Preiss Explores the American Dream after Covid-19
Philosophy professor Joshua Preiss on a just present and future of work.
Professor of Philosophy Joshua Preiss’ latest book, Just Work for All: The American Dream in the 21st Century, is about the theory and practice of justice in an American society with slower growth, rising inequality, and declining hope for a better future.
Published in December 2020, the book provides a model for understanding the American Dream in the shadow of the pandemic. Drawing insight from such diverse thinkers as Adam Smith and Martin Luther King Jr., Preiss argues that the American Dream after Covid-19 depends upon public philosophy that recognizes the dignity of work and public policy committed to furthering the status of ordinary workers and their ability to exchange hard work for at least a middle-class life. In his review of the book, Harvard economist Dani Rodrik writes, “Preiss argues convincingly for putting the principle of just work at the forefront of our policy debates. The increasing disconnect between America’s public narrative about the kind of society we are—our guiding moral and political philosophy—and the winner-take-all reality, he shows, makes this an urgent priority. This is an excellent book that weaves philosophy, economics, and politics together masterfully.”
Just Work for All was recently featured on the New Books Network where Preiss joined Tom Discenna to discuss the book, the economic consequences of the pandemic and George and Judy Jetson.
