The discontent of democracy

Renowned philosopher Michael J. Sandel, author of Justice , revisits America's political tradition to examine the dangers facing democracy today.

The 1990s were a pivotal decade for American politics and economics. The Cold War was over, and the American version of liberal capitalism seemed triumphant. Furthermore, amid the favorable climate of peace and prosperity, ancient yearnings for freedom and self-government—values deeply rooted in the history of the American people—were clearly being experienced. However, while the climate of prosperity strengthened the historical sense of leadership cultivated by Americans, other social phenomena indicated otherwise. After all, market beliefs were eroding community ties, and a growing sense of powerlessness, which gripped much of the population suddenly excluded from the wealth distribution, would cement dissatisfaction that materialized in a radical revival of nationalist and conservative values.

It is this reaction that we now see embodied in political disputes that have made the United States a divided nation that often seems to be pitted against itself. This evident impasse has raised questions worldwide about the country's future. In an attempt to find some answers, Michael J. Sandel, one of today's most important political philosophers, revisited key passages in the formation of the United States to explain the stages that led to political polarization and pushed American institutions to the brink.

In The Discontents of Democracy , the political tradition that gave rise to the world's largest economy is laid bare from start to finish, from the ideas that motivated the American Revolution and Independence in 1776 to the conspiratorial furor that culminated in the 2021 Capitol invasion. The result is a superb text, easy to read and understand historically, with arguments based on refined documentary research and an enviable sense of justice. In this book, Sandel summarizes the main issues that have forced American democracy into a battle between the benefits of the rule of law and the obscurantism of hate networks, fake news , and political intolerance.

“Michael J. Sandel made political philosophy more accessible to many people.” – Luís Roberto Barroso

“A remarkable fusion of philosophical and historical scholarship.” - Alan Brinkley