CH 13: Social Contract Attractions
How does Contractarianism explain how morality is objective?
-Anyone can be mistaken, because they may be mistaken about what free/equal/rational people would include in their social code -Because it is beneficial to human nature. It does not come from God, but it is a set of rules, just like logic or natural science.
Why (if contractarianism is true) is it sometimes okay to break moral rules?
-If other people are breaking them as well. then there is no cooperation anymore & not more social rules that you must follow -Well, it is a contract to cooperate. If one doesn't cooperate then you are free of your basic moral obligations to them. Meaning that the trust is lost, and you are then in an effective state of nature
If contractarianism is true, what makes it okay for the state to legally punish people?
-To keep the peace & cooperation, the state's threats for law breaking must be credible. To be credible they must be carried out and people need to be punished. -The state has to carry out its threats and enforce the consequences, because that is what will help us avoid a state of nature.
What is the veil of ignorance? What is its purpose?
-Veil is an imaginary device that erases all knowledge of your distinctive traits. Only know about basic certain human needs and wants, equal footing. People would still select rules prohibiting killing, rape, battery, theft, and fraud, and rules that require that one keeps their word, return what one owes, and is respectful to others.
According to Social Contract Theorists, what justifies the authority that governments have to force their citizens to do things?
-We need someone to enforce these rules to make sure everyone is cooperating with the terms that are beneficial to all -We will get most of the things we want if we have a government that gives us those things. Authority comes from us. We should put the person in power that represents what we want.
Why (if contractarianism is true) do we have a basic duty to obey the law?
-because our obedience to the law helps support the institutions that make so many benefits possible (those who break the law are undermining this and taking unfair advantage of the sacrifices made by their fellow citizens) -Your obedience is obeying and allowing for a stable, peaceful society. By doing this you allow for safely walking the streets, trusting the mail service, and relying on legal contracts
Contractarianism started as a political theory and then became a moral theory. Explain the moral theory version.
-laws are just if and only if they reflect terms of a social contract that free, equal, and rational people would accept as the basis of a coperative life together -If we all stop trying to get the better of each other and instead agree to seek a little less for ourselves, then we will all be better off. Accept the bargain that gives you a decent life.
Why (if contractarianism is true) is it sometimes appropriate to break the law?
-laws are only morally justified when they mirror the rules that free & equal people would accept -when the laws are unfair, having a society under law is undermined
How do we escape from the state of nature and from prisoner's dilemmas in general?
1) beneficial rules that require cooperation & punish betrayal 2) enforcer who ensures these rules are obeyed
What is proceduralism?
Belief that the correct moral views are those that emerge from the correct procedure -don't start with any assumptions (like rape & slavery are wrong). Instead, just follow the right procedure to see what the outcome is -this is what golden rule, rule consequentialism, and kant's theory of universalizability do
According to contractarianism, why should the state (as opposed to private citizens) be the one who brings criminal charges and administers punishments?
The function of civil law is to repair personal wrongs, and harms. The function of criminal law is to preserve the state, and all the advantages it provides.
Who is the founder of modern contractarianism?
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) -A 17th Century philosopher who wrote "Leviathan" and believed people were naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish; he also believed only a powerful government could keep an orderly society
How can it be that people show respect for the rule of law by breaking the law?
To try & change it into something more fair
Why do Social Contract Theorists think that if you're alone on a deserted island, then there is no possibility of moral or immoral action?
because moral rules are nothing other that special rules of cooperation if there is no one to cooperate with then there are no rules
What is the state of nature?
situation where there is no government, no central authority, no groups with exclusive power to enforce its will on others
What is a prisoner's dilemma situation? (I'm not asking about the specific original example of a prisoner's dilemma that involved the prisoners Al and Bob. I'm asking you to explain the general pattern. I want to know that you can identify a novel prisoner's dilemma situation when you see one.)
situations in which everyone would be better off by scaling back their pursuit of self-interest (but this only works if everyone does it which is unlikely because there are big gains if one person decides not to cooperate anymore)
What is contractarianism (social contract theory)?
view that morality is based on a social contract