Laura Davis, 12G, reports:
On Thursday the 8th of March, several sixth formers attended one of several lectures given at the LSE by Professor Michael Sandel as part of their ‘the Public Philosopher’ programme. Michael Sandel is a professor of government and political philosophy at Harvard and well known for his ‘Justice’ course. His lecture was titled ‘Should a banker be paid more than a nurse?’
The topic could not have been more relevant after the controversy of banker’s bonuses; RBS boss Stephen Hester had to turn down his bonus that he was legally entitled to and Fred Goodwin was stripped of his knighthood.
Taking into consideration the competing principles that lie behind the opinion of the general public, the discussions provoked many questions. What counts as fair pay? Who is more vital in our society; a nurse or a banker? Can we ever live in a perfect meritocracy?
With over 3000 applying for tickets to the lecture, the event was very popular. The students found it very profound yet entertaining. There is a chance to listen to the event on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday 3rd April at 9am.