open a reader’s mind into the model that best reflects their thinking.
Some of the contemporary issues raised in the book include the following. First, the handling of the 2008 global financial crisis where the Bush administration bailed out Wall Street companies. These corporations had been involved in risky investment projects that later led to disaster. The...