Michael Sandel of Harvard University in the United States, known for What Is Justice?, said the political success of U.S. President Donald Trump was not accidental but a phenomenon stemming from "humiliation politics." He also interpreted the U.S.-China confrontation not as a simple competition of power but as a clash between meritocracy and moral values.
On the 3rd (local time), according to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, Sandel said in an interview with SCMP, "Trump's rise is the result of a combination of public anger at and contempt for elites," and "After globalization, those who succeeded came to believe they deserved all the rewards, and those who failed came to blame themselves." He said this meritocratic ethic justified social inequality and eroded the moral foundation of the community.
He defined Trump's governing style as "transaction-centered power politics." He noted that a stance of imposing a tariff even on allies and choosing threats over cooperation weakened America's traditional leadership. He also criticized Trump for ignoring the checks and balances of Congress and the judiciary and trying to dominate civil society, the media, and universities, calling it an act that shook the foundations of liberal democracy.
On the causes of polarization, he said it was "not something Trump created but rather the product of it." Along with economic inequality, "inequality of respect" deepened, leading ordinary workers to feel they were not recognized with dignity by society. He said, "Those who failed came to be despised, and those who succeeded became arrogant. This structure paved the way for Trump."
As a solution, Sandel proposed "restoring listening." He said, "Political discourse today has become a space for insulting and shouting rather than persuading one another," and emphasized that "citizens must learn an attitude of trying to understand the moral convictions of people with different opinions." Because social media (SNS) stokes anger and fuels division instead of dialogue, he said it is necessary to restore public spaces and civic education where various classes can come together, such as schools, libraries, and parks.
He also addressed the crisis in American higher education. He said, "Universities have become sorting machines for a market-centered meritocratic society," and "They should be institutions that cultivate citizens for the public good, not mere pathways to high-income jobs." He added that the competition for admission to elite schools is harming the mental health of the younger generation, and universities should return to their original values of teaching reflection, critical thinking, and civic virtues.
Sandel saw U.S.-China competition not as a simple test of strength but as a difference in values and in how people are treated. He said, "China has a tradition of weighing not only ability but also morality and the public interest," and "Any country should foster people who think not only about merit but also sound judgment and the public good." He also pointed out that the "inequality of respect" produced by the American style of meritocracy has created social conflict, and its shadow has fallen over U.S.-China relations. He emphasized, "Even if the two countries compete, they should not lose the posture of learning from and cooperating with each other."
He concluded, "Both countries should be civilizations that seek to learn rather than civilizations that seek to teach," and said, "Beyond economic competition, restoring humility and mutual understanding through exchanges in philosophy and the humanities will determine the future of global democracy."