Is a society that can succeed as long as it works hard fair? Sandel, a professor at Harvard University, profoundly and speculatively analyzed the merit system and the essence of populism in American society, which made us rethink the purpose of education, the value of work and the definition of success.
America used to be the most equal country in the world. Many presidential election manifestos tell people that "those who work hard and obey the rules should be able to move forward as far as possible, the so-called American dream." The reality is that the class is solidified, the educational resources are tilted, and the middle class is declining, forming a serious polarization between the upper class and the middle and lower classes.
The arrogance of the elite reflects that successful people are often too obsessed with their own success and forget the opportunity and good luck to help them succeed. They believe that "Excellence comes first", that is, success depends not on luck or grace, but on their own efforts and struggles.
This seemingly positive and free concept also has a dark side. The more the elites feel self-sufficient and self-sufficient, the less likely they are to care about the fate of those less fortunate than us. Their success is the result of their own efforts, and their failure is not worthy of sympathy because they don't work hard.
Nowadays, more and more young people's "American Dream" is shattered. They understand that the influence of the external environment is increasing, and the result of the fate lottery is determined by fate, wealth or providence, not our own efforts. The book also talks about scandals in famous American universities. Many American presidents use "diplomas" as weapons to downplay scandals and deepen their credibility.
Professor Sandel is using his philosophical speculative field to analyze the problem, instead of giving you a right or wrong answer. Sandel believes that what we should do is "rethink the way we look at success, question the arrogant idea that success depends on ourselves" and oppose the use of talents to defend the inequality between wealth and dignity, because such discussions will only lead to dissatisfaction, poison politics and divide us. This kind of thinking should focus on two areas, namely education and work, because these two points are the key to the success of the elite system. "
Adams, who put forward the American dream, said that his ideal country is in the reading room of the Library of Congress: the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the generals and soldiers, scholars and students study together and enjoy all that democracy brings.