Michael Sandel: Should we pay children to read? IQ2 Talks

http://www.intelligencesquared.com/ev...

This event took place at the Royal Institution of Great Britain on 22nd May 2012.

Michael Sandel is one of the world's most acclaimed and popular political philosophers. He has given the Reith lectures, been called "the most influential foreign figure of the year" by China Newsweek, and his online video lectures for Harvard University attract millions of viewers. His book Justice was an international bestseller.

Now he turns his attention to the markets. In this special Intelligence Squared event he discussed his provocative new book, 'What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets'. Should we pay children to get good grades? Is it ethical to pay people to test risky new drugs or to donate their organs? What about hiring mercenaries to fight our wars, or selling citizenship to immigrants willing to pay? Isn't there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale?

Sandel argued that market values have crowded out nonmarket norms in almost every aspect of life - medicine, education, government, law, art, sports, even family life and personal relations. So what is the proper role of markets in a democratic society, and how can we protect the moral and civic goods that markets do not honour and money cannot buy? Come and hear Michael Sandel examine one of the biggest ethical questions of our time

• Category

  Science & Technology

[theguruofreason]

Time and time again we find that offering monetary reward for an activity devalues the activity, and hypervalues the monetary reward. When people value the monetary reward over the activity intrinsically or its effects on society/humanity, we get bankers who rob the middle class with subprime lending and mortgage-backed securities. It seems obvious to me that we need to devalue money in the civilized world, and focus on instilling value in intrinsic work or helpfulness, pragmatism.

[Bernard Tremblay]

Please edit title. "Sandel3new update" doesn't mean much.

[rob smith]

well maybe perhaps if they read the book they receive a voucher where they can buy another book or something ,

[nickbobj321]

They found out that it doesnt work wach feakonomics paying childer for an education doesnt work. Due to the fact the cost to them isnt worth there fun and time with their friends with children who care more about friends than the monatary gain. But it did have marginal effects in the children who wanted money and the goods it provides. Also most children are short sighted not after long term they have also done studies into how teenagers think camp

[Kombaiyashii]

I would think that if parents give their kids money for reading it isn't too bad...It would be if you bribe your kids by saying "I'll give you £20 to read this" but if you got them to read a chapter to you and then a while later you give them a little pocket money and say it's because they read so beautifully, then that would be fine.

[Russ S]

I appreciate the upload, keep up the good work.

[David Brown]

Thanks for another upload.