Lecture Notes on Moral and Political Philosophy: Bentham to Sandel

A set of practice flashcards covering Bentham, Mill, Kant, Rawls, Nozick, Aristotle, and Michael Sandel, including their key concepts, critiques, and applications.

What is Bentham's Core Idea in utilitarianism, and what does he consider the 'sovereign masters' of human action?

Pleasure and pain; laws and social institutions should maximize happiness and align self-interest with the common good.

What is Bentham's Principle of Utility?

An action is right if it augments the happiness of the community; wrong if it tends to diminish it.

List the seven factors in Bentham's Hedonic Calculus.

Intensity, Duration, Certainty, Propinquity, Fecundity, Purity, Extent.

What is Bentham's view of human nature?

Purely psychological egoism; humans are driven by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

What is a key criticism of Bentham's calculus from Sandel's perspective?

It is reductive and can justify any act if the numbers add up, violating the separateness of persons and individual rights.

What is Mill's core idea in relation to Bentham's utilitarianism?

He accepts the core principle but aims to protect individual liberty from the tyranny of the majority.

What is Mill's qualitative Hedonism and which famous quote illustrates it?

Pleasures differ in quality; higher pleasures (intellectual, imaginative) are preferable to lower ones. Quote: 'It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.'

What is the Harm Principle in Mill's On Liberty?

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

Why does Mill matter for the course?

He reconciles utilitarianism with robust individual rights, arguing liberty leads to the highest form of happiness through progress and individuality.

What is Kant's core idea in Deontology?

Morality is about duty and reason; moral worth is determined by the maxims and their conformity to a universal law.

What is the Formula of Universal Law in Kant's Categorical Imperative?

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.

What is the Formula of Humanity as an End-in-Itself?

Treat humanity, in yourself or in others, always as an end and never merely as a means.

What is Kant's view of freedom?

True freedom is acting autonomously—giving oneself laws dictated by reason, not being ruled by external desires (heteronomy).

What is Rawls's core idea in A Theory of Justice?

Principles chosen from the Original Position behind a veil of ignorance to ensure fairness.

What are the Original Position and the Veil of Ignorance?

A thought experiment where we choose rules without knowing our own attributes to ensure impartiality and fairness.

What are Rawls's Two Principles of Justice?

1) Liberty Principle: equal basic liberties; 2) Difference Principle: inequalities must benefit the least advantaged and be open to fair equality of opportunity.

What is Nozick's core idea in Anarchy, State, and Utopia?

Rights-based libertarianism; a minimal state is legitimate, and redistribution beyond protection of rights is unjust.

What are the components of Nozick's Entitlement Theory?

Justice in Acquisition; Justice in Transfer; Rectification of past injustices.

What is the Wilt Chamberlain argument?

Voluntary payments to Wilt Chamberlain would create a wealth concentration, disrupting an initial pattern; redistributing would violate liberty.

What is Aristotle's core idea in Teleology/Virtue Ethics?

Justice depends on telos (purpose); goods are distributed according to virtue and the purpose of the good.

How does Sandel apply telos to debates like affirmative action and surrogacy?

We must debate the telos of social practices (e.g., university, family) rather than relying on neutral rights alone.

What is Sandel's first key critique of liberal theories?

The Unencumbered Self: the self is not prior to its ends; obligations are discovered as part of who we are.

What is Sandel's second key critique of liberal theories?

The Corruption of Goods: markets can price and thus degrade the social meaning of certain goods and practices (e.g., surrogacy, paying for votes).

What is Sandel's positive political vision?

A politics of the common good with citizens engaging in substantive moral debate about the purpose of institutions and values.