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Free and Equal

What Would a Fair Society Look Like?

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Free and Equal

By: Daniel Chandler
Narrated by: Daniel Chandler
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Despite the enormous problems we face and widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo, it's surprisingly hard to find a coherent vision of what a better, fairer society would look like.

Free and Equal provides that vision. In this hugely ambitious and exhilarating debut, philosopher and economist Daniel Chandler argues that the ideas we need are hiding in plain sight, in the work of the twentieth century's greatest political philosopher, John Rawls. Although they have transformed philosophy, his ideas have had little impact on politics - until now. In Free and Equal, Chandler shows us how they offer an intuitive yet powerful framework for addressing the urgent challenges we face, and an unparalleled resource for developing a transformative progressive politics.

Taking Rawls's humane and egalitarian liberalism as his starting point, and drawing on evidence from the social sciences and on inspiring examples from around the world, Chandler builds a careful and ultimately irresistible case for fundamentally re-designing our basic institutions - from how we can protect basic freedoms of speech, religion and sexuality whilst transcending the culture wars, to a completely new way of funding political parties and the media, to an economic agenda that would give everyone a fair share not just of income and wealth, but of power and control, dignity and self-respect.

This is a book brimming with hope and possibility - a much-needed alternative to the cynicism that pervades our politics, setting out a 'realistic utopia' that can galvanise people from all walks of life. Free and Equal has the potential not only to transform contemporary debate, but to offer a touchstone for a modern, egalitarian liberalism for many years to come, cementing Rawls's place in political discourse, and firmly establishing Chandler as a vital new voice for our time.

©2023 Daniel Chandler (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Political Science Politics & Government Theory Economic inequality Economic disparity Utopian
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Critic reviews

A robust and inspiring case for the philosophy of John Rawls, dragging his theory of justice down from Harvard's ivory towers and into the street with the people. In clear and impassioned style [Chandler] returns Rawls to the center of the conversation, where he belongs, re-establishing his work as a potential agent of radical - and practicable - change... intellectually rigorous and full of hope (Zadie Smith)
A beautifully written and compelling argument that Rawlsian political philosophy can heal our broken societies and make us, indeed, free and equal (Professor Sir Angus Deaton, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Deaths of Despair)
This is a fantastic book. More than ever, we need philosophers to participate in the public debate about inequality and sustainability. In Free and Equal Daniel Chandler provides us with the moral basis for an ambitious egalitarian agenda, and a roadmap for putting this into practice. It is a must-read! (Thomas Piketty)
A tremendous book, timely, wise, authoritative and clear. The world will fall on it like tired labourers falling on a tray of donuts (Stephen Fry)
A brilliantly eloquent, incredibly insightful reimagining of liberalism, and by such a compelling writer (Owen Jones)
An exceptionally sane, judicious essay on what a viable democracy entails... [Chandler] develops a realistic, humane - and in its way, revolutionary - vision of a society committed to equity, inclusion and accountability. It should become an indispensable tool in political debate in the years ahead (Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury)
So many of the answers to our dilemmas about democracy and inequality can be found in the philosophy of John Rawls. Daniel Chandler brings those answers to life with contemporary evidence and solutions. Read Free and Equal and feel hopeful about the future (Minouche Shafik)
Chandler has an excellent background on the philosophical issues that are central to practical policy making, and given the lucidity and reach of what he writes, this book will meet a very important need (Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics)

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Clear and Concise

The author really puts Rawls theory into clear and simple language in a modern context. 100% recommend.

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Free & Equal

Absolutely essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the art of the possibly in creating a fair society, brilliantly narrated.

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Clever and inspiring blueprint for a better society

This young man is very clever, managing to capture Rawls’ philosophical ideas and, more importantly, provide practical examples of how they could be implemented, based on successful pilot projects around the world. It deserves a wide readership, including all political leaders and teenagers.

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Important read.

Thought-provoking and comprehensive call for discussion of the future of democratic society. Deserves more readers.

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Well presented with clear aspersions as to the direction of travel for a fair and equal society!

Most of what is stated in this book is in line with my own views and beliefs which I have espoused for many years without having the privilege of a higher education myself!
I think personally a change in how we are governed eg; proportional representation needs to be taken before we can move forward in any meaningful way!

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good on philosophy

This book made me think a lot, and the philosophy is really interesting, although I think the economy presented would not stand much scrutiny.

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Essential, foundational, inspirational text.

A new almanac for any and all progressive thinkers, political campaigners, academics and activists who are seeking, indeed craving, answers to the many apparently insuperable sociopolitical challenges we face in the current age.

Based on a reappraisal of the works of the political philosopher, John Rawls, "Free and Equal" is an exceptionally comprehensive guide towards an achievable utopia. Meticulously researched, each subject is expertly analysed, any historical aspects reviewed and causes identified, and the solutions clearly presented.

This is a totemic work, on a par with Thomas Piketty, and a timely beacon of hope - not driven by any ideology, but by a research-based scientific approach.
Some may find the author's gentle speaking style a bit soporific, but this is a slight cast of shade on a hugely rewarding listen.

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It’s good for what it is

Chandler starts by presenting the ideas of John Rawls. He briefly summarises ideas that oppose Rawls, but it doesn’t feel like a thorough argument in favour of Rawls’ ideas is ever presented and the reader is assumed to have been convinced by this.

Later in the book he sets out a vision for creating a society based on Rawls’ ideas, and while some of the ideas expressed certainly are liberalism, a lot of them are not liberal but socialist.

Some of the statistics used are dubious; the reader should take the numbers Chandler gives with a pinch of salt and consider the context of those numbers.

If you want a summary of the ideas of John Rawls and how to apply them, this book is the one for you. If you want thorough arguments for liberalism, I recommend the work of Ian Dunt over this.

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