Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'A Dictionary of Political Thought', 'fragments/reports' and 'Law, Pragmatism and Democracy'

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10 ideas

13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 2. Justification Challenges / c. Knowledge closure
20769 Sphaerus he was not assenting to the presence of pomegranates, but that it was 'reasonable' [Sphaerus, by Diog. Laertius]
     Full Idea: When Sphaerus accepted pomegranates from the king, he was accused of assenting to a false presentation, to which Sphaerus replied that what he had assented to was not that they were pomegranates, but that it was reasonable that they were pomegranates.
     From: report of Sphaerus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by Diogenes Laertius - Lives of Eminent Philosophers 07.177
     A reaction: He then cited the stoic distinction between a 'graspable' presentation and a 'reasonable' one. This seems a rather helpful response to Dretske's zebra problem. I like the word 'sensible' in epistemology, because animals can be sensible.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism
7590 Consequentialism emphasises value rather than obligation in morality [Scruton]
     Full Idea: According to consequentialism, the fundamental concept of morality is not obligation (deontological ethics) but value (axiological ethics).
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'consequentialism')
     A reaction: These two views could come dramatically apart, in wartime, or in big ecological crises, or in a family breakup, or in religious disputes. Having identified the pair so clearly, why can we not aim for a civilised (virtuous) balance between the two?
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / h. Respect
7589 Altruism is either emotional (where your interests are mine) or moral (where they are reasons for me) [Scruton]
     Full Idea: Two distinct motives go by the name of altruism: the emotions of liking, love and friendship, making another's interest automatically mine; and the moral motive of respect or considerateness, where another's interests become reasons for me, but not mine.
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'altruism')
     A reaction: The second one has a strongly Kantian flavour, with its notion of impersonal duty. Virtue theorists will aspire to achieve the first state rather than the second, because good actions are then actively desired, and give pleasure to the doer.
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 3. Natural Values / c. Natural rights
7595 The idea of a right seems fairly basic; justice may be the disposition to accord rights to people [Scruton]
     Full Idea: The idea of a right seems to be as basic as any other; we might even define justice in terms of it, as the disposition to accord to every person his rights.
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'rights')
     A reaction: I am inclined to think that a set of fairly pure values (such as equality, kindness, sympathy, respect) must be in place before the idea of a right would occur to anyone. Aristotle has a powerful moral sense, but rights for slaves don't cross his mind.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 3. Conservatism
7588 Allegiance is fundamental to the conservative view of society [Scruton]
     Full Idea: Conservatives have made the concept of allegiance, conceived as a power, fundamental to their description of the experience of society
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'allegiance')
     A reaction: This provokes the famous slogan of "My country - right or wrong!" However, the issue here is not going to be decided by a consequentialist analysis, but by a view a of human nature. I think I would want to carefully prise allegiance apart from loyalty.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy
21131 Democracy is competition for support of the people, guided by self-interest on all sides [Posner]
     Full Idea: Democratic politics is a competition among self-interested politicians, constituting a ruling class, for the support of the people, also assumed to be self-interested, and none too interested or well informed about politics.
     From: Richard Posner (Law, Pragmatism and Democracy [2003], p.144), quoted by Andrew Shorten - Contemporary Political Theory 05
     A reaction: This articulates the 'competitive' view of democracy, as simply a technique for establishing legitimacy. Posner is also an economist, and they also assume that everyone is wholly self-interested, which may be why they are so frequently wrong.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy
7594 Democrats are committed to a belief and to its opposite, if the majority prefer the latter [Scruton]
     Full Idea: The paradox of democracy (emphasised by Rousseau) is that I am compelled by my belief in democracy to embrace conflicting - perhaps even contradictory - opinions. If I believe A, and the majority vote for B, I am committed to enacting them both.
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'paradox of democracy')
     A reaction: The paradox would have to be resolved by qualifying what exactly one is committed to by being a democrat. I would say I am committed to the right of my opponents to enact a policy with which I disagree.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
7593 Liberals focus on universal human freedom, natural rights, and tolerance [Scruton, by PG]
     Full Idea: Liberalism believes (roughly) in the supremacy of the individual, who has freedom and natural rights; it focuses on human, not divine affairs; it claims rights and duties are universal; and it advocates tolerance in religion and morality.
     From: report of Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'liberalism') by PG - Db (ideas)
     A reaction: I find it hard to disagree with these principles, but the upshot in practice is often an excessive commitment to freedom and tolerance, because people fail to realise the subtle long-term erosions of society that can result.
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 2. The Law / d. Legal positivism
7592 For positivists law is a matter of form, for naturalists it is a matter of content [Scruton]
     Full Idea: For the positivist, law is law by virtue of its form; for the naturalist, by virtue of its content.
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'law')
     A reaction: Clearly a perverse and 'unnatural' social rule (backed by government and implied force) is a 'law' in some sense of the word. It is hard to see how you could gain social consensus for a law if it didn't appear in some way to be 'natural justice'.
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 3. Abortion
7587 The issue of abortion seems insoluble, because there is nothing with which to compare it [Scruton]
     Full Idea: The issue of abortion is intractable, partly because of the absence of any other case to which it can be assimilated.
     From: Roger Scruton (A Dictionary of Political Thought [1982], 'abortion')
     A reaction: This is the legalistic approach to the problem, which always looks for precedents and comparisons. All problems must hav solutions, though (mustn't they?). The problem, though, is not the value of the foetus, but the unique form of 'ownership'.