Justice-Whats the right thing to do?

Michael Sandel June 15, 2011

1 Episode 1
1.1 Moral Reasoning

Consequentialist-locates morality in the consequence of an act. Categorical-locates morality in certain duties and tights.

1.2

Question Raised

Do we have certain fundamental rights? Does a fair procedure justify any result? What the moral work of the consent?

2 Episode 2
2.1 Objection to Utilitarianism

Fails to respect individual/minority rights. Not possible to aggregate all values and preferences into a single measure such as money. Isnt there a distinction between higher and lower pleasure?

2.2

Some Quotations

The quantity of pleasure being equal, pushpin is as good as poetry.

by Jeremy Bentham The sole evidence it is possible to produce that anything is desirable is that people actually do desire it Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, then that is the more desirable pleasure. It is better to be a human being dissatised than a pig satised. Better to be Socrates dissatised than a fool satised. And if the fool or the pig are of a dierent opinion, it is because they only know their side of the question. While I dispute the pretensions of any theory which sets up an imaginary standard of justice not grounded on utility, I account the justice which is grounded in utility to be the chief part, and incomparably the most sacred and binding part, of all morality ... Justice is a name for certain moral requirements, which, regarded collectively, stand higher in the scale of social utility and are therefore of more paramount obligation than any others. by John Mill