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Single Idea 21031

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 5. Persons as Ends ]

Full Idea

Man cannot dispose over himself because he is not a thing; he is not his own property.

Gist of Idea

Man cannot dispose of himself, because he is not a thing to be owned

Source

Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 05)

Book Ref

Sandel,Michael J.: 'Justice: what's the right thing to do?' [Penguin 2010], p.130


A Reaction

[Kant lecture note] This is an important qualification to persons as ends. If a person owned themselves, that would separate the person from what they owned. Sandel mentions selling your own organs. Kant is considering prostitution. Why is slavery wrong?


The 19 ideas from 'Justice: What's the right thing to do?'

We can approach justice through welfare, or freedom, or virtue [Sandel]
Justice concerns how a society distributes what it prizes - wealth, rights, power and honours [Sandel]
Speak truth only to those who deserve the truth [Sandel]
Careful evasions of truth at least show respect for it [Sandel]
The categorical imperative is not the Golden Rule, which concerns contingent desires [Sandel]
Man cannot dispose of himself, because he is not a thing to be owned [Sandel]
A just constitution harmonises the different freedoms [Sandel]
Just visiting (and using roads) is hardly ratifying the Constitution [Sandel]
A ratified constitution may not be a just constitution [Sandel]
Not all deals are fair deals [Sandel]
Does consent create the obligation, or must there be some benefit? [Sandel]
Moral contracts involve both consent and reciprocity; making the deal, and keeping it [Sandel]
Libertarians just want formal equality in a free market; the meritocratic view wants fair equality [Sandel]
Distributive justice concern deserts, as well as who gets what [Sandel]
Should we redress wrongs done by a previous generation? [Sandel]
Work is not fair if it is negotiated, even in a fair situation, but if it suits the nature of the worker [Sandel]
Teleological thinking is essential for social and political issues [Sandel]
Liberal freedom was a response to assigned destinies like caste and class [Sandel]
Justice is about how we value things, and not just about distributions [Sandel]