POLI 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Consequentialism, Organ Transplantation, Henry David Thoreau

• School: McGill University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLI 231
• Professor: Arash Abizadeh

Document Summary

How should i live? what should i do: (cid:862)fa(cid:272)t(cid:863) (cid:448)s (cid:862)value(cid:863, (cid:862)is(cid:863) (cid:448)s (cid:862)ought(cid:863) Distinction between how thing are and how things ought to be. Ought : you(cid:859)re pres(cid:272)ri(cid:271)i(cid:374)g so(cid:373)ethi(cid:374)g, you(cid:859)re (cid:373)aki(cid:374)g reconmandation on something. You ought to have lost x pounds to be healthy (cid:862)descriptive/empirical(cid:863) vs (cid:862)normative(cid:863) Descriptive: describing how the world works, what would that philosopher say about that specific context, what are the causes that leads to this outcome. Normative: is prescribing how the world ought to be: you(cid:859)re (cid:374)ot (cid:373)aki(cid:374)g a(cid:374)y des(cid:272)ri(cid:271)i(cid:374)g, you(cid:859)re re(cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)e(cid:374)di(cid:374)g that (cid:272)ertai(cid:374) thi(cid:374)gs ought to (cid:271)e done that way. Value/norms are normative manners to regulate a society. Coercive power: ability to influence someone"s decision by using punishment or threatening punishment if the person does not follow instructions: e. g. Go(cid:448)er(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t uses the poli(cid:272)e to e(cid:374)for(cid:272)e la(cid:449) = (cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:859)t pu(cid:374)ish you if you disobey the law! This (cid:858)(cid:859)(cid:272)oer(cid:272)i(cid:448)e(cid:859)(cid:859) po(cid:449)er is ofte(cid:374) a(cid:272)(cid:272)ou(cid:374)ta(cid:271)le for its action.