The Relation between Self-Interest and Justice in Contractarian Ethics

Social Philosophy and Policy 5 (2):119-153 (1988)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

One of the most noteworthy features of David Gauthier's rational choice, contractarian theory of morality is its appeal to self-interested rationality. This appeal, however, will undoubtedly be the source of much controversy and criticism. For while self-interestedness is characteristic of much human behavior, it is not characteristic of all such behavior, much less of that which is most admirable. Yet contractarian ethics appears to assume that humans are entirely self-interested. It is not usually thought a virtue of a theory that its assumptions are literally false. What may be said on behalf of the contractarian?

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Plato and the Social Contract.Sheldon Wein - 1986 - Philosophy Research Archives 12:67-77.
Contractarianism and the assumption of mutual unconcern.Peter Vallentyne - 1989 - Philosophical Studies 56 (2):187 - 192.
Humean Minds and Moral Theory.Sheldon Wein - 1988 - Philosophy Research Archives 14:229-236.
Plato and the Social Contract.Sheldon Wein - 1986 - Philosophy Research Archives 12:67-77.
Humean Minds and Moral Theory.Sheldon Wein - 1988 - Philosophy Research Archives 14:229-236.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-08-31

Downloads
81 (#188,082)

6 months
5 (#244,526)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Hypothetical Consent and Justification.Cynthia A. Stark - 2000 - Journal of Philosophy 97 (6):313.
Contractarianism and Interspecies Welfare Conflicts.Andrew I. Cohen - 2009 - Social Philosophy and Policy 26 (1):227-257.
20 Years of Moral Epistemology: A Bibliography.Walter Sinnott-Armstrong - 1991 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 29 (S1):217-229.
Years of moral epistemology: A bibliography.Laura Donohue & Walter Sinnott-Armstrong - 1991 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 29 (S1):217-229.

View all 9 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

Economic rationality and moral constraints.David Gauthier - 1978 - Midwest Studies in Philosophy 3 (1):75-96.
The Philosophy of Social Explanation.Alan Ryan - 1976 - Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 166 (1):54-55.
Book Reviews. [REVIEW]Gregory S. Kavka - 1987 - Mind 96 (381):117-121.

Add more references