HSCI 319W Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Political Philosophy, Paternalism, Harm Principle
17 Mar 2018
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"far too large literature on liberalism to provide a comprehensive survey" p. 49. "well known that political philosophy is one of those academic disciplines in which key terms are both ill-defined and used differently by different writers" p. 49. Liberalism -> "a basic moral view on social life" p. 49. "ideology to which the right of the individual to self-determination is central" p. 50. Autonomy -> (defined in oxford english dictionary) "self-government; personal freedom" p. 49. Emphasis on self-governance -> "view that persons are distinctive and distinctively valuable, because they are rational creatures capable of bringing themselves under control, unlike mere animals which act instinctually" p. 49. View established as major element in western moral + political culture. "liberal emphasis on the rights of individuals, specifically the right of the individual to pursue their own conception of the good" p. 49. "own conception of the good" -> lived based on personal beliefs of what makes their own life valuable or worth living.
