Welcome to my academic blog! My name is Chehwan Kim. This blog will keep track of my high school life and academic activities.
Book Review
Summary The story is about a black family that lives after the civil war, but when racism is still prevalent. The members of the family are Cassie (the main character who tells the story), Stacey (who is a boy), Christopher-John, Little Man, their mother (Mary), and Big Ma (their grandmother). Their father (David) is also … Read more
It is tempting to separate politics and morality. Being morally neutral in politics seems evident to some people. Sandel rejects. He gives two reasons: it is often impossible to discuss politics without morality, and even when it is possible, it is undesirable. The debate on abortion and stem cell research are examples. Is abortion immoral? … Read more
Summary History is often disappointing. Lots of countries have done so much wrong. The book gives some examples. The Nazis massacred a lot of Jews. Imperialist Japan killed a lot of Asians and were perpetrators of comfort women. Australian settlers were quick to segregate Aborigines. Slavery was led by the white people of America. They … Read more
Callie was a cheerleader in a wheelchair. She got lots of support but was cut out of the team because she was not able to perform physical activities as much as others. This raises some questions. What are the roles of cheerleaders? Why did others feel resentment? Which actions are worthy of honor? What is fair? … Read more
Summary Many universities make application conditions less strict for students of minority backgrounds. Is this just? Let us consider this by looking at three reasons proposing it: correcting bias in standardized tests, compensating for past wrongs, and promoting diversity. The first one is that standardized tests are often discriminatory, and to find the student that … Read more
Most of us Americans (I’m not, but that’s what the book says) did not sign a contract. Only immigrants did. Then why do we have obligations? Did we even really give consent to our governments? Locke says we gave tacit by using public goods such as highways. However, that is weak because the link between … Read more
Summary It might be possible to defend rights in a utilitarian calculus, but many use other methods. Libertarian ideas could be a basis. Lockean ideas could also prove the importance of rights. In this chapter, Professor Sandel delves into Immanuel Kant’s idea. The basis of Kant is this: we are rational beings, worthy of dignity … Read more
Hired Help / Markets and Morals Summary The free market is liked by many. It allows people to exercise freedom and increases utility for both buyers and sellers. Some criticisms of the free market are that it is not truly free and that some things cannot be sold for money. The book explores two scenarios: … Read more
Do We Own Ourselves? / Libertarianism Summary The chapter begins by giving statistics showing that the rich are very affluent, much more than the poor. It raises a question: Should we tax the rich more? When money is taken, rich people will not feel much unhappiness, but poor people will gain much more happiness. This … Read more
Summary The Greatest Happiness Principle / Utilitarianism The chapter begins with a story about 4 men on a boat. They get stranded. The 4 decide that one boy should die and become food for the other 3 to live. This prompts a utilitarian thought: is it justified to kill the one? A utilitarian might say … Read more