What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael Sandel - Book Report/Review Example

Critical analysis Introduction Michael Sandel is a political philosopher who is well renowned. He was born to a Jewish family in Minneapolis in 1953. He went to school in Palisades and graduated with a degree in politics from Brandeis University in 1975. He also received his honor of doctorate from Balliol College. Michael is best identified by his readers for his book ‘justice’ that made great sales. He is the author of several books which have had great impacts in the society. He is the author of the book ‘Democracy’s discontent and public philosophy’, ‘justice’ and ‘what money can’t buy: the moral limits of markets’ which will be the subject of discussion. He is a professor at Harvard University and a political philosopher. Sandel has been involved in giving public lectures in colleges and universities. In 2009, he addressed the Reith Lectures about the development of new and pure politics for the good of the people. In his books and many talks, Sandel has been seen to be an advocate of human rights. He is a philosopher of fighting for the social rights of individuals in the society. ‘What money can’t buy: The moral limit of markets’ is a book that has been published in New York at Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishers. The title of the book enables the reader to reflect on what the book is about even before reading it. The title provokes the mind of an individual to think that the book is talking about money. It also states that the author is discussing on what money cannot buy. In addition, it is clear that the discussion touches on issues dealing with markets in the society. The title is thus effective for the topics discussed by the author in his book because it gives a clear theme of the book. The book is written out of the many issues surrounding the society today. This is because everything in the society is has an economical price. He explains that he wrote the book because of the overture of forces of marketing in all areas of life. The main audience to his article is every citizen in the society, from the young to the old. The article is directed to them because they are all involved in making the society a market from the activities that they do every day. Sandel in his book hopes to convince his audience that not everything in the society is marketable. He hopes to make them understand that money should not buy anything and that some things are too valuable to be bought with money. The authors’ main aim of writing this book is to persuade his audience that money cannot make life to be complete. He wants to change the minds of his audience concerning the subjection of everything in life to the forces of marketing. He wants to make his audience realize that the commercialization of things that are meant to be free has its own negative effects. However, Sandel assumes that everyone is a Christian like him. He assumes that everybody is concerned about ethical and social values. His reasoning is that everybody wants to enjoy his or her rights although it’s not the case. He tends to be making decisions for people and telling them what is right and what is wrong. He does not realize that not everyone cares for their social values. Some people are willing to give up the rights and social values for the sake of having money and getting all opportunities to enjoy life. He also reasons in terms of some actions being fair and other not being fair. A majority of people in the society today are concerned with what will make them happy, productive and richer. Many people care less about what is fair to the other because people are self-centered. Apart from making assumptions and reasoning about the negative effects of the subjection of life’s activities to market force, Sandel is also in a position to argue his thoughts with facts. He gives various examples of life that relate with his audience as a tool of persuading them against putting monetary value in everything in the society. In this book, Sandel argues that markets in the society today have no moral limits. He explains that market values have been implemented in some areas of life which should be totally free. Instead of having a market economy in the society, the society itself has become a market where everything is valuable in terms of money. He explains that the reduction of everything in the society leads to unfairness to those who cannot afford. He argues that markets have been created for things in the society that are presumed to be free. He gives an example of the Shakespeare in the Park theatre. The theatre is supposed to be free but it has been marketed thus people cannot enjoy it anymore. This is because the people who may not be in a position to pay will be locked out of the intended free theatre. The subjection of everything in the society to market forces creates a big gap between the rich and the poor. This takes place because the rich are in a position to buy anything they want from freedom, rights and services. On the other hand, the poor are not able to buy anything making it difficult for them to survive in the society. Sandel is able to critically argue his main points with the use of real life examples that the audience can relate to. He argues that the market value has been misused by everyone in the society putting everything from the ethical values and social morals to sale. In addition, he strongly talks against corruption and inequality which has taken root in the society due to the marketing of the society. His argument is that since everything in the society is for sale, then only those who have money can get access to good infrastructure, health, education and social standards. He gives an example of the selling of human kidneys makes the poor who have kidney problems not to be in a position to access them. Only the rich and wealthy can acquire the kidney which is unfair according to him. He states that the rights of people are violated because of the commercialization of everything in the society. The weak and poor have no say and rights in the now modernized society. The poor are forced to sell their kidneys unwillingly just for the sake of money. He also gives a case study of a day care of the Israeli explaining that parents who came for their children late were heavily fined to be punished for their actions. However the introduction of the fines increased the problems instead of solving it because more parents came late. After realizing that the situation is serious, the day-care team dropped the fines on the parents but still did not have an impact on the parents. Sandel uses this example to explain to his audience that money cannot solve every problem. Sandel further argues that there is a corrosive effect in viewing everything in terms of money and making them price able. He gives an example of marriage which has been commercialized in the society today. Putting prices in marriage has destroyed its value in the society. The market society has gone to the extent of paying students so that they can read and get good grades. One of the examples in his arguments is the selling of tickets to concerts. Sandel mentions that Bruce cuts of the prices of tickets for the rock concert with the aim of broadening the market. Here, he is trying to explain that goods land on the hands of wrong people because of their ability to purchase them. To strongly support his argument of a marketing society, he gives an example of the selling of rights to refugees for them to gain citizenship. He rather explains that the paying of people to stand on their behalf in a long queue is not such a good thing. He states that this activity degrades people by treating them as a source of achieving gains. The article is a primary source of information because the author use is examples from real life. He uses examples from his observation of the happenings in the society to argue out his main ideas. In supporting his argument; Sandel explains that the introduction of money to situations that are not necessary may change the attitudes of people and their moral values. He clearly explains this by using a case study of an Israeli day care center. Instead of the fine levied on parents who pick their children working passively, the negative happens because parents pick their children late than before. Sandel says that the fine became a price and the parents did not feel guilty for being late because they were paying for it. In this context, Sandel does a great job by convincing his audience the negative effects of pricing to the society at large and their moral values. Sandel tells his audience that money cannot buy everything and that they should change their perception of money. He develops an argument that economists are not right in their conjecture that values such as friendship, altruism and civic virtue are prone to diminishing returns. He gives a good example of friendship. To him, friendship cannot in any way be bought. The value of friendship is gained from trust, love and honesty but not from marketable terms. Conclusion From the analysis above, it is clear that the society has given everything an economical value. The society does not value ethics and normal activities that are done in the society with the use of money. It is clear that the society has lost its value because everything has been commercialized. From the raising of a child to taking him or her to school, everything is just about money. People no longer value their moral values and prefer to sell them. Ethical values are not acknowledged in the society today as it was before modernization. Morals are not valued anymore because what matters for one to survive is money. The economic marketing of moral values and the rights of people is alarming and there is need for change. Sandel in his book has effectively argued out his main idea about the marketing of the society. He has used good examples to argue out his philosophy. The examples show the various ways in which the society has been commercialized. From the various examples and arguments he has made, Sandel triggers the minds of his audience to think beyond what they see. Sandel in his book has been able to address the issues affecting people in the society today. His aim of writing the book is to make his audience understand that money cannot buy anything. He explains that the commercialization of the society has affected the rights of human beings in a great way. Money has destroyed the social and community factor among people from the young to the old. It has changed the attitudes of people in the society in a negative way because it is used to destroy people especially the poor. It is evident that the society should reduce the level of commercialization and consider the need of not buying everything but consider their value. Families, friends, trust, love and ones rights as a human being cannot be bought because it is against the society’s ethical values. As we have seen, Sandel is more concerned about the social values of individuals. Work cited Michael, Sandel. What Money Cant Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2012. Read More