Many say that we should make society more equal. But what should we equalize? This essay explains two of the most important ones: equality of outcome and equality of opportunity.
Tag: Weltman
Robert Nozick’s “Wilt Chamberlain” Argument for Libertarianism
Nozick thinks that a story about the basketball superstar Wilt Chamberlain shows why the government should not take from the rich to help everyone else. This article explains Nozick’s argument which he uses to support “libertarianism,” his view that the government’s role is not to redistribute wealth but to promote liberty.
The Buddhist Theory of No-Self (Anātman/Anattā)
The Buddhist denial of the existence of the self is known as anātman (or anattā). This essay explores some of the basics of anātman/anattā.
G. E. M. Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy”
An introduction to Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe's famous 1958 article "Modern Moral Philosophy."
“Can They Suffer?”: Jeremy Bentham on our Obligations to Animals
An overview of Jeremy Bentham's ethical views on animal rights, including the famous quote “the question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?”
Reason is the Slave to the Passions: David Hume on Reason vs. Desire
An introduction to David Hume's theory of rationality and his famous quote that it's “not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.”
“Nasty, Brutish, and Short”: Thomas Hobbes on Life in the State of Nature
An introduction to Thomas Hobbes and his views on life in the State of nature, including his quote that life in that state would be “Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”