HUMR 2001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Negative Liberty, Consequentialism, Subset

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Human Rights
• Course: HUMR 2001
• Professor: Tamara Kotar

Document Summary

Utilitarianism: greatest good for the greatest number, measured through visible, observable consequences (consequentialism) interested in ends not means (not bigger ideals, how you get there just consequences) Mill: freedom and liberty allows self-improvement, to develop capacities for reasoning: self-improvement helps facilitates better life for everyone. Utilitarians think by looking at consequences, best thing for majority is best thing for minority: mill: (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)"s rights are utile for greater so(cid:272)iet(cid:455) Protect minority rights because one day might be minority being denied. Freedom at core, can choose, ability to consider consequences and at based on this. Should have freedoms until harms someone else. Harm is seen as violence not offense, free speech till violence. Mill: natural rights are just ideas and these ideas about inalienable means nothing, useful to the extent that serve utility: ok if serving utility, but deep moral responsibility to realize it not real.