Ideas of Will Kymlicka, by Theme

[Canadian, fl. 1988, Taught by G.A. Cohen. At the University of Toronto.]

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16. Persons / E. Rejecting the Self / 2. Self as Social Construct
18658 The 'Kantian' self steps back from commitment to its social situation
22. Metaethics / B. The Good / 1. Goodness / c. Right and good
18650 Teleological theories give the good priority over concern for people
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / c. Particularism
18664 Maybe the particularist moral thought of women is better than the impartial public thinking of men
23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 1. Utilitarianism
18624 Utilitarianism is not a decision-procedure; choice of the best procedure is an open question
18626 One view says start with equality, and infer equal weight to interests, and hence maximum utility
18627 A second view says start with maximising the good, implying aggregation, and hence equality
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 2. Population / a. Human population
18625 To maximise utility should we double the population, even if life somewhat deteriorates?
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 4. Original Position / c. Difference principle
18638 The difference principles says we must subsidise the costs of other people's choices
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / a. Sovereignty
23418 Liberal state legitimacy is based on a belief in justice, not in some conception of the good life
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / c. Social contract
18635 Social contract theories are usually rejected because there never was such a contract
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 4. Citizenship
23369 Some liberals thinks checks and balances are enough, without virtuous citizens
23370 Good citizens need civic virtues of loyalty, independence, diligence, respect, etc.
23373 Liberals accept that people need society, but Aristotelians must show that they need political activity
23375 Minimal liberal citizenship needs common civility, as well as mere non-interference
23376 Modern non-discrimination obliges modern citizens to treat each other as equals
23377 The right wing sees citizenship in terms of responsibility to earn a living, rather than rights
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 5. Culture
23414 Liberals say state intervention in culture restricts people's autonomy
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 4. Social Utilitarianism
18630 Utilitarianism is no longer a distinctive political position
18623 The quest of the general good is partly undermined by people's past entitlements
18628 We shouldn't endorse preferences which reject equality, and show prejudice and selfishness
18629 Using utilitarian principles to make decisions encourages cold detachment from people
18637 Utilitarianism is irrational if it tells you to trade in your rights and resources just for benefits
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy
23371 Modern democratic theory focuses on talk, not votes, because we need consensus or compromise
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
23390 In a liberal democracy all subjects of authority have a right to determine the authority
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / b. Liberal individualism
18663 Modern liberalism has added personal privacy to our personal social lives
23374 We have become attached to private life because that has become greatly enriched
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / d. Liberal freedom
18632 Liberalism tends to give priority to basic liberties
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / e. Liberal community
22818 Liberals are not too individualistic, because people recognise and value social relations
23410 Modern liberals see a community as simply a society which respects freedom and equality
23387 Liberals must avoid an official culture, as well as an official religion
23388 Liberals need more than freedom; they must build a nation, through a language and institutions
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / f. Multiculturalism
23386 Liberals must prefer minority right which are freedoms, not restrictions
23389 Why shouldn't national minorities have their own right to nation-build?
23391 Multiculturalism is liberal if it challenges inequality, conservative if it emphasises common good
23380 Some individuals can gain citizenship as part of a group, rather than as mere individuals
23381 The status hierarchy is independent of the economic hierarchy
23383 Some multiculturalists defended the rights of cohesive minorities against liberal individualism
23384 'Culturalist' liberals say that even liberal individuals may need minority rights
23385 Multiculturalism may entail men dominating women in minority groups
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique
18656 Marxists say liberalism is unjust, because it allows exploitation in the sale of labour
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / a. Communitarianism
18659 The 'Kantian' view of the self misses the way it is embedded or situated in society
18660 Communitarians say we should pay more attention to our history
23409 Community can focus on class or citizenship or ethnicity or culture
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / b. Against communitarianism
18657 Communitarian states only encourage fairly orthodox ideas of the good life
23413 Feminism has shown that social roles are far from fixed (as communitarians tend to see them)
23415 Participation aids the quest for the good life, but why should that be a state activity?
23419 Communitarianism struggles with excluded marginalised groups
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 1. Slavery
18649 If everyone owned himself, that would prevent slavery
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 4. Free market
18640 Libertarians like the free market, but they also think that the free market is just
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 5. Freedom of lifestyle
18651 The most valuable liberties to us need not be the ones with the most freedom
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 6. Political freedom
18661 Ancient freedom was free participation in politics, not private independence of life
25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 2. Political equality
18633 Equal opportunities seems fair, because your fate is from your choices, not your circumstances
18634 Equal opportunity arbitrarily worries about social circumstances, but ignores talents
25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 3. Legal equality
18654 Marxists say justice is unneeded in the truly good community
25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 1. Basis of Rights
18652 The Lockean view of freedom depends on whether you had a right to what is restricted
23379 Rights are a part of nation-building, to build a common national identity and culture
23382 Rights derived from group membership are opposed to the idea of state citizenship
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
18655 Justice corrects social faults, but also expresses respect to individuals as ends
23411 Communitarians see justice as primarily a community matter, rather than a principle
23412 Justice resolves conflicts, but may also provoke them
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 3. Welfare provision
23378 The welfare state helps to integrate the working classes into a national culture