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Single Idea 20538

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 4. Social Utilitarianism ]

Full Idea

Rawls objects to utilitarianism because it fails to take seriously the separateness of persons (because there is no overall person to enjoy the overall happiness). But Nozick thinks Rawls does not take the separateness of persons seriously enough.

Gist of Idea

Utilitarians lump persons together; Rawls somewhat separates them; Nozick wholly separates them

Source

comment on John Rawls (A Theory of Justice [1972]) by Adam Swift - Political Philosophy (3rd ed) 1 'Nozick'

Book Ref

Swift,Adam: 'Political Philosophy (3rd edn)' [Polity 2014], p.32

A Reaction

In this sense, Nozick seems to fit our picture of a liberal more closely than Rawls does. I think they both exaggerate the separateness of persons, based on a false concept of human nature.

The 19 ideas from John Rawls

22406 The maximisation of happiness must be done fairly [Rawls, by Smart]
21137 Rawls rejected cosmopolitanism because it doesn't respect the autonomy of 'peoples' [Rawls, by Shorten]
23420 In a pluralist society we can't expect a community united around one conception of the good [Rawls]
21119 Power is only legitimate if it is reasonable for free equal citizens to endorse the constitution [Rawls]
21051 Check your rationality by thinking of your opinion pronounced by the supreme court [Rawls]
15676 Rawls defends the priority of right over good [Rawls, by Finlayson]
4123 A fair arrangement is one that parties can agree to without knowing how it will benefit them personally [Rawls, by Williams,B]
3280 Why does the rational agreement of the 'Original Position' in Rawls make it right? [Nagel on Rawls]
20552 The original position models the idea that citizens start as free and equal [Rawls, by Swift]
20538 Utilitarians lump persons together; Rawls somewhat separates them; Nozick wholly separates them [Swift on Rawls]
9277 Rawls's account of justice relies on conventional fairness, avoiding all moral controversy [Gray on Rawls]
21018 The social contract has problems with future generations, national boundaries, disabilities and animals [Rawls, by Nussbaum]
18636 Choose justice principles in ignorance of your own social situation [Rawls]
18631 All desirable social features should be equal, unless inequality favours the disadvantaged [Rawls]
21041 Justice concerns not natural distributions, or our born location, but what we do about them [Rawls]
20527 Liberty Principle: everyone has an equal right to liberties, if compatible with others' liberties [Rawls]
23110 Human injustice is not a permanent feature of communities [Rawls]
23583 If an aggression is unjust, the constraints on how it is fought are much stricter [Rawls]
3279 Utilitarianism inappropriately scales up the individual willingness to make sacrifices [Rawls, by Nagel]