Ethical Theories
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Transcript Ethical Theories
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
Fear of others in the state of nature
(apart from society) prompts people
to form governments through a social contract
State power/authority (the sovereign) is based
on the choice of subjects that there be one will.
Since the sovereign determines what is right,
rebellion against the sovereign is unjustified
As brutal as a State may be, it is always better
than having no State or government
John Locke (1632-1704)
We have God-given rights to our
lives, liberty, property (e.g., bodies)
We establish governments to clarify & protect
our natural rights. State authority is thus based
on the consent of the people, who can rebel
against the State if it fails to respect our rights
Tacit consent is given by anyone who lives in
a country and is protected by its laws
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(1712-78)
I am obligated to obey the law only if
it is self-imposed. Externally-imposed laws are
based on force and are not morally legitimate
The social contract is our tacit agreement to
abide by the general will, which is what we all
will for ourselves as members of a community
Objection: consent is often uninformed and
unavoidable (Hume)
Contemporary Liberalism:
John Rawls: Justice as Fairness
All citizens should share in a society’s wealth
and be given equal economic opportunities
In a just society, rational individuals under a
veil of ignorance about their original position
in the society should endorse a theory that:
gives everyone as much liberty as possible
allows for the unequal distribution of wealth only
when the existence of such inequalities benefits
everyone and is accessible to everyone
Critiques of Social Contract Theories
Communitarianism: the State’s authority does
not depend on the consent of individuals;
rather, individuals depend on the State for
their fulfillment and identity (Aristotle, Hegel)
Feminism: because women typically are
expected to focus on private (family)
matters, they are excluded from full
Susan Okin
participation in the social contract
Types of Justice
Retributive justice: punishment/reward given to
someone for something he/she has done
Distributive justice: the distribution of goods,
services, or responsibilities based on:
productivity and merit (Plato)
social utility, public interest (J. S. Mill)
need and ability (socialism: Marx)
equal opportunity (welfare liberalism: Rawls)
ownership of property, entitlement, free choices
(classical liberalism: Nozick)
Karl Marx
(1818-85)
Human beings are naturally inclined
to work and be sociable. Capitalism alienates
us from the products of our labor and thus
alienates us from ourselves and others
Only communal ownership of property can
counteract social alienation
Types of Justice
Retributive justice: punishment/reward given to
someone for something he/she has done
Distributive justice: the distribution of goods,
services, or responsibilities based on:
productivity and merit (Plato)
social utility, public interest (J. S. Mill)
need and ability (socialism: Marx)
equal opportunity (welfare liberalism: Rawls)
ownership of property, entitlement, free choices
(classical liberalism: Nozick)
Minimal State (Entitlement) Theory:
Robert Nozick
We are entitled to use our property as we see
fit. The State’s legitimate power is limited to
preventing harm and protecting property rights
Taxation for anything other than protection
(e.g, to impose a pattern to redistribute wealth)
is unjust because it ignores how goods are
acquired fairly through trade, labor, gifts, etc.