Midterm/exam Flashcards

Question

What are some motives and examples to the application of Rawls principles of justice to the private family (S. Moller Okin)?

Answer 1

A) The family as basic institution • ‘Basic institution’ = an institution that is responsible for distributing primary social goods • Examples: school, social security system, family B) The State already intervenes in the family • ‘Private’ family is a myth • Example: child benefit system • Cf. Foucault on bio politics C) Family as first school of social justice • Children must be taught to respect justice • Requires institutions that are themselves also just (‘practice what you preach’)

Answer 2

First principle: equal distribution of maximum (social) primary goods Second principle: inequalities should favor the least well-off + equality of opportunity - Results? 1) Equalizing the responsibilities of care work 2) Protecting those most responsible for unpaid care work 3) Equality of opportunity to become ‘provider’ or ‘caretaker’ - Examples: 1) Gender-neutral parental leave 2) Alimony after divorce

Answer 3

``` 1) Intersectionality (K. Crenshaw) The history and challenges of feminism are not uniform. There is a tendency to favor white middle-class women. Women's emancipation should give attention to internal diversity (race, sexuality, nationality, disability, heritage, etc.) ``` 2) Progressive neoliberalism (N. Fraser) Focus on individual rights and opportunities. Again ignoring the inequality of opportunity. Feminism has evolved from revolutionary feminism to girlboss feminism. Example= Outsourcing of family work to exploited (female) migrants.

Answer 4

Principles of justice cannot work without a shared idea of the good life. Individual rights and liberties can be limited to support this shared idea of the good life. Group rights to protect (minority) communities (Example: indigenous peoples)

Answer 5

(1) Decadence argument (2) Emptiness argument (3) Self-perception argument (4) Embedded self argument

Answer 6

Too much individualism leads to social decadence (verval). “To live for the moment is the prevailing passion—to live for yourself, not for your predecessors or posterity. We are fast losing the sense of historical continuity, the sense of belonging to a succession of generations originating in the past and stretching into the future.” Self-realization must be balanced by commitments to the community

Answer 7

The liberal distribution of goods does not hinder the commitment to community. Only primary goods (= means for leading a good life) are the object of justice, not the good life itself. (Questions whether community commitment should be a personal choice)

Answer 8

Liberal notion of the individual self is empty. It is against the original position. “Complete freedom would be a void in which nothing would be worth doing, nothing would deserve to count for anything.”. What is freedom supposed to be used for? It is required to be embedded in a community that provides meaningful goals in life.

Answer 9

Rawls’ point is not that the liberal individual actually has complete freedom to choose her goals. But the individual is always free to distance himself from any particular goals that are set out for him. Even in a 'void' individuals would still choose social primary goods.

Answer 10

Our perception we have of ourselves is formed by 'fundamental believes'. Some of our believes are so basic to our identity that it is impossible to distance ourselves from them. Fundamental believes originate from the communities to which we are committed. Problem for the original position argument.

Answer 11

Nonetheless, people can still change their fundamental believes. Strive for a society that allows individuals to leave their community after conversion.

Answer 12

The good life is not a choice but a discovery. This discovery is dependent upon the presence of others. It sees 'the self' as an embedded agent in a society. The individual is embedded in a society with its own value system that precedes and constitutes this individual.

Answer 13

Even if the good life is discovered, the individual is still autonomous to accept the calling. Freedom to choose not to accept the calling.

Answer 14

Although it can be seen as an ideal the theory, the circumstances are non ideal. Rawls' approach lacks is ahistorical (example of kidneys). There is a disconnect between the theory and the real world scenarios. Liberal social contract requires a previous decision. Original position can lead to unfair outcomes. May not be the best theory to think about resource allocation in a society.

Answer 15

Social contract. Sustained critique of the liberal political tradition but still believed in liberalism. Neutral with respects to race and ethnicity. This is because modern liberals embodied ideals of freedom and equality with the presence of racial oppression and colonization. This was justified by dividing the polity between persons and sub-persons. It explains the economic dimensions as the "European industrial miracle" is just based on exploitation and colonization.

Answer 16

A: Violence. Both state and non-state violence. Gave rise to black live matters B: Ideological conditioning. Interpellation (Its just how things are)

Answer 17

The original stock of investment capital came from the government taking a way land, homes and natural resources from people(enclosures-> creating private wealth). In turn, people had to work for wages in order to make a living (even when method of life is self-sustaining). It puts the profits back into the methods of production (preferably machines as they are more efficient) and neglects the working class. Luxemburg believes that the accumulation is not primitive at all as a continued need of exploiting resources is needed.

Answer 18

1: The tolerance paradox. Liberal order must be tolerant to different conceptions of the good life. But how tolerant should it be of illiberal ways of life? 2: The paradox of liberalism (C. Mouffe): Who decides what count as 'reasonable' or 'justice-related? Who can be considered as a relevant voice?

Answer 19

- Procedures that determine public policy - The fundamental conflicts of society Important is distinction! Good vs bad politics. "The specific political distinction to which political actions and motives can be reduced is that between friend and enemy.”– Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political

Answer 20

Politics: Official procedures for the deliberation and implementation of governmental policy. (Parliament, government, state administration) The political: Fundamental conflicts of a society. Passionate attachments to our way of life and our fundamental believes. -> Anything can become political!

Answer 21

Rawls: Attempts to 'depoliticize' society. Danger can occur when appeals to universal reason are invokes. This can worsen political conflict. Schmitt: "whoever invokes humanity or morality is cheating. Mouffe: Political conflict and deep disagreement are unavoidable. These must be accommodated by democratic conflict. No single ideology can ever be dominant, only hegemonic.

Answer 22

Different conceptions of the common good life compete for influence: • Competing attempts to define ‘common sense’ • Struggle for control over social institutions • Importance of interpellations Examples 1) Fox News 2) Ecological education