About this talk

In this public lecture, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel draws on his book The Tyranny of Merit to argue that the modern meritocratic ideal — that ‘you can make it if you try’ — has become a corrosive force, creating a deep divide between winners and losers and eroding the common good. Free and open to all. The Pharos Summer Lecture 2026 Prof Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University. His books - on justice, democracy, ethics, markets, and the common good -have been translated into more than thirty languages. He has been described as a 'rock star moralist' and 'the world’s most influential living philosopher'. He was recently awarded the Berggruen Prize, the world's most prestigious prize for philosophy. Sandel’s books address the hardest moral and civic questions of our time. The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good? seeks a way beyond our polarized politics. A new edition of his classic, 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'. His previous books include Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?; What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets; and The Case Against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering. Sandel’s free online course 'Justice' has been viewed by tens of millions of people. His BBC Radio 4 series 'The Global Philosopher' explores the ethical issues lying behind the headlines with participants from around the world. Sandel has been a visiting professor at the Sorbonne, delivered the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Oxford and the BBC’s Reith Lectures, served on the U.S. President’s Council on Bioethics, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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