Quiz 4 - Rawls v. Nozick Flashcards
principles of justice:
those principles everyone would accept from a certain point of view
original position?
hypotethical contractarians ask you to imagine what rules you would set up if u were ignorant of role in life
what are rawls’ assumptions?
rationality: taking efficient means to desired ends
mutual disinterest: no interest in payoff of others or differences between you n others’ payoffs
veil of ingorance: dont know nothing about themselves (sez, race, etc)
veil of volition: agents not motivated by real life concerns (ecept for those below)
desire for primary social goods: agents want most social goods possible
what are the social goods?
rights and liberties
income and wealth
power and opportunity
social bases of self esteem
what is maximin strategy?
requires one choose the best of the worst possible alternatives. so you try to maximize your minimum gain
what r arguments for maximin strat?
1- u dont know if you gonna end up a richie or a poorie/a white or hispanic
2-dealing with goods important to value of life
3-once and for all gamble - cant go back and get another avatar (become white, become man)
4-agents care to attain social goods above a certain minimum - anything above that min not so important
5-principles of justice made that have possibility of ppl falling below that minimum dont accord with justice
whats the content of the contract? in the general conception of justice
(this led to 2 principles of justice…)
ALL priamry social goods are to be distributed equally unless unequal distribution works to advantage of all.
leads to 2 principles of justice:
1-equal liberty principle: each to have equal right so long as compatible with similar system of liberty for all
2-difference principle: social and economic inqualites arranged so they both are a) to greatest benefit of least advantaged, b) attach positions to ppl under equal opportunity
Tell me about rawls what was he and wasn’t he
not a commie
not a utilitarian; didnt like that 1 indi sacrified for all good
benefits/burdens of social interaction should be fairly distributed
tax & redistribute income/opportunities/resources to least well off
what justifies govt pwr for rawls?
you would have agreed to it behind veil of ignorance.
rawls conclusion
- we dont vioalte rights or liberty, no one wud agree to that in orig position
- do distribute income
- dont seize all income, not anti-capitalist
RAWLS OBJECTIONS TIME
1-inadequate argument for maximin: false dichotomy creation. when rawls says we’d all try to make it the best “worst case scenario”, well no. we’d avoid the scary minimum but maybe with insurance theory. if you get to being the worst off, maybe there’s an insurance theory to help you out. THIS WOULDNT LEAD TO THE DIFF PRINCIPLE.
2-DWORKIN says just cuz ppl woud agree to it behind veil of ign doesnt make it just.
3-LIBERTY n PATTERN: wilt chamberlin. no patterned principle of justice can b continuously maintned without cont. interference with liberty. rawls’ difference principle can never be used because it is blocked by equal liberty principle
3a-Rawls: um the patterns rnt that anal
3b-rawls: we promote pattrn of dist over long run, not instantaneously
3c-rawls: spking about all goods not just wealth
4-PERSONAL N COLLECTIVE ASSETS: behind the veil, nt a lot of regard for individ talents, all colelctive assets - violates dignity of indivd
4a-in principle, from original psoition, u know in real life theres respect towards talents. it’s unlikely agents wud agree to using talents of better-endowed against their will
Nozick introoooo
every human has right to live life as hooses. no forced taxation. almost everything privatized. govt shudnt legislate morality or force work
“INDIVIDUAL EFFORT AND LABOR ARE NOT SOCIAL PRODUCTS!”
what is self-ownership? (part of four libertarian principles)
- we set course of our own lives
- we each have exclusive rights to our body, powers
- we each have right to pursue our own life goals, so long as no force against others
- we have right to property and liberty (necessary for life long project pursuit)
what is liberty? (part of four libertarian principles)
freedom from interference - every human being has the right to act in accordance with his own choices, So long as we don’t violate the rights of others (life, liberty, property)
what are property rights? (part of four libertarian principles)
owning, controlling, augmenting, and transferring property are necessary for human flourishing.
one’s labor entitles one to property rights in the object labored on because it separates what is common and what is YOURS.
