What Money Can't Buy：The Moral Limits of Markets

Shouldwepaychildrentoreadbooksortogetgoodgrades?Shouldweallowcorporationstopayfortherighttopollutetheatmosphere?Isitethicaltopaypeopletotestriskynewdrugsortodonatetheirorgans?Whatabouthiringmercenariestofightourwars?Auctioningadmissiontoeliteuniversities?Sellingcitizenshiptoimmigrantswillingtopay?InWhatMoneyCan’tBuy,MichaelJ.Sandeltakesononeofthebiggestethicalquestionsofourtime:Istheresomethingwrongwithaworldinwhicheverythingisforsale?Ifso,howcanwepreventmarketvaluesfromreachingintospheresoflifewheretheydon’tbelong?Whatarethemorallimitsofmarkets?Inrecentdecades,marketvalueshavecrowdedoutnonmarketnormsinalmosteveryaspectoflife—medicine,education,government,law,art,sports,evenfamilylifeandpersonalrelations.Withoutquiterealizingit,Sandelargues,wehavedriftedfromhavingamarketeconomytobeingamarketsociety.Isthiswherewewanttobe?InhisNewYorkTimesbestsellerJustice,Sandelshowedhimselftobeamasteratilluminating,withclarityandverve,thehardmoralquestionsweconfrontinoureverydaylives.Now,inWhatMoneyCan’tBuy,heprovokesanessentialdiscussionthatwe,inourmarket-drivenage,needtohave:Whatistheproperroleofmarketsinademocraticsociety—andhowcanweprotectthemoralandcivicgoodsthatmarketsdon’thonorandthatmoneycan’tbuy?