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We have seen that Rawls’ theory of justice requires for its coherence a conception of community in the constitutive sense, which requires in turn a notion of agency in the cognitive sense, and we have hound that Rawls’ theory of the good can allow for neither. This calls into question the theory of justice, or the theory of the good, or both.

— Michael Sandel Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (1982)

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More quotes by Michael Sandel

Unlike the liberty of the early republic, the modern version permits — in fact even requires — concentrated power.

To put the point another way, the republican sees liberty as internally connected to self-government and the civic virtues that sustain it.

Democracy's Discontent (1996)

But if political philosophy is unrealizable in one sense, it is unavoidable in another.

Democracy's Discontent (1996)

Whether you're a libertarian liberal or a more egalitarian liberal, the idea is that justice means being non-judgmental with respect to the preferences people bring to public life.

Political philosophy seems often to reside at a distance from the world. Principles are one thing, politics another, and even our best efforts to live up to our ideals seldom fully succeed.

Democracy's Discontent (1996)

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