8-15



conservatism 

  • edmund burke

    • 1730-1797

  • thomas paine

    • 1739-1789

  • burkes conception of politics as a tradition extenging across generations

    • politics sgould be seen as a tradition extending across generations

    • emphasziing the continuity and organic nature of society

  • gratitude as a political virtue

    • how the moral quality of gratitude can influence political; behavior, relationships and social cohesion

  • burkes criticisms of revolutionaries as political actors

    • radical disregard for tradition

      • disrespect of tradition

      • argues that tradition & historical and continuity are essential fot the stability and cohesion of society

    • rejection of gradual reform

      • change should be gradual and organic

    • ignorance of human nature

    • unintended consequences of revolution 

    • revolutions as a threat ti social stability

  • burkes argument from liited knowledge for gradual reform

    • centererd around idea that human beings have limited understands for complexities of society

  • burked argument that the french revolution would lead to a military dictatorship

    • rooted in his deep skepticism about the revolutions ability to establish stable and just political order 



liberal egalitariaism 

  • john rawls

  • to balance freedom, equality and fairnoess with a democratic society


  • the original position 

    • hypothetical social contract

    • establish principles of justice for the basic structure 

    • individuals come together to decide rules and principles of justice thatll govern society

  • the veil of ignorance 

    • why? so theyll be unbiased

    • thought experiment designed to ensure fairness in the principle of justice that govern a society by removing personal biases and self-interest 

    • applied in the original position

  • refrelective equilibrium 

    • refers to a state of coherence of balance bwtweeb our moral principles, theories and particular judgement 

    • process: adjustng and referring these elements to achieve consistency across them 

  • the principles of justice

    • 1. equal basic liberties

    • 2. economic inequalities must be 

      • reasonably expected to be everyones advantage 

      • offices and positions are open to all

  • the baseline of equality

    • refers to initial or default condition of equality among individuals before any deviations or inequalities are justified

    • seves as a reference point, whether inequalities are acceptable or ned rectification 

  • formal equality of opportunity v fair equality of opportunity

    • formal:

      • requires that no individual faces discrimination or barriers based on irrelevant factors such as racem genderm religion or social status 

    • fair:

      • addresses systemic barriers and ensure that all individyakls have qeuinely equal chance to compete for opportunities

  • rawls definition of injustice

    • deviations from the principles of justice that rational individuals would agree upon under fair conditions such as the original position and the veil of ignorance

  • the difference principle

    • social and economic inequalities are only permisable if they benefit the leat advantaged members of society

  • rawls critique of preinstitutional desert

    • states: individuals deserve rewards or benefits baseddf solely on their natural abilities or efforctts prior to the establishment of societal rules 

    • critiques bc its flawed bc what individuals “deserve” depends on social instiutions that determine and allocate rewards

  • pareto argument for inequality 

    • inequality cant be justified if it leads to improvements in the well-being of everyone in society, including the least advantaged, without making anyone worse off 


libertarianism 

  • robert nozick 

    • 1838-2002

  • libertarianism

    • role of govt is to protect individual rights

  • - rights vs + rights

    • -:

      • requires others to refrain from interfering with individual actions

      • rights to non-interference 

    • +:

      • requires others, especially the state to take action or provide something in orfer to fulfill or ensure the rights of an individual

      • rights involve entitlements to certain goods 

  • libertarian conception of equality as equal negative rights

    • all have natural rights and their all negative rights= equality

    • emphasized equality in terms of freedom from interference 

    • ensures individuals have equal negative rights, no one should be subject to coercion, force or interference

  • entitlement theory 

    • offers an alternative to theories of distributive justice

    • individuals are entitled to their holdings, if they acquire them justly

    • role of state is to ensure that holdings are acquired justly and transferred justly 

  • historical principle of justice v patterned principle

    • historical:

      • focus on peoccess on how holdings are acquired anf transferred

      • asks: how did an individual come to hold what they have ?

    • patterned

      • distribution of goods and resources

      • focuses on specific outcome or pattern society should achieve

      • asks: what distribution should society aim for?

  • nozick critique of baseline of equality

    • rejection of pattened principles of justice

      • focusses on achieving a particular distribution or pattern if wealth and resources, such as equality or a specific standard of living

  • nozick argument against socialism

    • focusses on violation of human rights and the coercive nature of state enforced redistribution

  • nozick appeak to formula of humanity

    • respecting: 

      •  indiviual autonomy 

      • property tights

      • non interference 

      • individual rights 

  • wilt c. argument

    • how voluntary exchange lead to unequal outcomes

    • outcomes are just bc they result from individual autonomous choices

  • nozick objection against fair and equal opportunity

    • egalitarian approaches to justice often include coercive redistribution and violation of individual rights

  • the alcoholic father 

    • should the child be compensated for the fathers neglect? 

      • rawls: yes

      • nozick: fuck no 

housing policy 

  • collective property vs common property

    • collective

      • ownership of property by a group, community, or society as a whole

      • managed collectivrlu of trn by governing body, cooperations or state institutions

    • common

      • resource or property owned collectivrly by a community,

      • but where each memeber of the community has access to and can use the property

      • no centra authority managing the property

      • individuals have more direct control over its use and maintenance 

  • housing vouchers

    • form if housing assistance

  • rent control

    • govt imposes regulations that kunut the ant a landlord can charge for renting out property

    • economists believes it causes housing shortages or makes them worse

  • economies of agglomeration

    • economic benefits thar businesses and individualsexxxperience by being located next to eachotehr or in a concentrated geographic area or an “agglomerated” space

  • why homeowners would be likely to support strict local building regulations

    • protecting property rights 

    • “maintaining” neighborhoods character

  • waldrons argument that the homeless lack negative freedom

    • homeless = denying negative freedom

  • possible advantages of housing vouchers

    • increasing housing choices

    • access to better neighborhoods

    • reduced concentration of poverty

  • tabarroks case against rent control

    • decreased incdentived for landlords to maintain poverty 

    • reduced supply of rental housing 

    • black markets

    • misallocation of housing

  • consequences of zoning and other building regulations

    • hinder economic growth, exacerbate inequality, and limit housing availability 

    • reduced housing supply and increased prices

    • segregation and inequality


democracy 

  • platos theory of the 3 parts of the soul

    • reason:

      • rational part is responsible for reasoning, wisdom, and the pursuit of truth

      • what is god? 

    • middle part:

      • spirited part is responsible for courage, honor and emotion such as anger and indignation

      • ally to reason

      • ensures decisions and resists temptations

    • appetitive part 

      • governs basic desires and bodily pleasures such as hunger, thirst and sexual desires 

      • seeks gratification and material satisfaction

  • the oligarchic city and the oligarchic person

    • city:

      • when a timocratic government transfers into a government dominated by wealth

    • person:

      • individuals who correspond to the oligarchic city whose whose life is dominated by the desire of wealth and material success

  • disadvantages of oligarchy

    • society inequality 

    • moral decay 

    • instability 

  • mills utilitarian arguments of democracy: 

    • security of interests:

      • democracy is the best system for ensuring that the interest of all citizens are protected

    • moral education:

      • educational role of democracy in developing the oral and intellectial capactities of citizens

    • effects on character:

      • mill believes that democratic institutions posituively shape the character of individuals, leading to a more enlightened and vitreous citizenry 

  • argument that deocracues are richer; why this fails to support democracy

    • made to support democratic gobernancem as wealthier nations can provide better living standards, public services and economic opportunities 

    • fails: correlation isnt causation

  • armartya sen on democracy and famice

    • democracy plays a crucial role in preventing famine

  • democracy and massacres 

    • role is to protect people, history proves otherwise… why?

      • accountability or lack there of

      • respect for human rights

      • public debate and consent

      • democratic peace theory

  • the democratic peace thory 

    • argues that democracues are less likely to go to war with one another compared to conflicts involving at least one non-democratic state


democracy and dictatorship 

  • the democratic city and the democratic person

    • city:

      • characterized by its emphasis on individual freedom and equality

      • citizens pursue desires and interests with minimal interference

    • person:

      • emerges from a rejection of the oligarchic parents rigid focus on wealth and discipline

      • embraces freedom, allowing desires and appetites guide their decisions

  • necessary v unnecessary desires;  lawless unnecessary desires

    • necessary:

      • those that are essential for survival and basic well being

      • natural and indispensable

    • unnecessary:

      • goes beyond what is necessary for survival and basic well-being

      • associated w luxuries and excess

    • lawless:

      • refers to desires that not only go beyinbg necessary but also violate moral or legal boundaries

      • unchecked may kead to harmful or immoral behavior

      • disordered

  • the tyrannical city and the tyrannical person

    • city:

      • when a democratic city, characterized by excessive freedom and equality,  becomes unstabled

    • person:

      • final stage of degradation within the soul

      • born out of the democratic person, marked by excessive indulgence of desires and lack of self-control

  • platos cxoncern about democracy

    • excessive freedom and lack of order

    • transition from democracy to tyranny

    • rule of the “many” vs rule of the “wise”

    • equality and democracy: a misunderstanding

    • tyrannical individuals: reflection of the tyrannical city

  • platos ship & animal-tamer analogy

    • both explain why philosophers, especially philosopher kings, are most qualified to rule a city

    • ship-owner- voters 

    • ship- city (or society as a whole)

    • sailors- politicians (and political constultants, etc)

    • the captain- expert/philosopher

  • the isolated slave owner

    • conflict btwn certain conceptions of liberty and the potential consequences of liberty without using constraints 


nonviolent resistance 

  • montgomery bus boycott

    • montgomery alabama 12/55-12/56

    • segregation on public busses

  • morgav v virginia

    • case dealting w segregation on interstate travel (busses)

    • 6 to 1 in favor of morgan

      • segregation laws were deemed as unconstitutional

  • the freedom rides

    • series of civil rights protests in 1961

  • the albany movement

    • albany georgia 

    • one of first large-scale attempts to integrate a southern city using nonviolent protests

  • birmingham

    • birmingham alabama 1965

    • one of the most significantinfluencial events in american civil rights movement 

  • the civil rights act of 1964

    • major victory if the civil rights movement 

  • principled vs strategic nonviolence

    • principled

      • based in a moral commitment to non violence, regardless of circumstances

    • strategic

      • focused on achieving specific political or social objetives using nonviolent tactics, bc theyre seen as more effective/practical in achieving goals

  • kings views on the nature of nonviolent action

    • rooted in his moral and religious beliefs

  • moral jiu-jitsu

    • technique of nonviolent resistence where an individual or group uses an oppressors aggression or violence as a tool to expose the moral failings or injustices of the oppressors actions 

  • black power critique of nonviolence 

    • innefectiveness of nonviolence

    • selfe dense/ black pride

    • seperation anf black autonomy

  •  kings response 

    robot

    • morality

    • self respect

    • disagreement about violence

    • realism about progress 


  • advantages of nonviolent resistance

    •  moral high ground

    • wder appeal

    • legitimacy and political impact

    • disruption without violence

    • attracts media attention