Political Ethics

The Ethics of Nations

Is the ethics of nations different from that of individuals?

Individuals vs. Nations

Does the end justify the means? Do we ever know that we will achieve our

ends? Abraham Lincoln’s goal was to free slaves and

save the union. He pretended that his only goal was to save the union in order to be able to achieve his goal of freeing the slaves. Was his behavior ethical?

Individuals vs. Nations

There are many actions that most people would think are immoral if done by an individual that are sanctioned by the state.

Is there an ethical difference? If so, what is the difference?

Are sanctions ethical? Is it ethical to be an isolationist?

War

If it is wrong to violate the rights of others, isn’t war the worst of all crimes?

Is war ever ethically justified? Are preemptive strikes ever ethically justified?

What if you think you are going to be attacked but it turns out that you were wrong?

Truman vs. Anscombe.

International Relations

Some say that the United States should have “no entangling alliances? The United States had no special interest in European quarrels, yet they got drawn into WWI and WWII.

What about international treaties that the United States has signed? Should they be enforced?

Is the Convention on the Prevention and Punishmentof the Crime of Genocide being enforced?

World Government

Should we have a one world government? Would there be any way for different

governments with different ideologies to agree to one form of government?

Should there be centralized government for global problems (such as the environment) and local government for almost everything else?

Revolution

When is revolution just? Thee revolutionists should be able to address the following

questions:– What will be achieved by the violence?– Against whom or what is the revolution directed?– Who is expendable?Is the implicit motto: “The cause I believe in is so important that I’ll

gladly sacrifice your life to achieve it?” If a revolutionist is a utilitarian, how can they calculate the

probability of success?If a revolutionist is a human rights advocate, then how does the

future happiness of others justify the death of a person’s life right now?

Morality and the State

The problem of consent:– The state uses coercion to make us comply with its

demands.– Where does it get the authority to exercise its

power?– The most usual answer is that we consented to be

governed.– Perhaps we gave our implicit consent. If so, is there

the possibility of being able not to consent?

Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) – believed that human life is “nasty, brutish and short.” We need government because else we have to spend all of our time fighting in a brutal state of nature. The government defends people against attack. If people do not get protection, then the deal is off.

It is a contractarian theory of the State.

Plato

Plato develops a plan in The Republic wherein those who ruled would be guaranteed to do so wisely and well.

You have to be trained to be a lawyer or a doctor. Why don’t you have to be trained to be a politician? It would be best if politicians were wise and incorruptible.

It is much more difficult to develop an incorruptible moral character than it is to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to govern.

Children that exhibit potential to be leaders must be trained in body, mind and spirit.

Plato

When should potential leaders be trained in philosophy? Please see pages 372 – 373.

Criticisms of Plato;s scheme include:– 1. There can still be corruption. After all, who

decides who is wise, how they will be trained, and so forth.

– 2. How does an expert decide what ends the state will serve.

Democracy

Why should people be ruled at all? They should rules themselves.

Participative vs. representative democracy Can’t this lead to the tyranny of the majority? It

is not necessarily the wisest or the most ethical person that governs, rather it is the most popular that governs.

A Constitutional Republic

“Democracy,” said Louis Napoleon, “is government of the cattle, for the cattle, by the cattle.”

The Founding Fathers of the United States did not have a lot of faith in democracy, rather they promoted a constitutional republic. Please see page 376.

Anarchy

The rule of nonaggression: No person has the right to initiate force or threat of force against another person. But he does have the right to protect himself against force.

If it is wrong for an individual to break the rule of nonaggression that it is certainly wrong for a majority of people to break it, even if that group of people goes by the name of “government.”

Anarchy

A criticism of anarchy: If aggressors from other countries tried to take over yours, what defense would you have against this?