Central Theme
The author’s main argument in this very interesting book is to analyze what is the right thing to do—as the title indicates. As I read the book, I came to the conclusion that there is no direct answer as to what is the right thing to do, even through all of his examples and references of moral philosophers. It was up to me, the reader, to decide—based on my moral intellectual self—what the right thing to do is. Sandel overall taught us that justice comes in different shapes and sizes and it is perceived differently by everyone, by every country, by every generation, by every society, etc. Sandel also taught us that philosophers such as Aristotle and Immanuel Kant have theories that one can either confide with or totally push aside. …show more content…
It had me debating with myself what the right thing to do would be. Sandel never tells us what the right thing to do is, rather for us to seek within ourselves and determine what the right thing to do actually is. The trolley story highlights that “we should save as many lives as possible, but another says it is wrong to kill an innocent person, even for a good cause. Confronted with a situation in which saving a number of lives depends on killing an innocent person, we face a moral quandary. We must try to figure out which principle has greater weight, or is more appropriate under the circumstances” (18). There is no other option between these two occasions in the trolley story. And that is exactly what Sandel is teaching us, that life throws these sensitive decisions at us—what would be the right thing to do? The ‘right’ thing here, as I came to perceive it, is ethical, justifiable, fair, correct thing to …show more content…
Now we decide, based on what we have learned through this book, what is the right thing to do. It is not something that will miraculously happen overnight. We have to practice it daily. Encounter events where we must decide between right or wrong. We have to bring out every moral concept we have been taught and experienced. As future business leaders, we have to understand how a specific corporation works—what is their moral culture? How can I apply my moral training to that? For instance, we might know about a coworker who we have become really good friends with, that sold confidential information to a competing firm. What would be the right thing to do in this case? Telling management? Not telling management? Not wanting to destroy a friendship? Potentially getting our coworker fired? So many questions arise that lead to: so what is the right thing to do. I am very happy I got to read this book and write this book review. I know several of these topics will greatly aid me in my career as well as in my personal life. I will continue to learn about this every day as I apply it daily and hopefully influence others around me. I think it starts with small steps to eventually make a large effect. I will end with the idea that, “Justice is not only about the right way to distribute things. It is also about the right way to value things”
The author’s main argument in this very interesting book is to analyze what is the right thing to do—as the title indicates. As I read the book, I came to the conclusion that there is no direct answer as to what is the right thing to do, even through all of his examples and references of moral philosophers. It was up to me, the reader, to decide—based on my moral intellectual self—what the right thing to do is. Sandel overall taught us that justice comes in different shapes and sizes and it is perceived differently by everyone, by every country, by every generation, by every society, etc. Sandel also taught us that philosophers such as Aristotle and Immanuel Kant have theories that one can either confide with or totally push aside. …show more content…
It had me debating with myself what the right thing to do would be. Sandel never tells us what the right thing to do is, rather for us to seek within ourselves and determine what the right thing to do actually is. The trolley story highlights that “we should save as many lives as possible, but another says it is wrong to kill an innocent person, even for a good cause. Confronted with a situation in which saving a number of lives depends on killing an innocent person, we face a moral quandary. We must try to figure out which principle has greater weight, or is more appropriate under the circumstances” (18). There is no other option between these two occasions in the trolley story. And that is exactly what Sandel is teaching us, that life throws these sensitive decisions at us—what would be the right thing to do? The ‘right’ thing here, as I came to perceive it, is ethical, justifiable, fair, correct thing to …show more content…
Now we decide, based on what we have learned through this book, what is the right thing to do. It is not something that will miraculously happen overnight. We have to practice it daily. Encounter events where we must decide between right or wrong. We have to bring out every moral concept we have been taught and experienced. As future business leaders, we have to understand how a specific corporation works—what is their moral culture? How can I apply my moral training to that? For instance, we might know about a coworker who we have become really good friends with, that sold confidential information to a competing firm. What would be the right thing to do in this case? Telling management? Not telling management? Not wanting to destroy a friendship? Potentially getting our coworker fired? So many questions arise that lead to: so what is the right thing to do. I am very happy I got to read this book and write this book review. I know several of these topics will greatly aid me in my career as well as in my personal life. I will continue to learn about this every day as I apply it daily and hopefully influence others around me. I think it starts with small steps to eventually make a large effect. I will end with the idea that, “Justice is not only about the right way to distribute things. It is also about the right way to value things”