A Harvard Primer on Moral Reasoning

Recommendation for an enjoyable lecture ‒ freely available ‒ on moral reasoning.

I would like to make a recommendation for the lecture Justice: What’s the right thing to do? by Michael Sandel, given at Harvard University. It is an introduction to moral reasoning.

Philosophical Frameworks in the Lecture Series

Right from the outset Sandel walks the class through the big families of moral philosophy that still shape public debate. His explanations of utilitarianism lean on stark trade-offs: the trolley problem, lifeboats, and the calculus of maximizing happiness even when it means sacrificing a few for the many. He then pivots to Kantian ethics, where intention and respect for persons trump outcomes, using examples such as telling difficult truths, honoring promises, and refusing to treat people merely as means. Virtue ethics and Aristotle’s idea of cultivating good character round out the tour, especially when the class debates what counts as excellence for individuals and communities.

To make those frameworks tangible, each episode anchors the theory in real-world controversies: organ donation lotteries, price-gouging after natural disasters, volunteer versus paid military service, affirmative action, same-sex marriage, and the obligations we owe our neighbors. By inviting students to test their instincts against those case studies, Sandel shows how classical ideas connect to today’s policy disputes and everyday decisions.

How to Watch the Justice Course

A warning in advance: you cannot unlearn what you have learned. This lecture will change your way of thinking and consequently your reasoning.

You can find it on the well-known centralized video platform by that North American company. The mobile application clips the episode titles unfavorably, which makes it hard to navigate. Here are the episodes in order:

I wish I had experienced such a lecture format during my studies. The interactivity and open discussions are impressive.1 The audience does not shy away from hard questions and strives to keep discussions on the “high level”.

And now, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do: start watching. :)

Why the Course Still Resonates with Me

Every revisit to this series nudges me to slow down before defaulting to gut feelings. I still grapple with questions like: when does pursuing the greatest good disrespect someone’s dignity, and how much of my character is shaped by the communities that raised me? Wrestling with Sandel’s prompts makes it easier to spot the assumptions behind my own arguments, and it sharpens the way I listen to others. If you commit to working through the lecture, try pausing after each scenario to articulate what principle you are really defending. You might be surprised at how your answers evolve and how that reflection spills over into ordinary choices about fairness, loyalty, and responsibility.

Footnotes

  1. To be honest, I found it weird when the lecturers started to remember the student’s names. ↩

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