Season 1 Episode
- Season 1 The Moral Side of Murder/The Case for Cannibalism
- Season 1 Putting a Price Tag on Life/How to Measure Pleasure
- Season 1 Free to Choose/Who Owns Me?
- Season 1 The Land is My Land/Consenting Adults
- Season 1 Hired Guns?/For Sale: Motherhood
- Season 1 Mind Your Motive/The Supreme Principle of Morality
- Season 1 A Lesson In Lying/A Deal Is A Deal
- Season 1 What's A Fair Start?/What Do We Deserve?
- Season 1 Arguing Affirmative Action/What's The Purpose?
- Season 1 The Good Citizen/ Freedom Vs. Fit
- Season 1 The Claims Of Community/Where Our Loyaty Lies
- Season 1 Debating Same-Sex Marriage/The Good Life
Justice with Michael Sandel - Season 1 Episode 8 What's A Fair Start?/What Do We Deserve?
9.00 48 minutes Is it just to tax the rich to help the poor? John Rawls says we should answer this question by asking what principles you would choose to govern the distribution of income and wealth if you did not know who you were, whether you grew up in privilege or in poverty. Wouldnt you want an equal distribution of wealth, or one that maximally benefits whomever happens to be the least advantaged? After all, that might be you. Rawls argues that even meritocracy—a distributive system that rewards effort—doesnt go far enough in leveling the playing field because those who are naturally gifted will always get ahead. Furthermore, says Rawls, the naturally gifted cant claim much credit because their success often depends on factors as arbitrary as birth order. Sandel makes Rawlss point when he asks the students who were first born in their family to raise their hands.
