Free and Equal - by Daniel Chandler

Book Synopsis

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? This is the revolutionary thought experiment proposed by the twentieth century's greatest political philosopher, John Rawls. As economist and philosopher Daniel Chandler argues in this hugely ambitious and exhilarating manifesto, it is by rediscovering Rawls that we can find a way out of the escalating crises that are devastating our world today.

"A vigorous case for adopting the liberal political framework laid out by John Rawls. . . . Chandler is a lucid and elegant writer, and there's an earnest sense of excitement propelling his argument -- a belief that Rawls's framework for thinking through political issues offers a humane way out of the most intractable disputes."--The New York Times Book Review

"Intellectually rigorous and full of hope."--Zadie Smith, bestselling author of White Teeth and The Fraud - "A beautifully written and compelling argument that Rawlsian political philosophy can heal our broken societies."--Sir Angus Deaton, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics

Taking Rawls's humane and egalitarian liberalism as his starting point, Chandler builds a powerful case for a new progressive agenda that would fundamentally reshape our societies for the better. He shows how we can protect free speech and transcend the culture wars; get money out of politics; and create an economy where everyone has the chance to fulfil their potential, where prosperity is widely shared, and which operates within the limits of our finite planet.

This is a book brimming with hope and possibility--a galvanizing alternative to the cynicism that pervades our politics. Free and Equal has the potential 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.

Review Quotes

Praise for Daniel Chandler's Free and Equal

"A vigorous case for adopting the liberal political framework laid out by John Rawls. . . . Chandler is a lucid and elegant writer, and there's an earnest sense of excitement propelling his argument -- a belief that Rawls's framework for thinking through political issues offers a humane way out of the most intractable disputes."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Welcomely ambitious. . . . Richly erudite and thoughtful. . . . A sanely conventional vision of a state reformed in the direction of ever greater fairness and equity, one able to curb the excesses of capitalism and to accommodate the demands of diversity."
--The New Yorker

"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. . . . Intellectually rigorous and full of hope."
--Zadie Smith

"A fantastic book. . . . 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

"Given the lucidity and reach of what [Chandler] writes, this book will meet a very important need."
--Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics

"If liberal democracy is to survive as a form of government, it needs a complete rethink. So argues Chandler, a British economist and philosopher, in this rousing homage to the political philosopher John Rawls, whose 'realistic utopia, ' the book contends, provides a blueprint for a society premised on both individual freedom and true equality."
--The New York Times Book Review, "New Books Coming in May"

"Chandler brings good cheer and a positive outlook to the work of reshaping society, which marks an advance on the usual gloom and doom. A resounding endorsement of [John] Rawls' philosophy and a complex recipe for something better than what we have now."
--Kirkus Reviews [starred review]

"A stirring call to make justice and equity a reality by applying the ideas of liberal philosopher John Rawls."
--The Guardian

"Daniel Chandler offers a powerfully argued case for renovating democracy's tattered social contract."
--Financial Times

"A beautifully written and compelling argument that Rawlsian political philosophy can heal our broken societies and make us, indeed, free and equal."
--Sir Angus Deaton, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics

"A refreshing and useful contribution to envisioning a better world. . . . A model for what politically engaged philosophy should look like."
--Jacobin

"Attractively written and strongly argued. . . . This is a welcome reminder of what progressive politics should be."
--Times Literary Supplement

"A shining example of how a lucid writer can develop practical proposals to improve society."
--Irish Times

"An exemplary demonstration of how public reasoning can be done. . . . A welcome respite from the knee-jerk moralism that dominates the op-ed pages and social media."
--New Statesman

About the Author

DANIEL CHANDLER is an economist and philosopher based at the London School of Economics, where he is Research Director of the Programme on Cohesive Capitalism. He has degrees in economics, philosophy, and history from Cambridge and the London School of Economics, and was awarded a Henry Fellowship at Harvard, where he studied under Amartya Sen.