Michael J. Sandel is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University and one of the world’s most influential public philosophers. Described by The Washington Post as “perhaps the most prominent college professor in America,” Sandel is renowned for making complex moral questions accessible, engaging, and urgent. His lectures draw overflowing crowds, and his books—including Justice, What Money Can’t Buy, and The Tyranny of Merit—have been translated into dozens of languages. Sandel’s work challenges citizens to think critically about democracy, markets, ethics, and the moral foundations of civic life. His teaching has inspired millions worldwide through television, radio, and open online courses.
Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?
Harvard_opencourseJustice is Harvard University’s landmark course on moral and political philosophy—now open to learners everywhere and eligible for college credit through DSST Ethics in America. Nearly a thousand students fill Sanders Theatre each semester to hear Professor Michael Sandel, one of the world’s most celebrated public philosophers, guide them through the hardest questions in civic life: What is justice? What do we owe one another? How should a society balance freedom, equality, and the common good?
Across twelve dynamic sessions, you will grapple with real moral dilemmas—taxing the rich, affirmative action, same‑sex marriage, markets and morality, human rights, and the ethics of war. Sandel brings Aristotle, Bentham, Kant, Rawls, and other great thinkers into conversation with contemporary controversies, inviting you to test your convictions and sharpen your reasoning.
This course is more than an introduction to philosophy; it is an invitation to become a more thoughtful citizen. You will watch the original Harvard lectures, engage with debates that have captivated more than 15,000 students, and participate in discussions that challenge your assumptions about fairness, democracy, and the good life.
Learners pursuing DSST credit can apply their mastery of ethical reasoning toward college advancement. The DSST exam—approved by the American Council on Education (ACE)—allows institutions to award credit for demonstrated knowledge equivalent to a college‑level ethics course. Passing scores may earn recommended credits, helping you accelerate your degree while studying one of Harvard’s most iconic offerings.
Whether you seek intellectual enrichment, college credit, or a deeper understanding of justice, this course offers a transformative journey into moral reflection and public reasoning.
Requirements
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Course Staff
Michael Williams is the Chief Educational Troublemaker at World Mentoring Academy — a title he earned by spending more than a decade challenging the traditional education system with equal parts innovation, stubbornness, and moral conviction. Long before “MOOC” became a Silicon Valley buzzword, Michael was building a free global college from a backpack, a borrowed Starbucks Wi‑Fi signal, and a belief that learning should never be locked behind a paywall. The Orange County Register profiled him as a “homeless-by-choice educator to the world,” documenting his 12‑hour days assembling university‑level courses from MIT, Yale, NPTEL, and Stanford — all without charging a cent.
But Michael’s work in education is grounded in something deeper than disruption. He holds graduate theological training in ethics through his M.Div studies at Talbot Seminary, where he spent years immersed in biblical ethics, moral philosophy, and the question of what human flourishing requires. That foundation — Scripture, moral reasoning, and the long tradition of Christian ethical thought — continues to shape his work today. For Michael, open education isn’t just a social project; it’s an ethical one. Opportunity, dignity, and access are moral imperatives.
While major platforms eventually traded “open” for “subscription,” Michael never budged. World Mentoring Academy remains one of the last truly free MOOCs on Earth, offering more than 1,000 courses without paywalls, upsells, or fine print.
His essays — including “Harvard & MIT, Follow a Homeless Educator,” “The Future Won’t Wait for Academia,” and “Future of Education May Have Ancient Roots?” — have earned him a reputation as a futurist with calluses, someone who can explain why AI is breaking the job market, why teens are the workforce pipeline no one is using, and why the next education revolution will look more like ancient Athens than a modern lecture hall.
Across every WMA course, Michael appears as your unofficial guide, mentor, instigator, and occasionally your friendly academic arsonist — the guy who hands you the map, the compass, and the confidence to build a future that doesn’t depend on debt, gatekeeping, or waiting for institutions to catch up. He helps learners find their place in a world changing faster than universities can update their syllabi — and he does it with humor, humanity, and a refusal to accept that opportunity should be rationed.
If education needs a troublemaker, Michael is happy to volunteer.
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