[World | Home | Peacegames | Philosophy | Catalog | Site | Order]
These materials are printed inThe Philosophy Guidebook: Complete with Maps copyright 1997 by David Felder and available for $10. Call toll free 877-390-4425.
Social Philosophy
1: Are inequalities in wealth justified?
Challenge: Inequalities are never justified.2:What type of Economic system is best?
Position and Definitions
Social Philosophy examines the distribution of goods in society.
Radical Egalitarians (01) believe that everyone should have the same amount of goods, benefits, etc.
Sexists (02) believe that people should not be treated equally, but instead what one receives should be determined by sex.
Racists (03) believe that people are not equal and should not be treated equally, but instead what one receives should be determined by one's ethnic, religious, or racial background.
Equity Views (04) state that people should receive the same unless there is a relevant difference between the people.
Monistic (05) views are views what people get should be determined by one factor only. Some suggestions are:
Need (06)- Those who need the most should get the most.
Effort (07)- Those hardest workers get the most.
Productivity (08)- The most productive receive the most.
Ability (09)- Those with the most ability get the most.
Pattern Theories (10) distribute goods so as to achieve a desired pattern.
Utilitarian (11)- That distribution pattern is best which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Hypothetical Consent (12)- The best distribution pattern is one that has differences in wealth that benefit everyone, provided that everyone has an equal opportunity to be in the advantaged position. This is the distribution that one would agree to if given a choice.
Rights based theories (13)
Classical View (14) - What a person receives is based on what they have done in the past or are doing in the present.
Rights and Forbearances (15) Rights should be the basis.
Social Philosophy Simulations (12.01S1)
1. Your challenge is to explain how it can be just for some people to have more than others. Why don't we all have the same amount of everything?
One person takes the view of a radical egalitarian.
Others try to justify various inequalities, giving numerous examples.
2. Your challenge is to design a utopia. You are to agree to principles within your group on such issues as how jobs, houses, land, and money should be allocated. Your group will come up with a rough outline of a desirable society. You will then contrast that vision with our existing society and state the main differences.
3. Your challenge is to consider the claims of two people to a job. One person is a member of a group that has been historically underrepresented in the relevant profession -- the other is a member of the majority group.
One person is either a minority group member or a woman. Choose one.
One person is a member of the group that has been well represented in the relevant profession.
One person is doing the hiring.
Others are divided among the above parties.
In doing this simulation first imagine that both candidates for the job are equally qualified. Ask whether one has more of a claim to the job than the other. Then vary the situation by having the member of the group that is well represented in the profession better qualified than the other candidate although both candidates have above the minimum requirement for the profession. Also vary this exercise by first having it the case that one group was under-represented due to discrimination, and then having it the case that discrimination was not the cause of one group's being underrepresented.
4. Your challenge is to consider the arguments both in favor of and against affirmative action. Half are for this policy and half are against. You will be assigned to a side on this controversy and you will take turns giving arguments, and rebuttals of arguments. Each person must give a different argument until all the main arguments are covered.
5. The class is to consider itself a conference entrusted with thinking of ways to make the United States a more just society. List ideas first and then critique the ideas.
6. Are there natural roles for men and women? List roles that might be associated with each sex and then examine your list asking whether the roles are due to nature or to social factors.
7. What does the term racist mean? What does the term "sexist" mean? Are there any similarities between racism and sexism? Are there differences?
8. Are there any traits that go with particular backgrounds such as being female or male, or being of one ethnic group or another. If we know the background of the leadership of a nation can we tell whether that nation is warlike or peaceful?
9. Is it natural for one group to want to dominate another group?
10. Can you imagine a non racist, non sexist society? What would it be like?
Social Philosophy 2
What Type of Social System is Best?
Note: No map is provided because it is not clear whether the economic system or the political system should be considered as being of first importance. Is Democratic Socialism a type of socialism or a type of political democracy? We leave this to you to decide.
Positions and Definitions
Economic Systems – Ownership of the means of production
01 Capitalism - An economic system that has private ownership of enterprises that hire people.
02 Socialism - A system that has public ownership of enterprises.
Political System - Type of Government
03 Monarchy - Government by one by hereditary right as with a King or Queen.
04 Fascism - Rule by one by right of greatest might as with the Italian Fascist party or the Nazi party in Germany.
05 Oligarchy - Government by a few, usually the rich.
06 Democracy - Government by the people who have rights in that state.
07 Parliamentary Democracy - Form of government patterned after the English system of electing representatives to a parliament. The powers and limits of government are stated in a constitution which is taken seriously.
Combination of Political and Economic Systems
08 Social Democrats - Socialists who believe in parliamentary democracy.
09 communists - With a small C, communists believe in absolute equality in both economics and decision making. All wealth is pooled together and all decisions are made jointly by those affected.
10 Communist - Political party founded by V. I. Lenin, influenced by Marx , who claimed that the typed of state, whether capitalist or socialist was more important than the type of government and called for the Dictatorship of the workers (proletariat) over the former capitalists.
Simulation Exercise
An Examination of Capitalism
Imagine a factory factory with four workers hired by a capitalist to assemble bicyles. Suppose that all the following are true:
Sales - Totals 20 bicycles x $100 or $2000 week
The factory produces twenty bicyles a week.
The going rate for bicyles of this type is $100.
Expenses for building, machinery, raw materials total $1000 week
The rent on the bicyle shop is $100 week
The owner's payment for machinery is $100 week
The materials for twenty bicyles totals $800 week
Payment to Workers Totals ? ? ? ?
There are four workers.
The going rate for someone doing this type of work is $100 week.
1. The bicycle shop takes materials that cost $800 plus the $100 rent and $100 for machinery, and produces something that is worth $2000. This means that their has been an increase in the value of the input of $1000.
Who is responsible for this increase in value? Has the labor of the workers produced the gain of $1000? What has the capitalist contributed?
2. Do workers sell their labor? Do they sell the product of their labor to the capitalist? What does a worker sell to the capitalist?
3. Present a formula for profits in terms of sales and costs of production. Suppose that there were perfect competition between producers of an item. That would drive a price down. What is the lowest price that a commodity can sell for that allows a capitalist to stay in business?
4. Are workers in a labor market affected by supply and demand? Suppose that there is competition between workers for jobs. What is the lowest price that a worker can get for his or her labor? Would a worker in a city that has high prices for apartments get paid more than a worker in a city that has lower living expenses? Are wages determined by what person produces or by the cost of living?
5. Suppose that the capitalist decides to pay the workers $100 a week which is the going rate for workers. That means that the profit, sales of $2000 minus the cost of production $1400 is $600. Does this $600 represent something that workers have produced but are not being paid for, or is it a payment for an entrepreneural function that the capitalist provides? Karl Marx called profits a "surplus value" that the capitalist exploits from workers. In his view the workers in our model would be receiving pay for less than half of their day's work, with more than half of their day being labor exploited by the capitalist. Marx wanted a system that did not allow one person to exploit the labor of another. Critics of Marxism argue that their has to be an incentive for people to allocate resources in a productive manner, and that profits are this incentive. What do you think?
Simulation of Political Democracy: A Model Representative Body
The political system in the United States is sometimes called "democracy" or "parliamentary democracy." We will imagine a model representative body and see what conditions are needed to make democracy succeed according to various criteria for success. Our model parliament will consist of seventeen people. There are two political parties, one with eight people and one with nine.
1. If the nine agree to always vote together will they have to listen to the eight people in the minority party. Why should the minority ever listen to those in the minority?
2. Suppose that a group of five control the larger party of nine, and that a group of three control the group of five, and a group of two control the group of three. Might a few people end up controlling the decisions of the entire parliament?
3. Various criteria for judging the success of government have been suggested. Jeremy Bentham believed that a government should provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. John Locke suggested that a government should be represent the interests of the people it governs. Thomas Hobbes believed that a government acts as the people's representative or agent whether or not it acts in their interests as long as they accept it to prevent violence. John Jacques Rousseau believed that a government should represent the general will or the will of all. Does having "one person one vote" insure that all these criteria are met?
4. What if there is a group of four people in our parliament who have special interests due to their working in mines. They are currently divided with three in one party and three in the other. Is this the most effective positioning of this group? What if they were all in one party and announced that they would always support that party? What would be the most effective strategy for them to further their interest?
5. How important are each of the following for the success of democracy?
Access to the media. What if 99% agree and 1% disagree with the government? Should the 99% have to listen to the 1%?
Having two parties instead of one. Is it desirable to have two parties. What about having more than two parties?
1-800-231-1638
© Copyright 1998 by David W. Felder. All rights reserved.
