justice03.docx

justice03.docx

《justice03.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《justice03.docx（19页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

justice03

Lesson3

Whenwefinishedlasttime,wewerelookingatJohnStuartMill'sattempttoreplytothecriticsofBentham'sUtilitarianism.

InhisbookUtilitarianismMilltriestoshowthatcriticstothecontraryitispossiblewithintheutilitarianframeworktodistinguishbetweenhigherandlowerpleasures.

ItispossibletomakequalitativedistinctionsofworthandwetestedthatideawiththeSimpsonsandtheShakespeareexcerpts.

AndtheresultsofourexperimentseemtocallintoquestionMill'sdistinctionbecauseagreatmanyofyoureportedthatyouprefertheSimpsonsbutthatyoustillconsiderShakespearetobethehigherortheworthierpleasure.

That'sthedilemmawithwhichourexperimentconfrontsMill.

WhataboutMill'sattempttoaccountfortheespeciallyweightycharacterofindividualrightsandjusticeinchapterfiveofUtilitarianism.

Hewantstosaythatindividualrightsareworthyofspecialrespect.

Infact,hegoessofarastosaythatjusticeisthemostsacredpartandthemostincomparablybindingpartofmorality.

ButthesamechallengecouldbeputtothispartofMill'sdefense.

Whyisjusticethechiefpartandthemostbindingpartofourmorality?

Well,hesaysbecauseinthelongrun,ifwedojusticeandifwerespectrights,societyasawholewillbebetteroffinthelongrun.

Well,whataboutthat?

Whatifwehaveacasewheremakinganexceptionandviolatingindividualrightsactuallywillmakepeoplebetteroffinthelongrun?

Isitallrightthentousepeople?

AndthereisafurtherobjectionthatcouldberaisedagainstMill'scaseforjusticeandrights.

Supposetheutilitariancalculusinthelongrunworksoutashesaysitwillsuchthatrespectingpeople'srightsisawayofmakingeverybodybetteroffinthelongrun.

Isthattherightreason?

Isthattheonlyreasontorespectpeople?

Ifthedoctorgoesinandyankstheorgansfromthehealthypatientwhocameinforacheckuptosavefivelives,therewouldbeadverseeffectsinthelongrun.

Eventually,peoplewouldlearnaboutthisandwouldstopgoinginforcheckups.

Isittherightreason?

Istheonlyreasonthatyouasadoctorwon'tyanktheorgansoutofthehealthypatientthatyouthink,well,ifIusehiminthisway,inthelongrunmoreliveswouldbelost?

Oristhereanotherreasonhavingtodowithintrinsicrespectforthepersonasanindividual?

Andifthatreasonmattersandit'snotsoclearthatevenMill'sutilitarianismcantakeaccountofit,fullytoexaminethesetwoworriesorobjections,toMill'sdefenseweneedtopushfurther.

Andweneedtoaskinthecaseofhigherorworthierpleasuresaretheretheoriesofthegoodlifethatcanprovideindependentmoralstandardsfortheworthofpleasure?

Ifso,whatdotheylooklike?

That'sonequestion.

Inthecaseofjusticeandrights,ifwesuspectthatMillisimplicitlyleaningonnotionsofhumandignityorrespectforpersonthatarenotstrictlyspeakingutilitarian,weneedtolooktoseewhethertherearesomestrongertheoriesofrightsthatcanexplaintheintuitionwhichevenMillshares,theintuitionthatthereasonforrespectingindividualsandnotusingthemgoesbeyondevenutilityinthelongrun.

Today,weturntooneofthosestrongtheoriesofrights.

Strongtheoriesofrightsayindividualsmatternotjustasinstrumentstobeusedforalargersocialpurposeorforthesakeofmaximizingutility,individualsareseparatebeingswithseparatelivesworthyofrespect.

Andsoit'samistake,accordingtostrongtheoriesorrights,it'samistaketothinkaboutjusticeorlawbyjustaddinguppreferencesandvalues.

Thestrongrightstheoryweturntotodayislibertarianism.

Libertarianismtakesindividualrightsseriously.

It'scalledlibertarianismbecauseitsaysthefundamentalindividualrightistherighttolibertypreciselybecauseweareseparateindividualbeings.

We'renotavailabletoanyusethatthesocietymightdesireordevisepreciselybecauseweareindividualseparatehumanbeings.

Wehaveafundamentalrighttoliberty,andthatmeansarighttochoosefreely,toliveourlivesaswepleaseprovidedwerespectotherpeople'srightstodothesame.

That'sthefundamentalidea.

RobertNozick,oneofthelibertarianphilosopherswereadforthiscourse,putsitthisway:

Individualshaverights.

Sostrongandfarreachingaretheserightsthattheyraisethequestionofwhat,ifanything,thestatemaydo.

Sowhatdoeslibertarianismsayabouttheroleofgovernmentorofthestate?

Well,therearethreethingsthatmostmodernstatesdothatonthelibertariantheoryofrightsareillegitimateorunjust.

Oneofthemispaternalistlegislation.

That'spassinglawsthatprotectpeoplefromthemselves,seatbeltlaws,forexample,ormotorcyclehelmetlaws.

Thelibertariansaysitmaybeagoodthingifpeoplewearseatbeltsbutthat