Mid Term #1 Flashcards
What do Pragmatists hate?
Hate to feel doubt.
What is the conclusion of Pragmatism?
We can withstand pain, but uncertainty kills us.
How do people and societies solve future problems?
We develop “beliefs” that become rules.
What do pragmatists believe that a belief turns into?
Action.
What are the three things that make up pragmatism?
*Belief
*Habit
*Rule
What is a society designed to do?
Find solutions to many thousands
of shared problems.
What are the five social institutions?
*Family
*Education
*Politics/Government
*Economy
*Religion
Four important points of pragmatism and culture.
- Innovation preserves & changes.
- “Solutions” migrate from one institution to another.
- “What are you trying to solve?”
- “Is it still addressing the problem?”
What is “Romer’s Rule”?
Innovation is often designed to preserve as much as change.
Moral Foundations are what?
- Rational
- Are stubborn and spontaneous
Morality is what?
-“Automatic brain”
-Morality deals with important questions quickly and without uncertainty
How do morality and society bond together?
Binds us together to work toward our common survival.
What is the name of our moral
foundations?
Our “automatic moral brain.”
What are the five moral foundations?
- Care/Harm
- Fair/Unfair
- Loyal/Disloyal
- Authority/Rebellion
- Pure/Impure
What does education do to moral foundations?
Education -> resist or ignore morals
What moral foundations do conservatives have?
- Care/Harm
- Fair/Unfair
- Loyal/Disloyal
- Authority/Rebellion
- Pure/Impure
What moral foundations do liberals have?
- Care/Harm
- Fair/Unfair
Does logic affect moral foundations?
no
What happens when one social institution is challenged?
You challenge one, you challenge them all.
How does Thomas Hobbes see humans?
Sees them like pragmatists—people who want to stay alive and avoid pain.
What does Hobbes agree and disagree with Haidt?
Agree: Reason justifies our institutions.
Disagree: our institutions are framed by moral foundations.
What is Moral Relativism?
Morality is more relative to every individual rather than universal.
What is the state of Nature?
It is a situation where no central authority exists.
What are the three ideas of Thomas Hobbes on the state of nature?
- All are roughly equal.
- All free.
- All are equally free to murder each other.
What does Hobbes believe we all have a right to?
“Natural right” to self-preservation.
Hobbes is the first what?
First defender of human freedom as a natural property.
Hobbes defines freedom consisting of two things:
- Capable of doing something.
- No interference from another person.
What two things does Hobbes believe all humans want?
- Fulfill our desires
- Desire to live.
What is Contract theory?
To secure their lives, they have to give up some privileges.
What is the alternate to contract theory?
Absolute power or dictatorship/communism.
Hobbes is considered to be the first what?
“Liberal.”
What are the four things about Social Contract Theory?
- Political power rests in the hands of the people.
- Governed is a rational choice.
- It is selfish.
- I choose to be governed to protect my life better.
What does John Locke think about moral institutions?
-stubborn
-spontaneous
-“binding”
-“blinding”
Where do Locke and Hobbes think the source of human nature is?
America
Which people does Locke see as life’s going pretty well? (1st disagreement between Locke and Hobbes)
Native Americans
What does Locke believe our brains are capable of? (2nd disagreement between Locke and Hobbes)
Being empathetic—seeing things from another person’s point of view.
What aspects do Locke and Hobbes share?
- Both start with the “State of Nature.”
- Both see humanity as free
- Both see humanity as equal
- Both believe in the right of self-preservation
What are the three main differences between Locke and Hobbes?
- Lock expands on the “golden rule” (Human equality)
- Hobbes = we are equally capable of murder
- Locke = We all deserve respect for our lives and property
What is the main theme between Locke and Hobbes?
We tend to value ourselves over others
Why does Locke think that the Leviathan? (Disagreement between Locke and Hobbes)
-The Leviathan would be just as bad
-Don’t need a third party since they collaborate.
What are Hobbes’s & Locke’s agreements + Locke’s views on Social Contract?
- Both agree that we join to protect our lives.
- Locke believes that society should protect PROPERTY as well
What matters most to Locke?
Ownership—starting with
your own body.
What does Locke believe are essential rights?
- Life
- Liberty,
- Property
What does Locke believe all rights are?
“Property Rights”
Locke believes we have the right to do what when someone infringes on our rights?
Resist or rebel against a sovereign
What does Locke believe the role of Government should be?
Protect life and property
Locke is the father of what?
Individualism
What is mercantilism?
When Europe extracted wealth from the Americas to gain an advantage in Europe.
What is Social Contract?
- The members of the community are in charge
- Authority is delegated
- Sovereign makes decisions
What is Joint Stock?
- Members are in charge
- Authority delegated
- Decisions are made by voting system
The British organized the first what?
Corporation (Virginia)
Virginia went from pursuing what to farming what?
Looking for gold ->Tabacco
Social Organization of Virginia
- Quite hierarchical (Plantation Owners -> Slaves)
- Everyone dedicated to cash crops (tobacco)
- Democratic
Puritans
Wanted to purify the faith
(hence the term “puritans”)
What worried John Winthrop?
- They would fail if they could not remain united in faith
- They would die if they could not provide for each other
What was Winthrop’s solution?
Must become a “covenant”
community
What makes up a “Model Christian Society?”
- Christian love
- No pursuit of MONEY
- Corporation
- They needed people who would work and had skills
- Provide for their families
What was Winthrop’s Model Christian Society?
- No king.
- Everyman had a share of the corporation (they could vote).
What are some aspects of Virginia?
- Democratic
- Constant need for subservient and reliable labor
- Society was divided by class
What are some aspects of Massachusetts?
- Democratic: most enfranchised
- Driven by an interest in Christian society
- Puritan religion
- Not as driven by commercial concerns (weren’t going after the money)
What is the “New worlds crop?”
sugar
Pros & Cons of slavery:
Pros
* Available Workforce
* Had no rights
* Easily distinguished from Europeans
Cons
* Don’t want to be “employed.”
* Died of disease
* Escape and never be found
Pros & Cons of Free Labor:
Pros
* Laborers knew the language
* Understood European colonizers
Cons
* Really expensive
* They could quit anytime and go back to Europe
* Had some basic rights
Pros & Cons of Convicts:
Pros
* Cheapest labor source
* Captives must work
* Had few rights
* Long terms of service
Cons
* Rebellion
* Would flee
Pros & Cons of African slaves:
Pros
* Were already enslaved
* Easily distinguished with skin
* Were unfamiliar with the landscape
* Hard to escape
* Children could be enslaved too
Cons
* Often expensive
* Did not know the language
* Slavery was cruel and ran against John Lockes ideals
What are the other New world goods?
Tobacco, cotton,
rice, timber, fish,
etc.
Pros & Cons with indentured slaves:
Pros
* Knew the language
* Motivated to get freedom back
Cons
* Limited supply
Bacon’s rebellion
- Created labor force by race
- Increased importing African slaves
What did slavery emerge as?
- Guaranteed a profit
- Greed.
Why did European merchants support slavery?
They never had to see it up close.
Adam Smith
- Father of modern economics
- Often credited for “inventing” capitalism
Albert Hirschman
- Economist
- Interests in economic history and intellectual history
Avarice
love of money
Ambition
love of power
lust
love of sex
What did Locke & Hobbes think about passion?
If society gave room to one passion, it might do a better job inhibiting others.
What makes up Avarice?
-Greed is predictable
-Greed is manipulated
What does greed turn into?
Self-Interest
Adam Smith & Self-Interest?
Interest is a more solid ground for finding a new moral order
What new moral paradigm follows Adam Smiths initial insight?
If we each take on a small task, we are more productive but more dependent on each other.
What is the “Invisible hand?”
Self-interested individuals operate through a system of mutual interdependence in a free market economy.
Smiths profound idea
You might get a better social order if you don’t even try for it. It just happens.
What did Smith believe commerce would lead to?
- Lead to world peace.
- Interdependence among nations and people
