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All lectures philosophy of administration studies
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- Tilburg University (UVT)
All lectures philosophy of administration studies
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Philosophy of administrationstudies.
Lecture 1.
Practice – work groups.
1. Freedom of expression: do internet aimed at limiting the harms of disinformation undermine
freedom of expression?
2. Justice: how might a universal basic income further or hinder justice?
3. Morality and markets: should there be a market for immigration visas?
4. Neutrality or conscience: can civil servants oppose government policy?
The policy process = a contest of ideas, arguments and principles over the right course action. So
public policy-making is a matter of practical public reasoning (Weale, 53). All policy decisions relay
on ethical commitments at some level. Ethical issues are always there.
Conceptual clarity.
Value concepts often used ambiguously: hampers evaluation and practical application. For example:
‘freedom to work’ – what does this mean? What does freedom to work mean?
1. Right to compete for work in unconstrained labour market. Could include freedom of
movement.
2. Right to have secured work (protections from labour market failure). Not absence of legal
restrictions, but positive social programs.
NOTE: possible agreement on freedom to work as ‘ability to undertake productive activity for
reward’ but disagreement on
necessary conditions (Weale, 56).
Practical reasoning and ethics.
Normative ethics: what is the right thing to
do? There are guides to help us to find this
out.
Meta-ethics: nature of morality. Look at
scientific facts versus features of our social
life.
,When these theories are debated, there is no right or wrong one. Disagreement is an important thing
to keep in mind.
Normative = how things should be.
Descriptive = how things are (of have been).
Normative ethics.
1. Consequentialism: the morally good act is that which produces the best consequences.
Variation: utilitarianism = the morally good act is that which maximizes utility. For example:
If torturing one terrorist results in saving 100 innocent lives from an attack, then torture is the
morally right thing to do.
2. Deontology: the morally good act is that which is in accordance with our duties or
obligations, and that respects rights. For example: torturing the terrorist violates their right to
not be tortured, and therefore is morally wrong OR torturing the terrorist treats them as a
mere means rather an end in themselves, and it thus morally wrong.
3. Virtue ethics: the morally right act is that which the virtuous person would do. Emphasis on
moral character and virtues (honesty, charity, benevolence). For example: Snowdon’s leaking
of classified information to inform the public of government surveillance shows his personal
integrity.
4. Care ethics: the morally right act is that which values and seeks to maintain caring
relationships. Considers particulars rather than abstract, impersonal principles. For example:
after meeting the family and learning of their situation, the official granted the family asylum
out of compassion.
Meta-ethics.
What kind of statement is lying is wrong? What makes it true?
1. Realism: there is a (universal) fact of the matter – intolerance. This is mind-Independent
reality. Useful because it allows you to have critique. Most people are realists.
2. Subjectivism: our preferences. One form of subjectivism is relativism I’m taller then my
sister. No grounds for criticizing others. What most people believe.
3. Contractarianism: cultural or political norm. Contractualism – reasonableness. Who is
included? To who do things apply to?
4. Error theory: sceptical – we aim at truth, but systematically get it wrong. Counter-intuitive.
Example: in the 19th century, child labour was widely accepted, and even promoted by the Dutch
government. Today however, we know that child labour is wrong.
How could each of the 4 meta-ethical theories this statement.
o Realism: child labour is wrong, it was always wrong. The people in the past where
mistaken, now we know better (intolerance).
o Subjectivism: in the past, child labour was normal, nothing was wrong with child
labour back then. Nowadays it is wrong.
o Contractarianism: in the law, child labour is wrong. This is an institutional thing.
Because institutions, such as law, say child labour is wrong. It is wrong nowadays.
o Error theory: the statement is nonsense, these claims don’t make sends. They do not
explain it, but just say a statement is wrong (or right). Ethics has no foundation.
,Lecture 2.
Why freedom? Arguments against redistributive taxation, market regulation, censorship, coercive
laws, ect. Often appeal to freedom. Others argue that some social and economic conditions make
people unfree. These arguments turn on what we mean by ‘freedom’.
Consider the following:
1. “An unconditional cash income at the highest sustainable level is an obvious instrument in
the pursuit of social justice… that is as the greatest possible real freedom for those with least
of it” (Van Parijs, 2018). Can a UBI be defined in terms of freedom?
2. “There is nothing wrong with switching to an opt-out system of organ donation. Those who
do not want to donate are free to refuse – they only need to complete a form”. Are people
free to not donate organs?
3. “Virgin Atlantic has decided its female flight attendants are no longer required to wear make-
up”. Are female flight attendants more free?
All these questions depends on what freedom means.
Berlin’s two concepts of liberty.
There are two concepts of liberty (freedom) tied to the great clash of ideology that dominates our
world.
Negative freedom: absence of freedom. Freedom FROM:
o From obstacles, interference.
o Desire for free area of action.
o Associated with libertarianism.
Positive freedom: presence of freedom. Freedom TO:
o To pursue options, self-realization and development.
o Desire to be governed by myself or participate in processes that control my life.
o Associated with (some) liberalism, communitarianism and Marxism.
Freedom – three distinctions.
Berlin’s original concepts of freedom can
be distinguished as follows: X is (is not)
free from Y to do (not do, become, not
become) Z.
Formal VS effective freedom.
Formal freedom = absence of interferences, restrictions or obstacles.
X is free from deliberate interference to do Z.
Interreference can be interpreted narrowly (eg. Physical restraint or broadly (threats).
Minimal state: minimize interference in people’s lives to only laws necessary to protect
against interference.
Effective freedom = having capacity to act (formal freedom + necessary resources).
X s free from poverty/ lack of resources, education to do Z.
Can require access to resources (income, education, medical ect.). that enable capacities.
Eg. Are you free to go on an expensive holiday?
, Implications for redistributive taxation?
Formal Taxes can reduce freedom
Effective Taxes can increase freedom
For each of the following freedoms, think of how to understand the freedom in a formal sense, and in
an effective sense (i.e. what interferences should be absent, and what resources need to be provided?
Freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of religion.
Doing what one wants VS autonomy.
Freedom as doing what one wants: there
are no (external) interferences with your
acting on your desires. Individuals free
from interference from others to act on
their wants.
Issues: “I may have desiring happiness, or power, or knowledge, or the attainment of some
specific object. But I cannot command them. I choose to avoid defeat and waste, and
therefore decide to strive for nothing that I cannot be sure to obtain. I determine myself not
to desire what is unattainable” (Berlin, ’10).
Worry about adaptive preferences = preferences in deprived circumstances are formed in
response to restricted options. Cannot take someone’s wants at face-value.
Freedom as autonomy: being in control of what we want. Our desires can be influenced by
emotions, ignorance or unreasons as well as sociale influences.
Issues: you may not have knowledge of what your rational self wants, someone else may
know better.
Supports the idea that you could force someone to be free.
One is free when one’s higher/ true/ rational desires guide one’s
actions. Higher self is free from emotions/ unreasons/ ignorance
to ACT rationally/ achieve self-realizations.
Example 1: smoking. Some people believe that they freely desire
to smoke, but they are misguided. If they were thinking rationally,
they would want to quit smoking. So, we could ban cigarettes
entirely, which would feel like restriction on freedom, but it would enable real autonomy.
Note: argument not based on well-being, but on freedom as autonomy.
This is the conception that worries Berlin.
Example 2: nudging. You want to eat healthy food. But, you are hungry and tired, and there tempted
to make unhealthy choices. We will place the healthy food at eye level and hide the junk food at the
back of the cafeteria, making it easier for you to choose healthy food. This may sound manipulative,
but it aims to support the choices you would make if you were not hungry and tired.
Freedom and political participation.
Protected from politics: protect a private
sphere of action that is free from political
interference.
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