2/10/14

1
!"#$%&' )
*+,-./ #01 %"& 2,3-#4 !,0%'#3%
ChapLer 3 revlew
uescrlpuve v. MeLaeLhlcal 8elauvlsm
Cb[ecuvlsm
Moral 8eallsm
Absoluusm
nussbaum's so unlversallsm"
8oss's plurallsm
o[man's argumenL agalnsL relauvlsm
8orLy's pragmauc anu-foundauonallsm"
8elauvlsm as self-conLradlcLory?
All LruLh clalms are relauve"
1hls makes a LruLh clalm
So Lhls ls relauve
1hus lL ls merely relauve LhaL
all LruLh clalms are relauve"
So lL ls noL Lrue" LhaL all
LruLh clalms are relauve"
So unlversallsm
nussbaum's Capablllues
Approach
varleLy of norms needed
for human ourlshlng
Can be embodled ln
dlerenL culLures ln
dlerenL ways
MarLha nussbaum
b. 1947
nussbaum's CenLral Capablllues
1. Llfe
2. 8odlly healLh
3. 8odlly lnLegrlLy
4. Senses, lmaglnauon, and LhoughL
3. Lmouon
6. racucal reason
7. Amllauon
8. CLher specles
9. lay
10. ConLrol over one's envlronmenL: pollucal and
maLerlal
o[man Concluslons
noL as much dlverslLy as we
Lhlnk (so unlversallsm)
Common values are enacLed ln
varlous culLural condluons
We can reason abouL and [usufy
bellefs and [udgmenLs
Who's Lo !udge?"-We are: on
Lhe basls of Lhe besL reasonlng
we can brlng forLh and wlLh
sympaLhy and undersLandlng"
Louls o[man
1933-2003
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2
8orLy: pragmauc anu-foundauonallsm
!udgmenLs are provlslonal
and embedded ln conLexLs,
culLures, and ways of llfe
noL a global asseruon of
relauvlsm-buL a recognluon
of llmlLs and perspecuves
8lchard 8orLy
1931-2007
8orLy: 8elauvlsL ln-concluslveness
WhaL ls Lhe besL meLhod/
approach: appeal Lo Lhe
supernaLural-or Lo uarwln (or
Lo reason, eLc.)?
Any answer begs Lhe
quesuon"

l suspecL LhaL all LhaL elLher
slde can do ls Lo resLaLe lLs
case over and over agaln, ln
conLexL aer conLexL"
Moral lurallsm
ls Lhere one good or many?
Cf. 8ellglous plurallsm (ch. 2): convergence of
rellglons Loward one common core
lurallsLs hold LhaL Lhere are many goods

Cf. rellglous plurallsm (Candhl): convergence of
rellglons around someLhlng common
Cne Lype of plurallsm
8oss's prlma facle duues
lldellLy
8eparauon
CrauLude
8enecence
nonmalecence
!usuce
Self-lmprovemenL
ChapLer 4
*+,-./5 64%'7-./5 #01 2,3-#4 !,0%'#3%
Lgolsm v. AlLrulsm
8&.3'-$9:& Lheory abouL our mouvauons
Self lnLeresLed?
Selsh?
AlLrulsuc
;<.=3",4,+-3#4 *+,-./>
?,'/#9:& %"&,'= abouL moral focus
Curselves
CLhers
;*%"-3#4 *+,-./>
2/10/14
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Lvoluuonary Lxplanauon of
alLrulsm" and pro-soclal" behavlor
Adapuve advanLage
for soclal anlmals
8u1 Lhls may only
explaln 0&$,9./
Should we help Lhose
wlLh whom we are
noL relaLed?
ls-CughL problem
LLhlcal Lgolsm
lL ls CCCu for people Lo pursue Lhelr own self-
lnLeresL
lL ls wrong Lo meddle wlLh oLhers = lalssez-
falre = leave oLhers alone and mlnd your own
buslness
Ayn 8and
(1903-1982)
AlLrulsm holds LhaL man has no rlghL
Lo exlsL for hls own sake, LhaL servlce
Lo oLhers ls Lhe only [usucauon of hls
exlsLence, and LhaL self-sacrlce ls hls
hlghesL moral duLy, vlrLue and
value.. alLrulsm holds deaLh as lLs
ulumaLe goal and sLandard of value-
and lL ls loglcal LhaL renunclauon,
reslgnauon, self-denlal, and every
oLher form of suerlng, lncludlng self-
desLrucuon, are Lhe vlrLues lL
advocaLes."
AlLrulsm and Lhe moral polnL of vlew"
Colden 8ule ls 8aslc: uo unLo oLhers as you
would have Lhem do unLo you", love your
nelghbor as yourself"
Lgolsm ls lnconslsLenL
LgolsLs moral clalms only apply Lo hlm-and noL
Lo anyone else
8aslc moral lnLuluon: LhaL someumes lL ls
morally good nC1 Lo pursue your own self-
lnLeresL
Lgolsm ! 8eclprocal AlLrulsm
MuLual beneL
Soclal cooperauon
Cuesuons/roblems
Are we really only mouvaLed by self-lnLeresL:
ls psychologlcal egolsm Lrue?
Pow do we know whaL our Lrue mouvauons
are?
2/10/14
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Weakness of Wlll
Maybe we oughL Lo be
alLrulsuc-buL fall
because we are unable
Lo do whaL we know
we oughL Lo do
!"#$%&$ = weakness of
wlll
uoes noL [usufy eLhlcal
egolsm-buL explalns
Lhe challenge of
morallLy
Cender 1rouble?
Are Lhere gender dlerences
wlLh regard Lo egolsm/alLrulsm-
lnuenced by culLure?
Lx. Women are supposed Lo be
more carlng Lhan men?
Lx. men geL away wlLh egolsuc
behavlor
aradox of Pedonlsm
lf we alm aL happlness (or egolsuc
pleasure), we don'L geL lL
Papplness comes as a by-producL of
alLrulsuc behavlor
So: egolsL may noL geL whaL he wanLs.
<'-.,0&'@. 8-4&//#
A B&%'#=. C A 1,&. 0,%
B&%'#= C
C B&%'#=. A
Lach geLs 10
years
x goes free,
? geLs 20 years
C 1,&. 0,%
B&%'#= A
? goes free,
x geLs 20 years
Lach goes free
Concluslon: Self-lnLeresLed people
who do noL LrusL each oLher wlll
end up wlLh worse ouLcomes
Soclal ConLracL
A way ouL of Lhe
prlsoner's dllemma of
self-lnLeresL
need an auLhorlLy Lo
enforce our agreemenLs
so LhaL Lhere ls no
cheaung
Morals by agreemenL
among rauonal self-
lnLeresLed persons
Pobbes' Soclal ConLracL
AgreemenL Lo secure
one's own self lnLeresL.
1o secure Lhe peace
and ensure compllance
we need an absoluLe
soverelgn ruler
1he LevlaLhan

1homas Pobbes
1388-1679
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3
Lgolsm and lalssez-falre caplLallsm
1he lnvlslble hand" of Lhe economy (Adam
SmlLh) wlll regulaLe Lhlngs lf everyone ls le
alone Lo pursue Lhelr own self-lnLeresL
8uL: are markeLs moral?
Common Sense MorallLy?
uoes egolsm L wlLh our lnLuluons abouL
morallLy?
WhaL would egolsLs say abouL Loplcs such as
aboruon, sulclde, war, LorLure, eLc.?
LgolsL reply: 8auonal Self-lnLeresL"
Why be moral?
Cyges sLory: whaL would you do lf you knew
you would noL geL caughL?
MorallLy pays ln Lhe long run: cooperauon ls
good for all of us
(ls Lhls merely egolsm)?
Are Lhere pure reasons Lo be moral (= kanL)?