Rawlss argument against utilitarianism - Pomona College A Theory of Justice tackles many things. they are formed simply by an, This week we are covering textbook topics found in Chapter 4, "The Nature of Capitalism," (beginning on page 117) and Chapter 5, "Corporations," (beginning on page 156). . First, they have argued that the standard assumptions are sufficiently robust that it would not be excessively risky for the parties to choose average utility even if this meant relying on the principle of insufficient reason. It is an alternative to utilitarianism. In this way, we may be led to a monistic account of the good by an argument from the conditions of rational deliberation (TJ 556). The first is that all people's lives are of equal value and importance. Fourth, they have argued that Rawls's own principles of justice are not altogether riskfree, since the general conception of justiceasfairness would permit the infringement of basic liberties under extraordinary conditions. Rawlss single-minded focus on presenting an alternative to utilitarianism is a blessing and a curse. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. In effect, then, an intuitionist conception of justice is but half a conception (TJ 41). Unless the decision facing the parties in the original position satisfies those conditions, the principle of average utility may be a better choice for the parties even if it is riskier, since it may also hold out the prospect of greater gain (TJ 1656). Suppose Rawls is right and people find it unacceptable to lose out in these ways, such that they will be desperately unhappy or even rebellious. "A utilitarian would have to endorse the execution." In other words, the arguments of section 29 are intended to help show that the choice confronting the parties has features that make reliance on the maximin rule rational. (5) The men aboard desperately worked to right the boat, oblivious to the books and instruments that were floating away. The aim now is to show how liberal institutions can achieve stability in conditions of pluralism by drawing on diverse sources of moral support. His primary goal is no longer to develop his two principles as an alternative to utilitarianism, but rather to explain how a just and stable liberal society can be established and sustained in circumstances marked by reasonable disagreement about fundamental moral and philosophical matters. It should not be interpreted, as it sometimes has been, as the selfcontained presentation of a formal decisiontheoretic argument which is independent, for example, of the appeals to stability, selfrespect, and the strains of commitment in section 29. The losses of some people may, in principle, always be outweighed by the greater gains of other people. 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They say that shows that I make trade-offs between TV and my childs future, so I must be able to compare them.). Of course, as Rawls recognizes, utilitarians frequently argue that, given plausible empirical assumptions, the maximization of satisfaction is unlikely to be achieved in this way. WebQuestion 4 Rawls rejects utilitarianism because: a) He saw it as a threat. stream Render date: 2023-05-01T02:24:57.324Z it might permit an unfair distribution of burdens and benefits I want to call attention to three of these commonalities. This is not to say that their concern is insignificant. I have discussed some related themes in Individual Responsibility in a Global Age, Chapter Two in this volume. Indeed, the point goes further. In the Preface to A Theory of Justice,1 Rawls observes that [d]uring much of modern moral philosophy the predominant systematic theory has been some form of utilitarianism (TJ vii). In both cases, the parties are said to fear that their own interests might be sacrificed for the sake of the larger utilitarian goal. It isnt even considered by the parties. Rawls claims that these considerations favor his principles over utilitarianism because it is possible that some people would find life in a utilitarian society intolerable. ]#Ip|Tx]!$f?)g%b%!\tM)E]tgI "cn@(Mq&8DB>x= rtlDpgNY@cdrTE9_)__? We also know that the maximin rule would not lead them to choose utilitarianism. My discussion follows those of Steven Strasnick, in his review of. For pertinent discussion, see, Rawls gives his most extended defence of his emphasis on the basic structure in The Basic Structure as Subject, which is included in PL as Lecture VII.
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