An Analysis of Chapters 4 & 5
In chapter 4 of the book Justice: What’s the right thing to do? by Michael Sandel, the issue of justice was discussed in terms of free markets. According to the discussion, free markets exhibit the concept of libertarianism and utilitarianism (Sandel 1998, p.44). When people take part in voluntary trade without interference from the government, they are able to exercise their freedom according to libertarianism. In the same manner, two people who are engaged in the said trade both gain and increase their utility without hurting anyone and as such, utilitarian philosophy is applied. However, others argue that the even though the market is free, it is not always fair or moral.
This argument was explained through the idea of conscription, conscription with the option to hire substitutes, such as the common practice during the Civil War, and the market system or the volunteer army system (Sandel 1998, p.45). The book discusses that the idea of conscription, where the individual is drafted to join the army, is against the libertarian philosophy as people were coerced to fight the war. Those who didn’t want to serve are given the option to hire someone who would substitute them, which popularized the slogan “rich man’s war and poor man’s fight” (Sandel 1998, p.44). A new law was drafted after complaints came flooding, which gave way to the practice of paying a commutation fee wherein the draftee paid the government if he did not want to serve. Among the three, the volunteer army system seemed to have exhibited both utilitarianism and libertarianism as men were given freedom to join the army if they want to in exchange for some monetary benefits. However, Sandel offered two objections to the apparent freedom in the volunteer army system, citing that real freedom is only practiced if the individual made the decision to join without being influenced by poverty (1998, p.46). If the person has no place to stay in or food to eat, the decision to join the army does not imply that it was voluntary but mainly because the person was presented with very options. Another argument raised by Sandel was the idea of requiring an army to have a certain degree of loyalty to the country as it is their civic duty to serve. According to Sandel, if it involves civic duties, conscription should be implemented since it is everyone’s civic obligation to serve and be loyal to the country (Sandel 1998, p.48).
Chapter 5 presents the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, which argues that, as opposed to utilitarianism, man’s quest for happiness or pleasure, and avoidance of pain does not imply freedom. Instead, man is simply giving in to his desires and as such does not define morality (as cited in Sandel 1998, p.60). He further explains the concept of real freedom which is only present when one chooses the end and not just the best means there is that would lead to a particular end. This is anchored on his philosophical idea which he called the “categorical imperative” (as cited in Sandel 1998, p.65).
Kant’s idea of freedom lies in the notion of autonomy, where people do something for the sake of doing it and not for the end or result that it offers. He introduces the idea of heteronomous determination, where people do things for something else, which is basically the act of doing something due to the outside results it offers, instead of the persons being the ends themselves (as cited in Sandel 1998, p.61). This opposes the idea of utilitarianism, which uses people for the common good. In the same way, the morality of an action taken must come with the intention of doing it because it is good, regardless of the results (as cited in Sandel 1998, p.61). According to Kant, an action should not be done or taken simply because it abides by the standards of what’s moral, but because it in itself is what’s moral. This points out to the concept of duty, which implies “doing the right thing for the right reason” (as cited in Sandel 1998, p.61).
Reference
Sandel, M. (1998). Justice: What’s the right thing to do?. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
