Literature – Politics, Ethics and Practise
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Introduction and the basic of ethics................................................................................................................3
Introduction – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry................................................................................3
Method in philosophy and public policy: Applied philosophy VS engaged philosophy..............................................3
Lecture 2: Drugs..............................................................................................................................................................4
Drugs – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry..........................................................................................4
Addiction and the self..................................................................................................................................................6
Lecture 3: Animal testing................................................................................................................................................9
Scientific experiments on animals...............................................................................................................................9
Speciesism and moral status......................................................................................................................................11
Lecture 4: Safety and risky innovations.........................................................................................................................13
Safety – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry........................................................................................13
Risky new technologies – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry............................................................14
Once the rockets are up, who should care where they come down? The problem of responsibility ascription for the
negative consequences of biofuel innovations...........................................................................................................16
Lecture 5: Compromise and Integrity............................................................................................................................18
Bargaining and compromise: Recent work on negotiation and informal justice – Luban, D.....................................18
Ethical conflict and moral compromise in pharmacy – Benjamin, M........................................................................21
The Profession and Vocation of Politics – Weber, M.................................................................................................23
Lecture 6: Dirty hands, many hands..............................................................................................................................26
Moral responsibility of public officials: The problem of many hands – Thompshon, D.F.........................................26
Political action: The problem of dirty hands – Walzer, M..........................................................................................29
Lecture 7: The politics and ethics of data and AI...........................................................................................................32
What’s wrong with automated influence – Benn, C. & Lazar, S................................................................................32
LLMS, Truth and democracy: An overview of risks – Coeckelbergh, M...................................................................38
Big tech, Algorithmic power and democratic control – Ugur, A................................................................................40
Lecture 8: Exit, Violence, Loyalty and Disobedience....................................................................................................45
Exit, Voice and the Sate – Hirschman, A...................................................................................................................45
Duty and obligations – Rawls, J................................................................................................................................47
Lecture 9: Health & Disability......................................................................................................................................53
Health – Wolf, J.........................................................................................................................................................53
Disability – Wolff, J...................................................................................................................................................55
How to support equal standing in local health equity? – Haverkamp, B....................................................................57
Lecture 10: The Free Market.........................................................................................................................................59
The free market – Wolff, J.........................................................................................................................................59
Lecture 11: Corporate social responsibility...................................................................................................................62
The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits – Friedman, M...........................................................62
When is CEO activism conducive to the democratic process? – Feix, A & Wernicke, G...........................................63
, Stakeholder theory of the modern corporation, Freeman...........................................................................................66
Social responsibility – Wettstein, F............................................................................................................................68
Lecture 13: Identity, Inequality and policy....................................................................................................................71
Multiple inequalities, intersectionality and the EU – Verloo, M................................................................................71
Colonialism – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.................................................................................................73
From redistribution to Recognition? Dilemmas of justice in a post-socialist age – Fraser, N....................................76
Lecture 14: Environmentalism: Ethics, politics, sustainability & such..........................................................................79
Political theory and the environment – Meyer, M, J..................................................................................................79
Ecologism – Wissenburg, M......................................................................................................................................81
,Lecture 1: Introduction and the basic of ethics
Introduction – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry
Moral and political philosophy branches of philosophy
- Not just the idea that it is made for the analysis of public policy, exploring foundational values and consolidating
them into theories and prototype policies that could, with reasonable adjustment fit practical needs to improve the
moral quality of our public lives
- Disagreement is important & there is no pressure to come to an agreement.
o In public policy these is a need to agree on practical outcome and this creates pressure towards
convergence
In public policy arena, debate differs from abstract moral argument in 3 ways
1. Little space for agreeing to disagree policy is needed
2. Inevitable bias towards status quo burden for argument for change is higher than for reflecting continuation of
current policy
3. Whether a moral view is correct, takes second place to whether it is widely accepted
In public life we must have (1) some policy. (2) we start from where we are and (3) the best chance for moving
forward is to draw more people into a consensus view, so that policy can be more widely endorsed
Method in philosophy and public policy: Applied philosophy VS engaged philosophy
Applied political philosophy and its discontents
Applied philosophy= applying a moral or political theory, thereby providing philosophical foundations for social and
public policy
Difficulties:
1. Dogmatism: Policy proposals derived from a particular moral or political theory are no more firmly based than the
premises, those who doubt the starting point will not be convinced
2. Underdetermine: Those who agree on philosophical theory can disagree about policy, it is unclear how to deal
with remaining disagreements
3. Implausibility of recommendations
4. Steps of implementation: But partial implementation could be worse than doing nothing
5. Blind spots
6. Conceptual inadequacy
Engaged political philosophy
The problem is that policy is rarely made in pursuit of a single theory or value
- Start at the other end what is the problem in need of attention?
Engaged political philosophy= Why has this particular issue come to public attention and what are the different
positions?
Steps:
1. Identify the issue and current state of affairs: Appreciation of not just what is being publicised but also the
underlying position regarding law and regulations, as well as facts of behaviour.
o It is critical without background work it is impossible to know what does and does not need to be
changed in order to carry through some policy reform and to estimate its effects
2. Identify the arguments and values: Get the arguments and values on both side of the debate
o Deepen the arguments and make them more rigorous and question assumptions
o Understanding, reconstruction and correction of false inferences or pre-supposition, rather than settling
the issue by argument, unless it turns out that the great weight of argument is on one side
3. History and comparisons: Look at examples of practise at other time and places
o History important to understand how current policy came into being
4. Create a profile of possible solutions: Menu of options, with room for creative proposals that could provide a new
solution
, o There is a very powerful, unavoidable status quo bias in policy
If we do not agree a change, we remain where we are
There is truth in the conservative position that institutions take a great deal of time to establish but
can be destroyed very rapidly and hence the burden of proof should be on those wishing to make a
change
5. Evaluation of options: How to decide which option to pursue?
o Reframe a debate can narrow the difference, but not necessarily solve it
o Shift away from explicitly moral argument
o Second round effects= how the world would react back to a new regulation
o Accept the limited power of law and regulation to change behaviour
6. Policy recommendation: There are a number of conditions; being supported by reasons that can be readily
communicated
o In the end, laws and regulations are enacted not by philosophers but by elected politicians.
Conclusion: The role of the philosopher
Applied philosophy possible to give the philosopher a distinctive, privileged role in the public policy
- Myth engaged model, there are no foundations in this sense
o Philosopher identifies relevant values
Three types of roles/functions for grand theory:
1. These theories form part of the inherited intellectual stock of values and argument
2. Causing significant rupture with the status quo
o Status quo bias in policy that favours incremental change over large change
o Change is possible when public opinion is out of balance with public policy, at which point significant
reform has a change of taking hold if it aligns with public opinion, or at least the opinion of those who are
in a position to object and protest
3. Political philosophy and moral philosophy are branches, which is a valuable activity in its own right independent
of its effects
o Policy relevance does not exhaust the value of moral and political philosophy
Lecture 2: Drugs
Drugs – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry
Liberal Mills dictum harm principle= only justification for interfering with the liberty of action of any individual
is to prevent harm to others
- It is hard to identify significant harms to third parties caused by the use of illegal drugs
Public policy tends to not follow this harm principle and all governments take it upon themselves to supervise
individual lives in various ways to reduce the risk of individuals harming themselves
Societies do not in fact regulate drugs on the basis of the harm they cause the actual basis of regulation is not clear
- Alcohol is more allowed even though it does more harm
Current regulations in the UK
‘Controlled’ drugs are groups into three classes
- Penalty for possession, not the use as the standard of proof is much more certain
- Penalty for supply this does not mean sale, it is simply giving a controlled drug to another person
Society’s underlying drug strategy
Some countries ant a drug free country, but it is not clear how the idea of drug eradication should translate into policy.
- Central idea: the policy should be assessed in terms only of how effective it is in eradicating drug use the fewer
people using fewer drug the better, whatever means are best to achieve this.
o Budget constraints but notions of value for money or balancing costs are in some sense out of place
Side constraints on the pursuit of policy, rather than goals that should shape policy itself
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Introduction and the basic of ethics................................................................................................................3
Introduction – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry................................................................................3
Method in philosophy and public policy: Applied philosophy VS engaged philosophy..............................................3
Lecture 2: Drugs..............................................................................................................................................................4
Drugs – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry..........................................................................................4
Addiction and the self..................................................................................................................................................6
Lecture 3: Animal testing................................................................................................................................................9
Scientific experiments on animals...............................................................................................................................9
Speciesism and moral status......................................................................................................................................11
Lecture 4: Safety and risky innovations.........................................................................................................................13
Safety – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry........................................................................................13
Risky new technologies – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry............................................................14
Once the rockets are up, who should care where they come down? The problem of responsibility ascription for the
negative consequences of biofuel innovations...........................................................................................................16
Lecture 5: Compromise and Integrity............................................................................................................................18
Bargaining and compromise: Recent work on negotiation and informal justice – Luban, D.....................................18
Ethical conflict and moral compromise in pharmacy – Benjamin, M........................................................................21
The Profession and Vocation of Politics – Weber, M.................................................................................................23
Lecture 6: Dirty hands, many hands..............................................................................................................................26
Moral responsibility of public officials: The problem of many hands – Thompshon, D.F.........................................26
Political action: The problem of dirty hands – Walzer, M..........................................................................................29
Lecture 7: The politics and ethics of data and AI...........................................................................................................32
What’s wrong with automated influence – Benn, C. & Lazar, S................................................................................32
LLMS, Truth and democracy: An overview of risks – Coeckelbergh, M...................................................................38
Big tech, Algorithmic power and democratic control – Ugur, A................................................................................40
Lecture 8: Exit, Violence, Loyalty and Disobedience....................................................................................................45
Exit, Voice and the Sate – Hirschman, A...................................................................................................................45
Duty and obligations – Rawls, J................................................................................................................................47
Lecture 9: Health & Disability......................................................................................................................................53
Health – Wolf, J.........................................................................................................................................................53
Disability – Wolff, J...................................................................................................................................................55
How to support equal standing in local health equity? – Haverkamp, B....................................................................57
Lecture 10: The Free Market.........................................................................................................................................59
The free market – Wolff, J.........................................................................................................................................59
Lecture 11: Corporate social responsibility...................................................................................................................62
The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits – Friedman, M...........................................................62
When is CEO activism conducive to the democratic process? – Feix, A & Wernicke, G...........................................63
, Stakeholder theory of the modern corporation, Freeman...........................................................................................66
Social responsibility – Wettstein, F............................................................................................................................68
Lecture 13: Identity, Inequality and policy....................................................................................................................71
Multiple inequalities, intersectionality and the EU – Verloo, M................................................................................71
Colonialism – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.................................................................................................73
From redistribution to Recognition? Dilemmas of justice in a post-socialist age – Fraser, N....................................76
Lecture 14: Environmentalism: Ethics, politics, sustainability & such..........................................................................79
Political theory and the environment – Meyer, M, J..................................................................................................79
Ecologism – Wissenburg, M......................................................................................................................................81
,Lecture 1: Introduction and the basic of ethics
Introduction – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry
Moral and political philosophy branches of philosophy
- Not just the idea that it is made for the analysis of public policy, exploring foundational values and consolidating
them into theories and prototype policies that could, with reasonable adjustment fit practical needs to improve the
moral quality of our public lives
- Disagreement is important & there is no pressure to come to an agreement.
o In public policy these is a need to agree on practical outcome and this creates pressure towards
convergence
In public policy arena, debate differs from abstract moral argument in 3 ways
1. Little space for agreeing to disagree policy is needed
2. Inevitable bias towards status quo burden for argument for change is higher than for reflecting continuation of
current policy
3. Whether a moral view is correct, takes second place to whether it is widely accepted
In public life we must have (1) some policy. (2) we start from where we are and (3) the best chance for moving
forward is to draw more people into a consensus view, so that policy can be more widely endorsed
Method in philosophy and public policy: Applied philosophy VS engaged philosophy
Applied political philosophy and its discontents
Applied philosophy= applying a moral or political theory, thereby providing philosophical foundations for social and
public policy
Difficulties:
1. Dogmatism: Policy proposals derived from a particular moral or political theory are no more firmly based than the
premises, those who doubt the starting point will not be convinced
2. Underdetermine: Those who agree on philosophical theory can disagree about policy, it is unclear how to deal
with remaining disagreements
3. Implausibility of recommendations
4. Steps of implementation: But partial implementation could be worse than doing nothing
5. Blind spots
6. Conceptual inadequacy
Engaged political philosophy
The problem is that policy is rarely made in pursuit of a single theory or value
- Start at the other end what is the problem in need of attention?
Engaged political philosophy= Why has this particular issue come to public attention and what are the different
positions?
Steps:
1. Identify the issue and current state of affairs: Appreciation of not just what is being publicised but also the
underlying position regarding law and regulations, as well as facts of behaviour.
o It is critical without background work it is impossible to know what does and does not need to be
changed in order to carry through some policy reform and to estimate its effects
2. Identify the arguments and values: Get the arguments and values on both side of the debate
o Deepen the arguments and make them more rigorous and question assumptions
o Understanding, reconstruction and correction of false inferences or pre-supposition, rather than settling
the issue by argument, unless it turns out that the great weight of argument is on one side
3. History and comparisons: Look at examples of practise at other time and places
o History important to understand how current policy came into being
4. Create a profile of possible solutions: Menu of options, with room for creative proposals that could provide a new
solution
, o There is a very powerful, unavoidable status quo bias in policy
If we do not agree a change, we remain where we are
There is truth in the conservative position that institutions take a great deal of time to establish but
can be destroyed very rapidly and hence the burden of proof should be on those wishing to make a
change
5. Evaluation of options: How to decide which option to pursue?
o Reframe a debate can narrow the difference, but not necessarily solve it
o Shift away from explicitly moral argument
o Second round effects= how the world would react back to a new regulation
o Accept the limited power of law and regulation to change behaviour
6. Policy recommendation: There are a number of conditions; being supported by reasons that can be readily
communicated
o In the end, laws and regulations are enacted not by philosophers but by elected politicians.
Conclusion: The role of the philosopher
Applied philosophy possible to give the philosopher a distinctive, privileged role in the public policy
- Myth engaged model, there are no foundations in this sense
o Philosopher identifies relevant values
Three types of roles/functions for grand theory:
1. These theories form part of the inherited intellectual stock of values and argument
2. Causing significant rupture with the status quo
o Status quo bias in policy that favours incremental change over large change
o Change is possible when public opinion is out of balance with public policy, at which point significant
reform has a change of taking hold if it aligns with public opinion, or at least the opinion of those who are
in a position to object and protest
3. Political philosophy and moral philosophy are branches, which is a valuable activity in its own right independent
of its effects
o Policy relevance does not exhaust the value of moral and political philosophy
Lecture 2: Drugs
Drugs – Ethics and public policy: A philosophical inquiry
Liberal Mills dictum harm principle= only justification for interfering with the liberty of action of any individual
is to prevent harm to others
- It is hard to identify significant harms to third parties caused by the use of illegal drugs
Public policy tends to not follow this harm principle and all governments take it upon themselves to supervise
individual lives in various ways to reduce the risk of individuals harming themselves
Societies do not in fact regulate drugs on the basis of the harm they cause the actual basis of regulation is not clear
- Alcohol is more allowed even though it does more harm
Current regulations in the UK
‘Controlled’ drugs are groups into three classes
- Penalty for possession, not the use as the standard of proof is much more certain
- Penalty for supply this does not mean sale, it is simply giving a controlled drug to another person
Society’s underlying drug strategy
Some countries ant a drug free country, but it is not clear how the idea of drug eradication should translate into policy.
- Central idea: the policy should be assessed in terms only of how effective it is in eradicating drug use the fewer
people using fewer drug the better, whatever means are best to achieve this.
o Budget constraints but notions of value for money or balancing costs are in some sense out of place
Side constraints on the pursuit of policy, rather than goals that should shape policy itself
