IPT Cards 2 (Sandels theories)

Utilitarianism (Bentham)

Maximize total pleasure minus pain. All preferences count equally.

Mill’s Revision

Higher vs lower pleasures. Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than fool satisfied

Utilitarianism Objection

Can justify sacrificing individuals (e.g. Christian to the lions).

Libertarianism / Nozick

Self-ownership. Only minimal state justified.

Nozick – Wilt Chamberlain Argument

Liberty upsets patterned distributions. Voluntary choices create inequality.

Aristotle – Justice

Teleological (depends on purpose/telos) and honorific. Flutes go to best flute players.

Aristotle – Politics

Purpose of politics = cultivate virtue and enable the good life (not neutral).

Kant – Motive

Moral worth comes from duty, not consequences.

Kant – Categorical Imperative (1)

Act only on maxims you can will as universal law.

Kant – Categorical Imperative (2)

Treat persons as ends in themselves, never merely as means.

Kant – Dignity

Persons have absolute dignity (not price). Rejects utilitarianism.