Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Justice: What's the right thing to do?' and 'Letters'

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4 ideas

23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 1. Contractarianism
Not all deals are fair deals [Sandel]
     Full Idea: The mere fact that you and I make a deal is not enough to make it fair.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 06)
Does consent create the obligation, or must there be some benefit? [Sandel]
     Full Idea: Legal thinkers have debated this question for a long time: can consent create an obligation on its own, or is some element of benefit or reliance required?
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 06)
     A reaction: Clearly mere consent could be under some compulsion, either by the other party, or by some other forces. Keeping a deathbed promise usually brings no benefit, but is a matter of honour. Ah, honour! Can anyone remember what that is?
Moral contracts involve both consent and reciprocity; making the deal, and keeping it [Sandel]
     Full Idea: Despite a tendency to read consent into moral claims, it is hard to make sense of our morality without acknowledging the independent weight of reciprocity. If my wife is unfaithful I have two different grounds of outrage: our promise, and my loyalty.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 06)
     A reaction: The point is that Hobbes and co over-simplify what a contract is. Compare a contract with a promise. One must be two-sided, the other can be one-sided.
23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 2. Golden Rule
The categorical imperative is not the Golden Rule, which concerns contingent desires [Sandel]
     Full Idea: The Golden Rule depends on contingent facts about how people like to be treated. The categorical imperative asks that we abstract from such contingencies and respect persons as rational beings, regardless of what they might want in particular situations.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 05)
     A reaction: I think the Golden Rule is wrong for a different reason. It assumes that we all want similar things, which we don't. Focus on other people's needs, not yours.