Free and Equal: What Would a Fair Society Look Like?

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This is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the left, and indeed the future of liberal democracy Jon Cruddas MP Invaluable... Chandler takes a set of universal principles around fairness, based on the philosophy of John Rawls, and applies them to the real world of liberal democracy Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats 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

Rawls’ core ideas – that we should protect basic freedoms, promote equality of opportunity and improve the lot of the disadvantaged – do not represent such a radical break from the status quoRawls himself, however, eschewed any attempt to draw practical political conclusions from his work. In part, this was out of respect for the division of labour: he was a philosopher, not a political scientist or an economist. In part, it was an aspect of his extraordinary diffidence. Everyone but him thought he was a genius who had written one of the very few works of philosophy guaranteed to be read in a hundred years’ time. He was acutely aware of this but flinched at what he regarded as excessive praise, or indeed any praise at all. He rejected the roles of guru and prophet and happily spent almost forty years teaching philosophy at Harvard. Genuinely original... An inspiring catalogue of fresh ideas each with a clear and jargon-free philosophical underpinning drawn from Rawls' work John Mitchinson, Byline Times

A beautifully clear, inspiring, wise book with the potential not only to reinvent liberalism, but to transform our societies for the better -- Johann Hari 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. 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 A robust and inspiring case for the philosophy of John Rawls, dragging his theory of justice down from Harvard's ivory towers and

LGBTI Human Rights Declaration for Everyone: Sexual Oriented and Gender Ultra Born Free and Equal in International Human Rights Law There is of course a case for UBI (emphasised as a tool to give more power to the workers not to be afraid to quit their jobs or to retrain), but also a variation of universal inheritance (like baby bonds). The most convincing case is, however, for compulsory representations of workers on boards of companies (like is done in more tripartite systems and coordinated markets, in Germany or Austria, with a third of board seats in smaller companies and a half in bigger ones) as well as workers’ cooperatives like the Mondragon Corporation in Spain - and Chandler proposes a few policies that would encourage this shared ownership model, through specialised banks creating financing for employee buyouts. The argumentation in this part was for me the most useful part of the book, providing a imaginative justification for policies achieving equity through relatively novel means. Born free and equal; photographs of the loyal Japanese-Americans at Manzanar Relocation Center, Inyo County, California

A timely and thought-provoking look into society, Chandler's insights are much needed in today's world. F ree and Equal offers a well-written perspective on how we live today and provides hope in practical ways for economies to operate for the better in the future Rupal Patel Rawls has dominated English-language political philosophy for the last fifty years with a theory of ‘liberal egalitarianism’ that balances basic political and personal freedoms with an insistence that inequalities are justified only if they benefit the worst-off in society 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 If Rawls is the answer, what is the question? Free and Equal suggests that Rawls has a distinctive moral vision that can help shift our political priorities. But that doesn’t quite seem right. There are radical and destabilising ideas out there in philosophy that would change everything if we took them seriously: deliberative democracy, cosmopolitanism and longtermism, to name three. Rawls’ core ideas – that we should protect basic freedoms, promote equality of opportunity and improve the lot of the disadvantaged – do not represent such a radical break from the status quo. They are values most people from across the political spectrum would claim to believe in, even if they fail to put them into practice. The real challenge facing Chandler and Rawls, then, is whether the book can convince people to follow through on the things they profess to believe in. Rawls’ arguments may be cogent, but I have my doubts that they have the rhetorical force to inspire and motivate people to effect change.

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 revolutionised philosophy, his ideas have had little impact on politics - until now. Taking Rawls's humane and egalitarian liberalism as his starting point, Chandler builds a careful and ultimately irresistible case for a progressive agenda that would fundamentally reshape our political and economic institutions. Daniel Chandler's provocative book helps make human possibilities more credible than they have been in our neoliberal age. Free and Equal doubles as an accessible guide to a leading philosophical system, and a call for a new agenda for justice in our time Samuel Moyn, author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World A brilliantly eloquent, incredibly insightful reimagining of liberalism, and by such a compelling writer Owen Jones 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. Imagine: you are designing a society, but you don't know who you'll be within it - rich or poor, man or woman, gay or straight. What would you want that society to look like?

Important... skilful... Free and Equal is a shining example of how a lucid writer can make complex arguments clearer and develop practical proposals to improve society Paschal Donohoe, Irish Times

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A rousing and original argument against hopelessness which will convince even the most jaded among us that a better public debate and a more just world are indeed within reach -- Ryan Avent Attractively written and strongly argued ... This is a welcome reminder of what progressive politics should be Jonathan Wolff, Times Literary Supplement Margot Robbie stars as the eponymous fashion doll in this live-action adventure directed by Greta... Born Free and Equal Photographs of the Loyal Japanese-Americans at Manzanar Relocation Center Inyo County, California