What's So Special about Rights?

1984 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Moral Rights ◽  
Respect For Persons ◽  
Common Assumption ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Positive Rights ◽  
Equal Respect ◽  
Conception Of The Good ◽  
The Right

Future historians of moral and political philosophy may well label our period the Age of Rights. In moral philosophy it is now widely assumed that the two most plausible types of normative theories are Utilitarianism and Kantian theories and that the contest between them must be decided in the end by seeing whether Utilitarianism can accommodate a prominent role for rights in morality. In political philosophy even the most bitter opponents in the perennial debate over conflicts between liberty and equality often share a common assumption: that the issue of liberty versus equality can only be resolved (or dissolved) by determining which is the correct theory of rights. Some contend that equal respect for persons requires enforcement of moral rights to goods and services required for the pursuit of one's own conception of the good, while others protest that an enforced system of ‘positive’ rights violates the right to liberty whose recognition is the essence of equal respect for persons. The dominant views in contemporary moral and political philosophy combine an almost unbounded enthusiasm for the concept of rights with seemingly incessant disagreement about what our rights are and which rights are most basic. Unfortunately, that which enjoys our greatest enthusiasm is often that about which we are least critical.My aim in this essay is to take a step backward in order to examine the assumption that frames the most important debates in contemporary moral and political philosophy – the assumption that the concept of a right has certain unique features which make rights so especially valuable as to be virtually indispensable elements of any acceptable social order.

Confucian Perfectionism

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Chan
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Moral Rights ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Political Equality ◽  
Philosophical Foundations ◽  
Liberal Conception ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Conception Of The Good ◽  
The Right

Since the very beginning, Confucianism has been troubled by a serious gap between its political ideals and the reality of societal circumstances. Contemporary Confucians must develop a viable method of governance that can retain the spirit of the Confucian ideal while tackling problems arising from nonideal modern situations. The best way to meet this challenge, this book argues, is to adopt liberal democratic institutions that are shaped by the Confucian conception of the good rather than the liberal conception of the right. The book examines and reconstructs both Confucian political thought and liberal democratic institutions, blending them to form a new Confucian political philosophy. The book decouples liberal democratic institutions from their popular liberal philosophical foundations in fundamental moral rights, such as popular sovereignty, political equality, and individual sovereignty. Instead, it grounds them on Confucian principles and redefines their roles and functions, thus mixing Confucianism with liberal democratic institutions in a way that strengthens both. The book then explores the implications of this new yet traditional political philosophy for fundamental issues in modern politics, including authority, democracy, human rights, civil liberties, and social justice. The book critically reconfigures the Confucian political philosophy of the classical period for the contemporary era.

The World Is Not Enough: A Political Dark Ecology

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 103-116
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Main Concept ◽  
Political Crises ◽  
The Social ◽  
Space Action ◽  
The Right ◽  
Dark Ecology

Timothy Morton’s dark ecology is positioned as an aesthetic and ethical study which is far removed from political theory. Although Morton touches upon actual political crises connected with global warming and on climate change skepticism and also deploys such fundamental concepts of political philosophy as territory, space, action and solidarity, he describes his approach as ontological rather than political. The author finds that dark ecology’s own foundations have been inherited from political theory. However, that does not make it inconsistent; on the contrary, under the right conditions it enables a different apprehension of both ecology and political philosophy. The author asks how politics would proceed in a world of uncertainty and proposes viewing Morton’s theory as a treatise on a political theory that addresses the problem of collective action. This is the main concept of any political philosophy out of which its description of the social order is constructed. Dark ecology denies any possibility of action by emphasizing uncertainty and the impossibility of predicting an action’s consequences, and this opens up new possibilities for conceptualizing action. It is precisely uncertainty that permits segregating action from the guilt that motivated Morton to divorce dark ecology from political philosophy. This is a narrative about the transformation of Morton the emancipator into a law-giver, about how political theory has evolved in parallel with the onset of the Anthropocene, about what will happen to the Leviathan in the age of global warming, and how to change the perception of the political from ontological categories to ethical ones.

Process Philosophy and Political Liberalism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Dombrowski
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Political Liberalism ◽  
Reflective Equilibrium ◽  
Process Philosophy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Static View ◽  
Process Oriented ◽  
The Right ◽  
Political Right

In this work two key theses are defended: political liberalism is a processual (rather than a static) view and process thinkers should be political liberals. Three major figures are considered (Rawls, Whitehead, Hartshorne) in the effort to show the superiority of political liberalism to its illiberal alternatives on the political right and left. Further, a politically liberal stance regarding nonhuman animals and the environment is articulated. It is typical for debates in political philosophy to be adrift regarding the concept of method, but from start to finish this book relies on the processual method of reflective equilibrium or dialectic at its best. This is the first extended effort to argue for both political liberalism as a process-oriented view and process philosophy/theology as a politically liberal view. It is also a timely defense of political liberalism against illiberal tendencies on both the right and the left.

“Promising” Ideas: Hobbes and contract in Spinoza’s political philosophy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
The State ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
The Right ◽  
Good And Evil

Like Hobbes, Spinoza prominently invokes promising and contracts (covenants) in his discussion of the foundations of the state—primarily, but not exclusively, in his Theological-Political Treatise. His understanding of their nature and significance, however, differs in important ways from that of Hobbes. This chapter poses four related puzzles concerning Spinoza’s claims about promises and contracts as they invoke or relate specifically to Hobbes: “whether the right of nature is preserved intact”; whether “reason urges peace in all circumstances”; whether breaking a promise is ever “in accordance with reason”; and whether one is obligated to keep a pledge extorted by a robber. Next, it analyzes and compares the doctrines of Hobbes and Spinoza on several key topics: rights and powers, good and evil, reason and passion, and faith and deception (both “evil deception” [“dolus malus”] and “good deception” [“dolus bonus”]). Finally, it employs these doctrines to resolve the four puzzles.

scholarly journals Gestationalism and the Rights of Adolescent Mothers

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-254
Author(s):  
Teresa Baron
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Adolescent Parents ◽  
Moral Rights ◽  
Parental Rights ◽  
Full Complement ◽  
The Right ◽  
Newborn Children

AbstractIn this paper, I explore the ways in which consideration of adolescent parents forces us to confront and question common presuppositions about parental rights. In particular, I argue that recognising the right of adolescent mothers not to be forcibly separated from their newborn children justifies rejecting the notion that parental rights are (a) all acquired in the same manner and (b) acquired as a ‘bundle’ of concomitant moral rights. I conclude that children and adolescents who conceive and give birth have some parental rights concerning their newborn children – in particular, the right not to be forcibly separated from those children – even if they do not have the ‘full complement’ of parental rights as we generally characterise these.

Influence of Images in Online Reviews for Search Goods on Helpfulness

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-73
Author(s):  
Lars Osterbrink ◽  
Paul Alpar ◽  
Alexander Seher
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Potential Interaction ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Matched Pair Analysis ◽  
The Right ◽  
Pair Analysis ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractReviewing and rating are important features of many social media websites, but they are found on many e-commerce sites too. The combination of social interaction and e-commerce is sometimes referred to as social commerce to indicate that people are supporting each other in the process of buying goods and services. Rgeviews of other consumers have a significant effect on consumer choice because they are usually considered authentic and more trustworthy than information presented by a vendor. The collaborative effort of consumers helps to make the right purchase decision (or prevent from a wrong one). The effect of reviews has often been researched in terms of helpfulness as indicated by their readers. Images are an important factor of helpfulness in reviews of experience goods where personal tastes and use play an important role. We extend this research to search goods where objective characteristics seem to prevail. In addition, we analyze potential interaction with other variables. The empirical study is performed with regression analyses on 3,483 search good reviews from Amazon.com followed by a matched pair analysis of 186 review pairs. We find that images have a significant positive effect on helpfulness of reviews of search goods too. This is especially true in case of short and ambiguous reviews.

Conservatism

Sociology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kivisto
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
French Revolution ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Political Identity ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
The Right

Conservatism refers to one of the constituent political positions found in all contemporary democracies. It can be construed as a philosophy, an ideology, a political party, a movement, a disposition, a mode of discourse, performance style, and an emotional relationship to the political. Since the birth of modern democracies in the aftermath of the French Revolution, it has become commonplace to describe the range of political options available to the citizenry as occupying a spectrum from left to right, with a range of alternatives between the extreme poles, including a centrist position in the middle that straddles the divide. The left was associated with promoting challenges to established authorities and existing hierarchies, along with calls for increased economic equality and expanded social and political rights to all citizens, including the heretofore marginalized. This contrasts with the right, which was defined as defending inequalities and differential entitlements, concentrating matters involving rights around preserving property rights, shoring up public and social order, and promoting traditional values and conventional social relations. In this context, liberalism became a mark of political identity associated with the left, as did socialism, while conservatism, broadly construed, represented the right. This framing of politics also includes the possibility of underminings by extremism on both the left and right. For the former, the main threat since the Russian Revolution has been posed by revolutionary communism, while right-wing extremism has manifested itself in reactionary movements, including fascism and illiberal populism. Since liberalism and conservatism must be understood in relational terms, the spatial and temporal settings for the politics of opposition will vary considerably. It is impossible to do justice to the vast literature on conservatism in a bibliography such as this. What follows is a more delimited, and thus manageable examination of work on conservatism. First, it focuses on conservatism in the United States, and not elsewhere. Second, it is chiefly concerned with conservatism since the end of World War II. Third, it concentrates on the study of conservatism by sociologists and those working in cognate disciplines; while not all the authors are card-carrying sociologists, their works reflect a sociological character, although the exception to this third point is the overview section, which presents key readings by advocates of conservatism, and thus offers insider depictions of the meaning of conservatism. Fourth, this article does not concentrate solely on extremist right-wing movements; rather, in surveying the relevant literature on American conservatism broadly construed, it points to a growing consensus that the radical right wing has pushed mainstream conservatism increasingly further to the right.

Health Policy in France: A Major Issue in the 1978 Legislative Elections

1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Canone ◽  
Jean Claude Guyot
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Medical Expenditure ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Free Enterprise ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Public Health Institutions ◽  
Mere Existence ◽  
The Right

For the 1978 legislative elections, all French political parties have, for the first time, a relatively detailed health policy. The right-wing parties of the present government concentrate on the reduction of medical expenditure and the maintenance of the free enterprise tradition of French medicine. The left-wing parties concentrate more on the development of public health institutions and suggest nationalization of the pharmaceutical industry. Within the Left, there is, however, a difference of emphasis: the Socialists propose the setting up of medicosocial centers and abolition of the fee-for-service system; the Communists concentrate rather on industrial health and believe that an improved health service can only come from changes in overall social economic policy. None of these policies is particularly adventurous but their mere existence shows that health is now a major political preoccupation in France. Some of these policies are mainly concerned with individual and public welfare and others with the necessity of maintaining a certain social order. The debate surrounding health policy usually turns around these two issues.

Saving Jobs, Promoting Democracy: Worker Co-Operatives

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Nolan ◽  
Eleonore Perrin Massebiaux ◽  
Tomas Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Training ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Market Research ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
The Right ◽  
Existing Form ◽  
North And South

The article examines transformative alternatives that may offer pathways to a more participative, sustainable and equitable social order. It focuses on one form of alternative, worker-owned co-operatives, and argues this existing form of democratic and economic relations has already proven capacity to generate more equitable socio-economic outcomes and residual social capital. The worker-owned model islocated within an ideological framework that focuses on the inherent democratising principles of their praxis that can in the right circumstances underpin firm strategic foundations for radical social change. It examines the development of worker-owned co-ops in Ireland north and south and the obstacles that need to be overcome to make these a more feasible and common form of economic ownership. Reflecting on the current debate in Ireland it argues such co-ops cannot work effectively without a secure legal framework governing their status and softer supports including entrepreneurship development, leadership training, market research, accessing loan finance and grant aid, inter-cooperative networking and federation building. The article poses workers' co-operatives as sites of political struggle and consciousness, expressed in co-operatives' core values including sovereignty of labour, the subordinate nature of capital, democracy, inter-cooperation and sustainability, and in tangible democratic experiences and transformative praxis.

scholarly journals Tourist enterprise marketing complex: international and national aspect

2021 ◽  
pp. 124-127
Author(s):  
О.В. Птащенко ◽  
В.А. Вовк
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Machine Building ◽  
Enterprise Management ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Marketing Variables ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
The Right

The main features of the marketing complex for the enterprises of the tourist branch are considered in the article. In a market economy, the concept of marketing, as part of improving enterprise management, becomes an integral part of its activities. With the help of a number of controlled marketing variables, business entities can influence customers, stimulate them, encouraging them to certain, desirable for the company actions in the market until the purchase. One of the elements of the marketing complex is the brand. Increasingly, it is important to use it as one of the most important marketing factors that can ensure the success of the company in the market. To a large extent, this success is due to choosing the right branding strategy. This choice, as well as the positioning and development strategy of the brand directly depend on the chosen variety. In addition, it should be noted that the purpose of marketing is not only to benefit companies, but also to build long-term relationships with consumers, meet their demands, improve the quality of goods and services, improve the conditions of their acquisition. It should also be noted that the formation of marketing activities at the enterprise today is impossible without a focus on modern technology. Such technologies include Internet marketing as a modern way of building a business. Principles of tourism marketing: constant search and maximum respect for the consumer, focus on his needs and requirements, which provide the market is not goods and services, and ways to solve consumer problems; flexibility in achieving the set goal by adapting to the requirements of the market with a simultaneous targeted impact on it; a comprehensive approach to the development of marketing plans, which involves the use not of individual marketing activities, and a set of marketing, a combination of individual elements which allows you to achieve a certain goal; focus on the long-term prospects of the enterprise. Thus, the main purpose of each enterprise is to achieve profitability and stability of services. Today it is possible to achieve only through the introduction of basic principles of marketing and the formation of a comprehensive mechanism of marketing activities. At the same time, the high cost of enterprises, for example, machine-building industry, agricultural machinery enterprises should be compensated by the introduction of modern advanced production technologies, rational use of fundamentally new materials, introduction of modern technological policy, including marketing and work aimed at improving skills. All this once again confirms the importance of marketing management today and as a consequence of the constant introduction of the latest marketing tools.

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