A Humean Theory of Distributive Justice Essay - 3966 Words

This paper suggests a strategy for constructing a contemporary Humean theory of distributive justice which would serve to ground what I call an entrepreneurial welfare state. It is argued that blending David Humes insights about the origins and purposes of justice with Ronald Dworkins insurance-based reasoning supporting his equality of resources model of distributive justice will yield a state which, as a matter of justice, encourages its members to engage in entrepreneurial activities and which protects them from the worst extremes of market economies. Introduction I claim that an attractive theory of distributive justice can be constructed by blending David Humes ideas about the origins and purposes of justice with Ronald†¦show more content†¦But humans have survived. How so? Here is what Hume says: Tis by society alone he is able to supply his defects and raise himself up to an equality with his fellow-creatures, and even acquire a superiority above them. By society all his infirmities are compensated . . . and . . . leave him in every respect more satisfied and happy, than tis possible for him, in his savage and solitary condition, ever to become. When every individual person labours a-part, and only for himself, his force is too small to execute any considerable work; his labour being employd in supplying all his different necessities, he never attains a perfection in any particular art; and as his force and success are not at all times equal, the least failure in either of these particulars must be attended with inevitable ruin and misery. Society provides a remedy for these three inconveniences. By the conjunction of forces, our power is augmented: By the partition of employments, our ability encreases; And by mutual succour we are less exposd to fortune and accidents. Tis by this additional force, ability, and security, that society becomes advantageous.(1) Wild Uncultivated Sex, or How Society Arises [I]n order to form society, tis requisite not only that it be advantageous, but also that men be sensible of these advantages yet tis impossible, in their wild uncultivated state, thatShow MoreRelatedJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pagesinnovation. Lockeans argue that intellectual property is justified based on deservedness and hard work. Various moral justifications for private property can be used to argue in favor of the morality of intellectual property, such as: 1. Natural Rights/Justice Argument: this argument is based on Locke’s idea that a person has a natural right over the labour and/or products which is produced by his/her body. Appropriating these products is viewed as unjust. Although Locke had never explicitly stated that