Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Chomsky on himself', 'talk' and 'Anarchical Fallacies: on the Declaration of Rights'

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4 ideas

18. Thought / D. Concepts / 2. Origin of Concepts / c. Nativist concepts

6649	Chomsky now says concepts are basically innate, as well as syntax [Chomsky, by Lowe]
	Full Idea: Chomsky now contends that not only the syntax of natural language but also the concepts expressible in it have an innate basis.
	From: report of Noam Chomsky (Chomsky on himself [1994]) by E.J. Lowe - Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind Ch.7 n25
	A reaction: This seems to follow Fodor, who has been mocked for implying that we have an innate idea of a screwdriver etc. Note that Chomsky says concepts have an innate 'basis'. This fits well with modern (cautious) rationalism, with which I am happy.

24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 3. Natural Values / c. Natural rights

20977	Natural rights are nonsense, and unspecified natural rights is nonsense on stilts [Bentham]
	Full Idea: Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense — nonsense upon stilts.
	From: Jeremy Bentham (Anarchical Fallacies: on the Declaration of Rights [1796])
	A reaction: If you want your opinion to be remembered, express it memorably! I take natural rights to be the basic principles and values which are obvious to almost everyone when they come for formulate legal rights (which are the only true rights).

25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 1. Basis of Rights

21003	Only laws can produce real rights; rights from 'law of nature' are imaginary [Bentham]
	Full Idea: Right, the substantive right, is the child of law; from real laws come real rights; but from imaginary laws, from 'law of nature' can come only imaginary rights.
	From: Jeremy Bentham (Anarchical Fallacies: on the Declaration of Rights [1796], II.523), quoted by Amartya Sen - The Idea of Justice 17 'Ethics'
	A reaction: I am coming to agree with this. What are called 'natural rights' are just self-evident good reasons why someone should be allowed a right. A right can, of course, come from an informal agreement. The question is: why award that particular legal right?

25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice

21229	If everyone is treated with equal injustice, at least that is fair [Morgenbesser]
	Full Idea: When the police hit me over the head at the demonstration, it was unjust but at least it was fair, because they hit everybody else over the head.
	From: Sidney Morgenbesser (talk [1970]), quoted by PG - Db (ideas)
	A reaction: An example of Morganbesser's famous wit, but this is the perfect and simplest riposte to Rawls's claim that justice is fairness. Horrific injustices can be distributed fairly, and often are, in prisons, schools, families and armies.