As is to be expected in a modern, pluralistic democracy, many of these issues are addressed in the political realm and through the political process (including the courts). Robert Cavalier Philosophy Department Carnegie Mellon, Preface: The Life of Socrates Section 1: Greek Moral Philosophy Section 2: Hellenistic and Roman Ethics Section 3: Early Christian Ethics Section 4: Modern Moral Philosophy Section 5: 20th Century Analytic Moral Philosophy, Preface: Meta-ethics, Normative Ethics and Applied Ethics Section 1: Ethical Relativism Section 2: Ethical Egoism Section 3: Utilitarian Theories Section 4: Deontological Theories Section 5: Contractarian Theories Section 6: Virtue Ethics Section 7: Liberal Rights and Communitarian Theories Section 8: Case-based Moral Reasoning Section 9: Moral Pluralism, Preface: The Field of Applied Ethics Section 1: The Topic of Euthanasia Multimedia Module: A Right to Die? And if the world’s communities are merging into one moral community, than the basic ideas of communitarianism will harmonize ever more with the universalizable ethical goals of liberal thought. The "self is not prior to, but rather constituted by, its ends -- we cannot distinguish ‘me’ from ‘my ends’ [and] our selves are at least partly constituted by ends that we do not choose, but rather discover by virtue of our being embedded in some shared social context" (Sandel, quoted by Kymlicka p. 211). To begin with, Carlos says that justice is a remedial virtue, which we would not need if the noble virtues like benevolence hadn't eroded. Thus liberals will emphasize the role of choice and freedom from government interference in private matters. evaluate the ways of life of every society. Justice also serves to guarantee that loving relationships are not corrupted by domination, as has often happened with spouses. A Theory of Justice. M. If we do not judge that it shouldn't be reexamined? And that really was Dr. King’s insistence at the end of his life….’, Alexander’s reflection on her own work illustrates our need not only to grow more expansive in our thinking in order to achieve a more just society not just locally, but globally: we need to witness and internalize the sufferings faced by other human beings who are not like us in appearance and culture, so that our instincts for empathy and for justice expand as well… Read original essay here. But now, our situation is very different: people’s ideas and actions, thanks to advanced technologies in communication, production, and travel, can have worldwide consequences, for ill and for good. (K 212), We take issue with the commitment that liberals make to state neutrality with respect But both authors (and their followers) conceive of individuals as ‘Socratic’ in nature, capable of reasoning about their life plan and questioning, in principle, the world around them. Liberals like Rawls are wrong to say that the self is prior to the ends affirmed by it. Interview with Bill Moyers, December 20, 2013. http://billmoyers.com/episode/incarceration-nation/. I listened to Bill Moyers’ discussion with Michelle Alexander recently, about her book The New Jim Crow and her activism against the over-incarceration of black people here in the US. One sure marker of this trend is the rise of an intellectual movement known as communitarianism. Who’s right? I realize that as well-intentioned as all that work was, it was leading me to a place of relatively narrow thinking…. When it comes to explaining how cultural traditions evolve to make a society more just, communitarianism has something to offer. In a moment, Libby, you'll get to respond. what's worth pursuing. (Charles Taylor, cited in K 222). We do not deny that the Communitarianism Amii a Etziot ni Commnism aunii rat is a ocial s philosophy ht, at in contrast to theories that emphasize the centrality of the individual, emphasizes the importance of society in articulating the good. Libby, well known for her advocacy of the liberal perspective and especially the philosophy of John Rawls, has agreed to join us again. Today we often find moral problems framed by perspectives derived from political philosophy. Bell believes that the theoretical differences between liberalism and communitarianism have important practical consequences, and he seeks to show the distinctiveness of communitarian theory by identifying policy recommendations for the United States that flow from it. Familiarity with people of different habits, different appearances, and different interests removes our sense of discomfort, and breeds not contempt, but empathy, compassion, and friendliness. L. State neutrality is simply the rejection of state perfectionism, according to which the state should provide resources only to, or chiefly to, those who pursue a narrow list of approved conceptions of the good. L: I would love to. Liberals wrongly understand justice as and ask whether we wish to go on pursuing it. Many liberals have taken for granted the existence of a tolerant and diverse culture, but this requires faith that communities outside the strictly political public sphere can nurture people's capacity for individual judgment.