哈佛公开课：公正该如何做是好Readings

Readings

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This section contains the reading assignments for the course. Study questions are also presented. Students are encouraged to think about these questions as, and after, they read.

Textbooks

Friedman, Milton. Capitalism and Freedom. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780226264219.

Nozick, Robert. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2006. ISBN: 9780465051007.

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999. ISBN: 9780674000780.

Readings by Session

Course readings.

LEC # TOPICS READINGS

1 Problems of Justice in a Democratic Society

I. Utilitarianism

LEC # TOPICS READINGS

2 Hedonistic

Utilitarianism

Bentham, Jeremy. Introduction to the

Principles of Morals and Legislation. New

York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996,

chapters 1, 4, 13, and 17 (sec. 1). ISBN:

9780198205166.

Study Questions

- What is Bentham's "principle of utility" or

"greatest happiness principle"?

- Bentham says that pleasure is the only thing

that is good in itself. Is he right? What about

knowledge? Or beauty? Or achieving the aims

you set for yourself?

- Can you make a utilitarian case against

slavery? Consider three cases, and work out

the argument for each: (i) slaves are only 10%

of the population; (ii) slaves are a quarter

of the population, but are members of a

socially outcast group; (iii) the slaves are

a majority of the population, and do

backbreaking work in mines, but are very

productive.

- Is the legal enforcement of a community's

moral code such a bad thing? Does Bentham make

a persuasive case against it? (What does he

mean when he says it is unprofitable?) Can you

think of laws that regulate conduct because

the conduct is immoral? What do you think of

those laws?

3 The Enforcement of

Morals

Bowers vs. Hardwick et al., 478 U.S. 186

(1986). (PDF)

Lawrence vs. Texas, (2003) (PDF)

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give