Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Appeasement, Sphere Origins, Athenian Democracy
19 Sep 2018
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The right action is the one that maximizes utility. Obey the law if and only if doing so will produce greater happiness than disobeying (otherwise disobey the law) Requirement of maximization: duty to produce as much good as possible. Wolff says that political obligation is the obligations to obey the law because it is the law. Desire satisfaction- if your desires are met you will go along with the state. Informed desire satisfaction- pursue the system that would allow us to stay. Don"t justify particular actions by appeal to utility promotion. Well-being is maximized by each of us obeying the laws. Direct utilitarianism: yes (world poverty: keeps giving until it hurts) Indirect utilitarianism: not necessarily (secure property rights can contribute to greatest happiness) Can require injustice (torture, slavery, conviction of the innocent) It fails to explain why actions are morally right or wrong. It can get the right answer, but not for the right reason.
