POLI 342 Lecture 3: Lecture 3 POLI
11 May 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
Lecture- January 19th:
Tiberus and Haybron on Well-Being Policy:
-Public policy should sometimes (at least) be directed towards promoting the well-
being of people.
—What standard of well-being should it employ? Whichever theory seems
to best fit the situation
-Tiberus and Haybron promote the use of pragmatic subjectivism: which say that
the policies aimed at bettering people lives must do so according to the
beneficiaries one standards’ or in other words what is good for a person depends
entirely on the persons subjective attitudes.
—Objective conceptions of well-being are not a basis for legitimate state policy.
Why pragmatic subjectivism?
— There are epistemological considerations.
—There is no preferred theory-does not limit a person.
—Experts can’t agree on a more suitable theory.
-How can a government be justified in assuming the truth of one type of
theory to the exclusion of others, in making decisions that impact peoples
well-being.
—Individuals know what is better for them than the government.
—Moral consideration-
-Respecting a person requires us to not use a conception of well-being that
is alien to them.
As for the government:
—>When acting out of concern for its citizens the state should only do this in ways
to which each individual will consent.
What kind of subjectivism?
-Focus on individuals values as opposed to desires which may be something that
they don’t really care about. Desires are more temporary and usually more
superficial. Ones values are stably held.
Worries about pragmatic subjectivism:
Document Summary
Public policy should sometimes (at least) be directed towards promoting the well- being of people. Whichever theory seems to best t the situation. Objective conceptions of well-being are not a basis for legitimate state policy. There is no preferred theory-does not limit a person. Experts can"t agree on a more suitable theory. How can a government be justi ed in assuming the truth of one type of theory to the exclusion of others, in making decisions that impact peoples well-being. Individuals know what is better for them than the government. Respecting a person requires us to not use a conception of well-being that is alien to them. >when acting out of concern for its citizens the state should only do this in ways to which each individual will consent. Focus on individuals values as opposed to desires which may be something that they don"t really care about. Desires are more temporary and usually more super cial.
