Sunday, February 12, 2012
Justice: Chapter Three
In this chapter, Sandel critiques the libertarian position. Libertarianism might be of some interest since there is a libertarian seeking the republican nomination to the presidency, viz. Ron Paul. The libertarian position is quite straight forward. The government has a very minimal role to play in the affairs of individuals and markets. Sandel presents five arguments against liberalism, but suggests that only the last one is difficult for the libertrian to defend. This is the idea of luck and self-ownership. To what extent is a person's sucess based on luck. If it is based on luck, then an argument can be made that indiviudals are not necessarily deserving to everything they have earned. The libertarian response relies on the notion of self-ownership. Sandel then asks us how far we want to carry the notion of self-ownershipby considering cases ranging from selling kidneys to voluntary cannibalism. So I would be interested to hear what you think about the role of luck in our successes. Does self ownership mean we can have participate in activities such as selling our kidney or voluntary cannibalism?
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I think luck does play a fair amount in people's success. I'm saying this as someone who really always thought ahead and tried to plan for the best results. What would look best on college applications, on my resume, etc.? However, all the planning in the world won't make up the difference between being born to a crack-addicted mom who sells herself versus being born to a family of generations of well-educated millionaires. Although I was lucky to be somewhere in the middle, the lesson really hit home with me when I had my college interview to get into Princeton. "And which of your relatives went to Princeton, Ms. Molle?" I remember answering him that none had and, in fact, I was only probably the second or third person in the family to go to college despite having 2 sister, 8 aunts and uncles, and 37 first cousins! I did not get into Princeton even though I was accepted by MIT! So luck is incredibly important in life even if it shouldn't be. The real question is what is luck. Is it luck or is it all part of God's plan? I guess one could argue that if I had been accepted by Princeton, maybe I would have gone there (not that I went to MIT). Maybe my life would have been totally different.
ReplyDeleteOkay, self-ownership. It is fairly horrifying to consider selling body parts or voluntary cannibalism, but many (most?) of us would risk our lives for those we really care about. Just how far a risk and for which people is the iffy part. I know people who went into the flood zone at the last moment for their animals. Of course, both in Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 there were lots of people who risked their lives for other people and for animals. The problem is in the US suicide is illegal. (I don't see that changing, though I'm not sure what good it does. People who are at that point aren't really worrying about whether or not what they're doing is legal.) So, selling both kidneys or voluntary cannibalism is likewise illegal.
Okay, I'm babbling now. Still this chapter really made me think. I had been somewhat interested in the Libertarian point of view. This book made me think more deeply about the viewpoint and what it means.