--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I almost became a political journalist…" description: "\"I almost became a political journalist, having worked as a reporter at the time of Watergate. The proximity to those events motivated me, when I wound ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/michael-sandel-10344_almost_i-almost-became-a-political-journalist-h_1107514.jpg" --- # I almost became a political journalist, having worked as a… ![“I almost became a political journalist, having worked as a reporter at the time of Watergate. The proximity to those events motivated me, when I wound up doing philosophy, to try to use it to move the public debate.” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/michael-sandel-10344_almost_i-almost-became-a-political-journalist-h_1107514.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/michael-sandel-10344_almost_i-almost-became-a-political-journalist-h_1107514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/731/michael-sandel-10344_almost_i-almost-became-a-political-journalist-h_1107514.jpg) > “I almost became a political journalist, having worked as a reporter at the time of Watergate. The proximity to those events motivated me, when I wound up doing philosophy, to try to use it to move the public debate.” [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He recounts a near‑journalistic past that sparked his desire to use philosophy to shape public debate. **In simple terms:** Philosophy can influence public discourse. Key Takeaway Use philosophy to guide public debate. Themes philosophy public discourse politics journalism intellectual engagement Mood intellectual inspirational Type academic public When to use this quote - policy debates - public lectures - media commentary - academic writing Key Concepts ethical theory civic responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can philosophers reach broader audiences? - What role should philosophy play in politics? A Different Perspective Philosophical arguments may be ignored by policymakers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Proximity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proximity/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Reporters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporters/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Watergate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watergate/) [Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounds/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[O\]nce demagogy and falsehoods become routine, there isn’t much for the political journalist to do except handicap the race and report on the candidate’s… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/o-nce-demagogy-and-falsehoods-become-routine-there-isn-t-much-for-the/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [I was a political journalist; I came to writing novels through an interest in politics and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-was-a-political-journalist-i-came-to-writing-novels-through-an/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [I knew early on that I wanted to be a reporter, but I didn't know I was a political journalist until my first job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-ifill/i-knew-early-on-that-i-wanted-to-be-a-reporter-but-i-didn-t-know-i/) [Gwen Ifill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-ifill/) > [I was a political journalist for a long time. I wrote a book about Putin. I made all kinds of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-was-a-political-journalist-for-a-long-time-i-wrote-a-book-about/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I kept thinking, I'm not going to do political journalism, because there's no way to keep my principles and be a political journalist, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-kept-thinking-i-m-not-going-to-do-political-journalism-because/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I am sitting with a philosopher in the garden; he says again and again 'I know that that’s a tree', pointing to a tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/i-am-sitting-with-a-philosopher-in-the-garden-he-says-again-and-again/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [When people ask me what philosophy is, I say philosophy is what you do when you don't know what the right questions are yet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/when-people-ask-me-what-philosophy-is-i-say-philosophy-is-what-you-do/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Doing philosophy is only a threefold or double kind of waking--being awake--consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/doing-philosophy-is-only-a-threefold-or-double-kind-of-waking-being/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [The real discovery is the one which enables me to stop doing philosophy when I want to. The one that gives philosophy peace, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/the-real-discovery-is-the-one-which-enables-me-to-stop-doing/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [I think that when people are at their best, when they are thinking, reflecting, cogitating, then they are doing philosophy. 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This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do not argue that nature is sacrosanct in the sense that we must never tamper with nature. That would disempower, really, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-not-argue-that-nature-is-sacrosanct-in-the-sense-that-we-must/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Today if you look at most economic textbooks, economics is not defined by subject matter. It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-arguments-and-the-ethical-status-of/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. 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