Equality: Secular Views Flashcards
(16 cards)
The Social Contract Theory
Human beings in their natural state are free and equal To live peacefully together, they consent (explicitly (laws) or implicitly (social norms)) to give up freedoms in order to benefit all Equality is a fundamental theme:Everyone is equal before the contract Key themes:All humans are naturally equal Government must protect equality or else they loose their legitimacyFocuses on reason, not divine command
The Social Contract Theory: Evaluation
Strengths:Places rational agreements at the centre of ethics, allowing for a universal foundation of right Weakness:assumes all individual have equal bargaining powers, Ignores groups that face inequality: women, minorities Doesn’t give a solution for inequality Marxist: masks inequalities, protecting the rich and powerful
John Locke
State of Nature: humans are naturally free, equal, and rational Everyone has Natural Rights:Life Liberty Property The role of the government is to protect these rights, not to create them If a government violated these natural rights, citizens have a right to Revolution “All men are naturally in a state of perfect freedom… and equality”
John Locke Evaluation
Strengths:accessible to all, not grounded in religion Formed hte philosophical basis for modern human rights UN declaration of human rights Justifies Revolution against oppressive governments Weaknesses:originally excluded women, non-Europeans, and non property holders Making it elitist in its historical formLocke himself was involved in colonial projects, so the theory was selectively applied Property rights emphasis can reinforce economic inequalities -> giving power to the elite
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
State of Nature: humans are innocent, free, and equal -> SOCIETY corrupts them Private property created inequality and injustice True equality requires a social contact, where individuals surrender to the general will (collective good) Real freedom is obeying the laws one prescribed to oneself Total freedom comes though a democratic self rule “Man is born free, and everywhere is in chains”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Evaluation
Strengths:recognises social structures cause inequalities Influenced modern democratic socialism Challenged the legitimacy of extreme wealth Weaknesses:suppresses the individual right -> tyranny of the majority Can justify authoritarianism if it claims to represent the general will Vague about how the general will is determined
John Rawls
The Veil of Ignorance:Imagines designing a society without knowing anything about yourself or what groups you fit into, eg race, gender, class, or ability Rational individual would choose priciples ensuring fairness for all Two key priciples:Equal basic liberties: eg freedom of speech and religion Fair equality of opportunityDifference principle: inequalities arranged to benefit the least advantaged
John Rawls Evaluation
Strengths:practicle and rational Protected both individual freedom and economic justice Provides a secular moral foundation Weaknesses:too idealistic, the real word politics is driven by self interest Libertarians (eg Nozick) argue Rawls restricts freedom by redistributing wealth unfairly Say it still reflects western liberal values, not truely neutral
The Social Contract Theory
Human beings in their natural state are free and equal To live peacefully together, they consent (explicitly (laws) or implicitly (social norms)) to give up freedoms in order to benefit all Equality is a fundamental theme:Everyone is equal before the contract Key themes:All humans are naturally equal Government must protect equality or else they loose their legitimacyFocuses on reason, not divine command
The Social Contract Theory: Evaluation
Strengths:Places rational agreements at the centre of ethics, allowing for a universal foundation of right Weakness:assumes all individual have equal bargaining powers, Ignores groups that face inequality: women, minorities Doesn’t give a solution for inequality Marxist: masks inequalities, protecting the rich and powerful
John Locke
State of Nature: humans are naturally free, equal, and rational Everyone has Natural Rights:Life Liberty Property The role of the government is to protect these rights, not to create them If a government violated these natural rights, citizens have a right to Revolution “All men are naturally in a state of perfect freedom… and equality”
John Locke Evaluation
Strengths:accessible to all, not grounded in religion Formed hte philosophical basis for modern human rights UN declaration of human rights Justifies Revolution against oppressive governments Weaknesses:originally excluded women, non-Europeans, and non property holders Making it elitist in its historical formLocke himself was involved in colonial projects, so the theory was selectively applied Property rights emphasis can reinforce economic inequalities -> giving power to the elite
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
State of Nature: humans are innocent, free, and equal -> SOCIETY corrupts them Private property created inequality and injustice True equality requires a social contact, where individuals surrender to the general will (collective good) Real freedom is obeying the laws one prescribed to oneself Total freedom comes though a democratic self rule “Man is born free, and everywhere is in chains”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Evaluation
Strengths:recognises social structures cause inequalities Influenced modern democratic socialism Challenged the legitimacy of extreme wealth Weaknesses:suppresses the individual right -> tyranny of the majority Can justify authoritarianism if it claims to represent the general will Vague about how the general will is determined
John Rawls
The Veil of Ignorance:Imagines designing a society without knowing anything about yourself or what groups you fit into, eg race, gender, class, or ability Rational individual would choose priciples ensuring fairness for all Two key priciples:Equal basic liberties: eg freedom of speech and religion Fair equality of opportunityDifference principle: inequalities arranged to benefit the least advantaged
John Rawls Evaluation
Strengths:practicle and rational Protected both individual freedom and economic justice Provides a secular moral foundation Weaknesses:too idealistic, the real word politics is driven by self interest Libertarians (eg Nozick) argue Rawls restricts freedom by redistributing wealth unfairly Say it still reflects western liberal values, not truely neutral
