PHL 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Senate Of Canada
4 Dec 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Evan Reed
PHL 101
Introduction to Philosophy
Fall 2018
Professor Herman
Globe and Mail Article
● 12 people are dead because Charlie Abdul started to stay to their gun
● Freedom of Expression/Press are there to protect the right of individual and minority
opinions which might differ from majority opinion
- Allowing any emotional outrage as a mark of what can be published, this is not to say
that you can offend and insult people. You can’t
- You can and you should sometimes insult opinions
● Difference between criticizing belief systems and people
● Legally and prohibiting certain expressions that ought not happen
- Freedom of expression is Paramount
● FIND AND ISSUE THAT SPEAKS TO YOU WELL ENOUGH FOR BONUS
ASSIGNMENT
THE CASE: The Canadian Senate
● The Senate was established by the Constitution Act of 1867
- Has 105 members and these members are appointed by Governor General at their
recommendation of the Prime Minister
- Suppose to represent the interest of the provinces and territories rather than their
relative population
- Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, Maritime
- Every zone gets 24 seats, remaining seats go to smaller geographical zones
- Senate is supposed to be the chamber of “sober second thought: senators are to
examine carefully the bills that the House passes, suggesting amendments, and
proposing the reform of existing legislation
- Because of the appointed status of the senators and their close tie with the party of the
prime minister, many question the independence of the Senate
Plato’s Republic and the Canadian Senate
● We can note some similarities between the auxiliary guardians and the members of
the senate
● Both groups are suppose to exhibit Wisdom, Courage and Good Judgment
● Here, the senators are not the rulers – like in Republic – but the rulers’ advisors,
auxiliaries to the ruler. 21
● Further likeness between the guardians and senators can be found when we note how
the charges of elitism, essentialism and undemocratic nature of Socrates’s account the
City resonates with the similar criticism made against the Senate’s idea and practice
when it comes to its undemocratic make-up and the lack of independence from the
ruling party. 22
● The Senate’s failings have given rise to call for its reform, and proposal to reform it
has ranged from abolishing it to changing the appointment process. The 2008 piece
by Sarah Barmak is an intervention in this debate
Document Summary
12 people are dead because charlie abdul started to stay to their gun. Freedom of expression/press are there to protect the right of individual and minority opinions which might differ from majority opinion. Allowing any emotional outrage as a mark of what can be published, this is not to say that you can offend and insult people. You can and you should sometimes insult opinions. Difference between criticizing belief systems and people. Legally and prohibiting certain expressions that ought not happen. Find and issue that speaks to you well enough for bonus. The senate was established by the constitution act of 1867. Has 105 members and these members are appointed by governor general at their recommendation of the prime minister. Suppose to represent the interest of the provinces and territories rather than their relative population. Every zone gets 24 seats, remaining seats go to smaller geographical zones.
