Ideas from 'Against Liberalism' by John Kekes [1997], by Theme Structure
[found in 'Against Liberalism' by Kekes,John [Cornell 1997,0-8014-8400-6]].
green numbers give full details |
back to texts
|
expand these ideas
12. Knowledge Sources / E. Direct Knowledge / 2. Intuition
|
23101
|
Intuitions don't prove things; they just receptivity to interpretations
|
20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 4. Responsibility for Actions
|
23086
|
Liberals say we are only responsible for fully autonomous actions
|
|
23100
|
Collective responsibility conflicts with responsibility's requirement of authonomy
|
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility
|
23087
|
Much human evil is not autonomous, so moral responsibility need not be autonomous
|
|
23089
|
Evil people may not be autonomously aware, if they misjudge the situation
|
|
23093
|
Moral and causal responsibility are not clearly distinct
|
|
23098
|
Effects show the existence of moral responsibility, and mental states show the degree
|
|
23095
|
Why should moral responsibility depend on autonomy, rather than social role or experience?
|
|
23094
|
Ought implies can means moral responsibility needs autonomy
|
|
23096
|
Morality should aim to prevent all evil actions, not just autonomous ones
|
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
|
23090
|
Liberals assume people are naturally free, equal, rational, and morally good
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
|
23117
|
Love should be partial, and discriminate in favour of its object
|
|
23119
|
Sentimental love distorts its object
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / j. Evil
|
23088
|
Evil is not deviation from the good, any more than good is a deviation from evil
|
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism
|
23097
|
What matters for morality is the effects of action, not the psychological causes
|
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character
|
23099
|
It is said that if an agent is not autonomous then their evil actions don't reflect on their character
|
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / f. Compassion
|
23118
|
Awareness of others' suffering doesn't create an obligation to help
|
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 4. Original Position / b. Veil of ignorance
|
23109
|
The veil of ignorance is only needed because people have bad motivations
|
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 1. Purpose of a State
|
23114
|
The chief function of the state is to arbitrate between contending visions of the good life
|
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 4. Citizenship
|
23116
|
Citizenship is easier than parenthood
|
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 1. Social Power
|
23103
|
Power is meant to be confined to representatives, and subsequent delegation
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 3. Conservatism
|
23107
|
Prosperity is a higher social virtue than justice
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
|
23081
|
Liberal basics are pluralism, freedom, rights, equality, and distributive justice - for autonomy
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / b. Liberal individualism
|
23085
|
The key liberal values are explained by the one core value, which is autonomy
|
|
23092
|
Agents have little control over the capacities needed for liberal autonomy
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / c. Liberal equality
|
23102
|
Liberals are egalitarians, but in varying degrees
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / d. Liberal freedom
|
23084
|
Are egalitarians too coercive, or not egalitarian enough, or lax over morality?
|
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique
|
23079
|
Liberal justice ignores desert, which is the essence of justice
|
|
23091
|
Why do liberals not see a much wider range of values as basic?
|
|
23112
|
Liberals ignore contingency, and think people are good and equal, and institutions cause evil
|
|
23082
|
Liberal distribution cares more about recipients than donors
|
25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 1. Grounds of equality
|
23106
|
To rectify the undeserved equality, we should give men longer and women shorter lives
|
|
23121
|
It is just a fact that some people are morally better than others
|
25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 4. Economic equality
|
23105
|
It is not deplorable that billionaires have more than millionaires
|
|
23120
|
The problem is basic insufficiency of resources, not their inequality
|
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
|
23108
|
Justice combines consistency and desert; treat likes alike, judging likeness by desert
|
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 3. Welfare provision
|
23083
|
Liberal welfare focuses on need rather than desert
|
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 5. Sexual Morality
|
23113
|
Sexual morality doesn't require monogamy, but it needs a group of sensible regulations
|