Friday, September 4, 2015Prompt

Resolved: A just society ought to presume consent for organ procurement from the deceased.

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Freedom Treatises on Government by John Locke

◦ Government is limited. Rulers are elected by the people (popular sovereignty). Rulers rule by consent of the governed.

The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau◦ "man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains," ◦ People make a contract with the government and each other to preserve their

freedom. One person rules, but keeps in mind what is best for all people.

The Spirit of Laws by Charles Montesquieu◦ Argues for a constitutional system of government and the separation of

powers, the ending of slavery, the preservation of civil liberties and the law.◦ Political institutions ought to reflect the social and geographical aspects of

each community

Safety Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

◦ A commonwealth is ruled by a sovereign power responsible for protecting the security of the commonwealth and granted absolute authority to ensure the common defense.

◦ When safety is at risk, liberty is usually curtailed.

Justice A Theory of Justice by John Rawls

◦ A society is in some sense an agreement among all those within that society.

◦ One, that each person should have equal rights to the most extensive liberties consistent with other people enjoying the same liberties; and two, that inequalities should be arranged so that they would be to everyone’s advantage and arranged so that no one person would be blocked from occupying any position.

◦ “Principles of justice chosen behind a veil of ignorance.”

Individualism “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

◦ "Do not seek outside yourself“◦ Stress the necessity of relying on oneself for

knowledge and guidance.

“Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau◦ The need to prioritize one's conscience over the

dictates of laws.

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith◦ Free enterprise is based on individualism

Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand◦ Self-interest is the surest guide to societal well-being

Community The New Golden Rule by Amitai Etzioni

◦ Human beings are social animals and the value of community is unduly eroded by an exclusive focus on the individual

Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse by Mary Ann Glendon

◦ Defense of individual rights is destroying the possibility of community

Knowledge On Liberty by John Stuart Mills

◦ Free inquiry, pursuit of the scientific method, and academic freedom are important because of the oppression of scholars in the past.

◦ “Free marketplace of ideas”

Beauty The importance of the arts. Are arts worth being part of society because they help a society or do they have value in and of themselves?

Democracy On Kingship by Thomas Aquinas

◦ The belief in representative democracy

“Project for a Perpetual Peace” by Immanual Kant

◦ Argued that the spread of democracy would spread peace.

Sanctity of Life Life should be regarded with the highest value. Any action that preserves it is a worthy action. Any action that results in the loss of human life is an unworthy action.

Quality of Life Is the quality of life more important than the life itself?

Privacy How absolute is the right to be left alone?

◦ Abortion?◦ Right to surf the web without

government surveillance?◦ Pornography?◦ Drug dealing?◦ Terrorist activity?

Self-Actualization Abraham Maslow

◦ The highest human need is self-actualization.

◦ A commitment to achieving one’s own mission in life and accepting that mission as an end in itself.

◦ People achieve intrinsic worth, striving to realize their potential.

◦ Self-satisfying is the most important thing?

Utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham

◦ Values the greatest good for the greatest number

The Principles of Morals and Legislation by John Stuart Mill◦ What will produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people?◦ Whatever promotes pleasure and prevents pain.

Situation Ethics by Joseph Fletcher◦ Examine the situation before saying what action would be right or wrong. Do the loving

thing.◦ Only one thing is intrinsically good – love.◦ The ruling norm of Christian decision is love.◦ Love and justice are the same.◦ Love wills the neighbor’s good whether or not we like our neighbor.◦ The end justifies the means.◦ Love’s decisons are made only specific situations – they can’t be prescribed ahead of time.

Deontology The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals by Kant

◦ Greek for “obligation or duty”◦ An action must be based on its intrinsic

worth, not based on the consequences of the act.

◦ What is right needs to be decided prior to the determination of what is good.

◦ Human beings must never be used as a means to an end.

Cost-Benefit Analysis On the Measurement of the Utility of Public Works by Jules Deupuit

◦ Based on Economics◦ A good decision maker weighs the

advantages and disadvantages of any action before deciding what’s best.

◦ Consider the direct benefits, indirect benefits and the intangible benefits.

◦ Opportunity costs refer tot the other benefits that are given up by the choice to take the action in questions.

◦ Externalities are the negative byproducts of an action that are difficult to measure in monetary terms