Jonathan Sacks, Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times (aff). New York: Basic Books, 2020. 366 pages.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, the author of more than 30 books, a producer of BBC documentaries, and the winner of the 2016 Templeton Prize. He passed away from cancer on November 7, 2020. I have read other books by him, most notably Covenant and Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Genesis. He had a brilliant mind and tapped into a vast reservoir of knowledge, particularly of Jewish literature and theology. Os Guinness first introduced me to his writing. While I did not always agree with Sacks, I certainly enjoyed his perspective on many issues, especially on the Old Testament.
Sacks’ fundamental case in this book is that society is formed under three primary influences. One is politics, which is concerned with power. The second is the economy, which is focused on wealth. The third is morality or religion. His thesis is that politics tends to divide. Economics is good at producing wealth but not as good at distributing it. It is, therefore, essential that society have morality, for that is the glue that holds people together in large groups. In an age of fractured, polarized societies, this book addresses some relevant and pressing issues.
This book is crammed with interesting quotes, references to intriguing studies and statistics, and thought-provoking musings. I’ll highlight a few of the many things that struck me as I read this book.
He begins by noting that “A free society is a moral achievement. Over the past fifty years in the West this truth has been forgotten, ignored, or denied. That is why today liberal democracy is at risk” (1). One of his main points is that “If we focus on the ‘I’ and lose the ‘we,’ if we act on self-interest without a commitment to the common good, if we focus on self-esteem and lose our care for others, we will lose much else” (1). Sacks does not diminish the role of the market or politics, but he suggests that “Market economics and liberal policies will fail if they are not undergirded by a moral sense that puts our shared framework first” (2). Sacks states that current events indicate that the common thread that has held western civilization together for centuries is coming unraveled. He cites a Jewish saying: “Start worrying. Details to follow” (5).
Sacks first addresses the current state of society and looks at what is happening to people. He notes that over the last century, people’s life expectancy increased by 2-3 years every decade (6). Yet in 2017, 70,200 Americans died of drug overdoses. The suicide rate rose by 33% in less than 20 years. He concludes that “We may have won the battle for life and liberty, but the pursuit of happiness still eludes us” (7). He mentions that Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, was paid 65.6 million dollars in 2018, or 424 times the median pay of a Disney worker. In 1965, the average CEO’s pay was 20 times that of the average worker. Today, it is 312 times that of the typical employee (8). He notes that the market cannot be trusted to do what is right and fair. He suggests, “Morality is what broadens our perspective beyond the self and its desires” (12). He claims, “Morality creates trust.”
Sacks cites several of the Founding Fathers who believed that America could not be sustained apart from a moral people. George Washington said, “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.” Ben Franklin said, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.” Lose your morality and eventually you lose your liberty (13).
Sacks includes an interesting section on words that have either gone out of vogue in recent years or have become much more popular (14). Words such as “respect, authority, duty, ought, conscience, and honor” have declined dramatically in use, whereas words such as “regret, rights, and I” are now used more frequently.
Sacks makes the case that ethics has been reduced to economics, and the consequences of our choices have been outsourced to the state (15).
Sacks notes that the use of “I” dramatically increased in American literature after 1965 (23). He argues, “When ‘I’ prevails over ‘we,’ loneliness follows” (24). Today, 46% of Americans claim they always or sometimes feel alone (27). Half of American adults are married as compared to 72% in 1960 (27). Studies demonstrate that social isolation is as harmful to people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day and obesity (28). But if people meet with friends even once per week, their physical wellbeing improves dramatically. He claims, “Simply playing cards with friends once a week, or getting together over coffee, adds as many years to life expectancy as giving up a pack-a-day smoking habit” (29). He writes that loneliness is the single greatest fear of Millennials (33).
Sacks cites many thought-provoking studies. He takes an interesting look at self-help books (38). In one study, a person who practiced everything self-help books recommended found himself with less money, happiness, and income. Another study demonstrated that the pursuit of self-help led to narcissism (39).
Sacks states that the life satisfaction of American teenagers remained relatively static until 2012 (48). After that point, the power of social media made teenagers increasingly anxious and dissatisfied with their life. Today’s society is feeling the devastating effects of technology and social media. On average, Americans check their cell phone every 6 ½ minutes (49). In Great Britain, people had an average of 554 friends on Facebook but only five people whom they viewed as friends they could turn to for help (55). Sacks argues that “To be fully human we need direct encounters with other human beings” (58). Yet in the UK, one million children will have no contact with their father (64).
Sacks writes a great deal about the 1960s in America when an assault took place on the nation’s commonly accepted morals. He notes that because marriage gave way to people living together and practicing sex without commitment, society is experiencing long-term consequences. He claims that “The formal act of commitment that constitutes a marriage makes a difference to the strength and durability of the relationship” (64). He adds, “A generation imbibed the idea of sex without responsibility, and fatherhood without commitment, as if there were no victims of that choice” (67). Regarding marriage he writes, “Seldom has any institution woven together so many different drives and desires, roles, and responsibilities” (71).
Interestingly, when Alexis de Tocqueville studied America, he concluded that its greatest danger lay in individualism, which breaks apart social bonds and creates a society of narcissists (81). Sacks notes, “The revolutionary shift from ‘we’ to ‘I’ means that everything that consecrated the moral bonds binding us together—faith, creed, culture, custom, and convention—no longer does so” (83).
Sacks argues that a market economy, while good at producing wealth, cannot bind society together. He adds, “A consumer society, in short, encourages us to spend money we don’t have, on products we don’t need, for a happiness that won’t last” (104). Sacks cites several studies that underscore the power of gratitude. One study indicated that gratitude could add seven years to a person’s life expectancy (109). A 2017 study demonstrated that close relationships contributed far more to people’s happiness than did money or fame (112).
Sacks notes that as voluntary associations in society are waning, people are naturally turning to the state to meet their needs. He takes an interesting look at the difference between the Anglo view of rights and the French approach (171). Sacks suggests that the French saw the state as providing people with their rights, while the English viewed the state as protecting rights people naturally possessed. As American society begins to veer toward the French model, government will have an ever-increasing role in people’s lives. Sacks also purports that rises in antisemitism are a sure sign of societal breakdown (138).
Sacks also includes an interesting discussion of time. He states that morality must be measured over time. For example, the consequences of decisions to loosen certain moral standards in the 1960s took time to become obvious. He argues that the consequences of various agendas people are pushing today may take years to be fully known. Sacks also notes that governments are not good at asking their citizens to make sacrifices today for the benefit of people in the future, which often prevents democracies from making necessary changes (155).
Sacks notes that the west has basically enjoyed peace since the end of World War II. As a result, the sense of “togetherness” has “atrophied” over that time (217). Sacks asks, “How is it that the higher human achievements become, the lower our self-image sinks?” (232). He also states, “When nothing is sacred, then nothing is sacrilegious” (234).
Sacks makes some interesting comments about the value of morality on society. He argues that “selflessness” has no place in Darwinian theory (253). He also notes that studies have demonstrated that the typical social group can grow to only 150 people before it becomes too cumbersome (258). He adds, a society of individuals is too unwieldy (262). Yet religion proved to be the social glue that produced trust among strangers and allowed human societies to grow much larger than other animal groupings were capable of sustaining (280). He quotes Will Durant, an atheist, who claimed, “There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion” (277). Sacks suggests that without religion, human society might never have moved beyond the hunter-gatherer stage (281).
Sacks also contends that there is clear empirical evidence to show that religious people make better neighbors and are happier than their non-religious counterparts (287-288). He cites studies that suggest people who donate to charity are happier than those who do not. He concludes, “You can do good and do well at the same time” (316). A case can be made to demonstrate that morality is good for society and good for people’s health.
Sacks is an insightful thinker who uses extensive studies and statistics. He also draws heavily from literature, especially Jewish, to gain glimpses into the human condition. Like many such books, the diagnoses are much stronger than the prescription. Nevertheless, he offers some hope. Interestingly, although Gen Z is often disparaged in today’s literature, Sacks notes that they demonstrate numerous qualities that may bode well for the future. He also makes a strong case for the need in society for some generally accepted form of morality. This moral code does not have to be a state religion, but it should be comprised of certain standards and practices that are generally accepted as good for the nation.
I found this book interesting and insightful. For our present age, it has much to contribute to the conversation on what it will take to bring people closer together once again. I’d encourage you to read this book while it is fresh and the studies so current.
Rating: 4
