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BPE Midterm > Chapter 4 > Flashcards

Chapter 4 Flashcards

1
Q

What did Mill say about liberty?

A

liberty should only be restricted when it harms other people

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2
Q

What was Mill’s liberty principle?

A

the idea that you cannot restrict a person’s liberty UNLESS that liberty harms others

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3
Q

What were Mill’s views on democracy and liberty?

A

strongly supported democracy and strongly believed in individual liberty

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4
Q

Which groups does Mill’s liberty apply to and which does it not?

A

liberty should be granted to members of civilized society and not barbarians or children

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5
Q

What did Mills think about suppressing dissenters?

A

Mills thought that we should not suppress dissenting opinions because there is always something to GAIN from it. 1. We might find an error in truth 2. If the dissent is wrong then we are able to reaffirm our true views

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6
Q

What did Hobbes think about individual liberties?

A

state has no obligation to respecting individual liberties

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7
Q

What is the anarchist view on liberty?

A

there should be unlimited liberty

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8
Q

What is one of Mill’s most cherished beliefs?

A

that we should never suppress dissenting opinions or knowledge

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9
Q

Mill’s argument for never suppressing dissent assumes

A

that greater knowledge always leads to greater happiness

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10
Q

What did mills think about infallibility?

A

that we are never infallible

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11
Q

What does Mills conclude about censorship?

A

there is never a case for censorship and mankind will benefit from the expression of views no matter the instance

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12
Q

we can divide actions into two classes - what are they and what do they imply?

A
  1. purely self regarding actions → the government cannot touch self regarding actions per the liberty principle
  2. other regarding actions
    the government can limit these
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13
Q

What did Mills mean by harm in his liberty principle?

A

more in reference to interests. “Act as you like so long as you do not damage other’s interests.” this was usually in relation to financial interests

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14
Q

is competition in a free market meant to be regulated by the liberty principle?

A

NO. Competition is good, even if liberty means harming others interests in a free market.

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15
Q

What is the argument for and against natural rights?

A

Natural rights are basic / axiomatic, they are presumed. This is also the argument against it because what can you say if an opponent questions the right to a right other than that they must be confused?

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16
Q

How does Bentham attack the idea of natural rights?

A

he says natural rights are a legal idea and not actually natural

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17
Q

Mills was suspicious of __ and wanted to defend them instead with ____

A

natural rights, utilitarianism

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18
Q

What is the basic defense of natural rights using utilitarianism

A

outline a system of natural rights that allows more happiness to be achieved under that structure than any other system

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19
Q

What did henry sedgwick say about utilitarianism ?

A

to keep it amongst the elite because if populace found out they would try to measure their actions in utils and this can be counterproductive

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20
Q

is a utilitarian theory of rights possible and what would it look like?

A

Yes, it would have a large set of laws instead of just one law with the aim of maximizing societal utiltiy

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21
Q

Explain Mill’s idea of a private and public sphere and achieving the greatest happiness

A

give people a private sphere of liberties where NO intervention is allowed and a public sphere of liberties where intervention IS allowed BUT only on utilitarian grounds

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22
Q

what is the private sphere defined by?

A

rights based interests such as freedom of speech, etc..

(BASICALLY NATURAL RIGHTS)

23
Q

According to Mills when can liberties be intervened upon?

A

when liberty does not serve utilitarian value for rights based interests

24
Q

the liberty principle does not apply to economic competition because

A

there is a greater utilitarian gain from free markets than feudal / controlled economies

25
Q

Mills argues that general happiness will be best advanced by

A

assigning people a large private sphere of rights to non-interference

26
Q

What did James Fitzjames Stephen have to say about liberty?

A

he said that to claim that liberty is good in itself is dumb. Liberty is like fire, when it is controlled it is very useful. But just like fire, when it is not controlled it is horrific.

27
Q

what was mills argument for liberty ? (2)

A
  1. people know what they like best = more utility
    2.expiriments in human nature = utility max
28
Q

what is meant by mills when he says mankind is progressive?

A

that human beings are capable of learning from experience and this is to the long term benefit of all

29
Q

why was liberty to experimentation so important for Mill?

A

when we are granted liberty humans will experiment with human nature - we find out what we like the most and then do that - THEREFORE Maximizing happiness.

30
Q

Who is not fit to receive liberty according to mill?

A

barbarians, children, non-civilized members of society

30
Q

what were mills experiments in living?

A

by granting humans liberty they will experiment with every facet of life until they figure out what they like the most therefore liberty maximizes happiness

31
Q

What is Stephen’s criticism of Mill’s experiments of living?

A

he says that mill is wrong to assume that people will learn from experiments so there is no grounds to justify liberty on this matter

32
Q

Mills is clear that liberty is only useful where..

A

where it provides utilitarian benefit / adds to our “happiness”

33
Q

Mills specifically argues that liberty is valuable because..

A

it brings more utility to society than anything else - there is utilitarian benefit

34
Q

should a child have complete liberty?

A

no because there is no benefit to this - society is better off when children are not free

35
Q

what does the utilitarian justification of liberty allow us to do ?

A

set LIMITS on liberty while still paying it great respect

36
Q

what is another argument in defense of liberty? [beside utilitarian]

A

we could take the view that liberty is intrinsically valuable - “liberty is good no matter its consequences”

36
Q

the utilitarian justification of liberty allows (in relation to markets)

A

competitive and free trade (despite its losers) and PROHIBITS theft of property

37
Q

what is political emancipation according to marx?

A

achieving formal legal and political rights for individuals and equal treatment under the law within capitalist society → JUST BC WE HAVE THESE THINGS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE ACTUALLY FREE

38
Q

What is liberalism

A

political values of: liberty, equality, and limited government

39
Q

what is human emancipation according to marx

A

broader goal, liberating individuals from the oppressive and exploitative conditions of capitalism

40
Q

Liberalism seeks political emancipation BUT

A

falls short of human emancipation according to marx

41
Q

liberalism for marx encouraged what type of thinking

A

that we limit each others liberty which never allows us to be free

42
Q

what do contemporary critics of liberalism call themselves?

A

communitarians

43
Q

what do communitarians accuse liberalists of?

A

believing that people are isolated individuals in their own protected spheres, pursuing their own good

44
Q

communitarians also believe that liberalists

A

believe individuals are not a result of the community they’re born in (atomized individuals)

45
Q

communitarians argue what about the individual?

A

individuals are not individuals for the sake of individuals but instead
they are a result of the community and society they were brought up in.

46
Q

what is positive liberty?

A

being able to do whatever you want within the structure society because you have the resources to do so (communitarians believe this)

47
Q

what is negative liberty?

A

being free to do things without external restrains on your actions (free will)

(LIBERALISM)

48
Q

what definition of liberty to liberals assume?

A

negative liberty → One is free to the extent that one is able to make one’s own choices about how to live.

49
Q

what definition of liberty do communitarians believe in? Explain it

A

POSITIVE LIBERTY - being able to drive a car because society has provided you with the resources to do so. ( you can not only DRIVE the car, but also are guaranteed the means to do it)

50
Q

what would mills say about the communitarian ideal of liberty?

A

it is oppressive in the name of freedom

51
Q

what would communitarians say about mills idea of liberty?

A

that it is isolating and alienating

52
Q

Mill’s defense of liberty heavily relies on

A

that human nature is progressive and that we can learn from our mistakes

BPE Midterm (6 decks)

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