Phil2030 - Ch13 The Social Contract Tradition: The Theory and Its Attractions

Cooperative Strategy

Silence means keeping promise, honoring the term of the deal Confession is betrayal, breaking one's promise, abandoning a partner

State of Nature

Situation in which there is no central authority with the exclusive power to enforce its will on others Hobbes: "War of all against all, in which the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." -People ruthlessly compete with one another for whatever goods are available -Cooperation is a sham -Trust is non-existent ---state of nature comes to an end when people agree with one another to give up their unlimited freedoms and to cooperate on terms that are beneficial to all

Contractors never have to ask

"Don't you just see that _______ is wrong?

pg 193: Golden Rule is an instance of proceduralism So is: -Rule consequentialism -Kant Principle of Universalizability

-Each of these tells us to follow certain steps to find right and wrong. -Each do not take for granted that slavery is immoral, but rather they promise to EXPLAIN and JUSTIFY why it's immoral. They show that: 1. we wouldn't like it if we were enslaved 2. no optimific social rule would permit slavery 3. no universalizable maxim would allow slavery

Ethical Egoism False/Fails

-If killing or torturing an innocent person were ever in your self-interest, then ethical egoism would require you to perform such actions pg 192-If a theory contradicts our basic assumptions about right and wrong, why does that undermine the theory, rather than our assumptions? -----assuming that self-interest could never justify torture or rape. Defenders of this approach claim that there is no other alternative

Background of Social Contract Theory

-Originated as a political theory, later developed into a theory of morality -Theory's political origin can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. ---Early Republic; Plato's brother tells Socrates that they find the social contract view both appealing and troubling

The Prisoner's Dilemma

-Situations in which everyone would be better off by reducing/scaling back their pursuit of self-interest Example Situations: -fisherman sought after larger catches, resulting in the emptying on the Chesapeake Bay -athletes taking dangerous anabolic steroids -politician starts a smear campaign and his opponent feels the need to ramp up the abuse in order to stand a fighting chance Common Feature in these situations: there is intense competition for scarce resources and many are trying their best to increase their share of it

Socrates's testament to the power of contractarianism

-We are by nature largely, or entirely, self-interested. We want: -power over others, physical security, plenty of money, and sensual pleasure

Advantages of Contractarianism

1. Morality is essentially a Social Phenomenon -Anyone deserted on island has no moral because we have no self-regarding moral duties -When such actions have no bearing on others then contractarianism will deny that there is anything immoral 2. Explains/Justifies Content of Basic Moral Rules -imagine group of free, equal and rational people who are seeking terms of co-op that each could reasonably accept 3. Offers Method for Justifying Every Moral Rule -Contrarianism is prime ex of proceduralism -" " have method for seeing whether certain actions are right or wrong -" " Do not assume that the standard moral eveils are bad; they SHOW WHY they are bad, by showing that rationial contractors getting thogether to select mutal beneficial rules of co-op would forbid such behavior 4. Explains objectivity of Morality -Anyone can be mistaken about what morality requires -Personal opinion isn't final authority in ethics neither is law or conventional wisdom -- while socities could be mistaken on what is wrong or right -Answer to perennial challenge "If morality isn't a human creation, where did it come from?" --if contract is correct: morality doesn't come from GOD or human opinion ----morality is set of rules that would be agreed to by people who are very like us only more rational and wholly free 5. Explains why it is sometimes acceptable to break moral rules -When co-op collapses, morality disappears -Every moral rule has a built in escape clause: do not kill, cheat intimidate so long as others are obeying this tule as well *Moral rules don't apply when trust is lost because basic requirement of moral life -- that each person be willing to co-op on fair terms that benefit everyone -- is not met. -explains why you arent bound to keep promises made at gupoint or be only tacpayer in land of tax cheats 6. Justifies a basic moral duty to obey the law - law enables to escape state of nature to gain all of the good things that come from stable, peaceful socity - those who break law taking unfair advantage of the sacrifices mad by fellow citiens 7. Justifies legal punishment -blends most attractive aspects of consequentialism and kantianism while solving couple of hard problems -if punishment fails to deter crime, state cannot effectively serve its enforcer -State's threat for law breaking needs to be credible ---to be credible, usually threat needs to be carried out Kantian rationle: when laws are good, they set out terms for fair play (TAKE NOTES BEGINING PG 202)

What reason and morality requires of us, according to the social contract theory -if we are rational, we will each agree to curb our self-interest and cooperate with one another continually -complete free-for-all will make everyone miserable

Assumption: We each are largely motivated by self-interest and that it is rational to be that way Contractianism: We each do best for ourselves by agreeing to limit the direct pursuit of self-interest and accept a bargain that gets us a pretty decent life

Why don't competitors cooperate?

Because it is so risky. If enough people are willing to do what it takes to ensure that they get ahead, then they have to either join in the competition or be the sacrificial lamb

Why will they confess?

Because no matter what his accomplice does, each criminal will be better off by confessing -They are going to betray each other because they are self-interested and because they are rational

Hobbesian State of Nature is a prisoner's dilemma

By seeking to maximize self-interest, everyone is going to be worse off.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Founder of modern contractarianism -His magnum opus = Levianthan; imagine a situation in where there is no government, no central authority, no group with the exclusive power to enforce its will on others. He thought that is the worst place you can ever be.

Prisoner's Dilemma Origin

Introduced by economists -Two thieves (Al and Bob) are caught and sent to separate detention cells. -Their promise: if they get caught, they'll each keep quiet to thwart police and protect themselves. Police: -If you keep your promise to your partner by keeping quiet, and he rats you out, then he's off the hook, and you're looking at a 6 year sentence. -If you break your word and snitch on him, while he remains silent, you're home free, while he spends the next 6 years in jail. -If you both keep quiet, you'll each get 2 years. -But if you both confess, you'll each get 4." Goal: minimize jail time

Moral Rules

Special Rules of Cooperation -meant to govern social cooperation -(pg 201) Outcome of rational choice, tailored to the specifics of human nature and typical situatioins that humans find themelves in

Hobbes himself lived through a state of nature

The English Civil War (Lord of the Flies)

Escape from the state of nature

Two things - terms of social contract: 1. beneficial rules that require cooperation and punishment betrayal 2. an enforcer who ensures that these rules are obeyed 3. make sure the rules are kept In exchange for giving up these freedoms (attack/kill/cheat/lie to others) we gain advantages of cooperation.

**Proceduralism

View that says that we must follow a certain procedure in order to determine which actions are morally right, or which moral claims are true -a procedure that will tell us steps for distinguishing right from wrong 1. Tells us that we should not begin moral theory by ASSUMING, say that slavery is wrong or that generosity is right. 2. Make no moral assumptions at this stage. Instead, follow correct procedure and then see what the outcome is.

One of the hardest and deepest problems for ethical inquiry is....

how to begin

Veil of ignorance

imaginary device that erases all knowledge of distinctive traits -behind veil will know that they have certain basic human needs and wants, but know nothing of their religious identity ethinicity sex moral character -idea is to put everyone on equal footing so choices made are compleley fair

Rules of Cooperation

made to benefit everyone not just a few -explains why slavery and racial and sexual discrimination is deeply immoral -free people would endorse for their MUTUAL benefit not for the benefit of one group over another

John Rawls (1921-2002)

most famous 20th century social contract theorist -had test for determining rules that would be ideal social contarctors would support: -had us envision veil of ignorance

Promise of social contract

peace and stability of a well-ordered society -give up some freedom provided that you stand a good chance of getting something even better in return

Why Central RUles are what they are

rational, self-interested people, free of coercion would agree to obey them so long as others are willing to obey them too -to create terms of co-op that could earn backing of everyone

Basic assumption behind all scientific inquiry

that there is a physical world outside of our own mind --cannot be proven

Social Contract Theory (Contractarianism)

the view that morality is based on a SOCIAL CONTRACT -laws are just if and only if they reflect the terms of a social contract that free, equal, and rational people would accept as the basis of cooperative life together. -governmental power is legitimate if and only if it would be accepted by free, equal, and rational people intent on selecting principles of cooperative living. Political ideal-Actions are morally right if and only if they are permitted by rules that free, equal, and rational people would agree to live by, on the condition that other obey these rules as well