In reading this, it's dense, but there's so much in here that if anybody, you know, there are a lot of people who, of our listeners, especially who really identify with utilitarianism. And I suggest anybody who is tempted by that view to read this article because he does a very nice job of setting the stage for why you can be dissatisfied with utilitarianism as a solution without having to lapse into any kind of weird view on moral rights and principles as content.
David and Tamler take a break from complaining about psychological studies that measure utilitarianism to complain about the moral theory itself. We talk about one of the most famous critiques of utilitarian theories from Bernard Williams. Does utilitarianism annihilate our integrity--our unity--as people? Would trying to maximize well-being fracture our identities, and swallow up our projects, motivations, and moral convictions--the same convictions that make utilitarianism seem appealing in the first place? Is it ultimately self-defeating as a moral theory?
Plus, we talk about the adventures of Tamler's based step-mom Christina Hoff Sommers' at Lewis and Clark law school. Will David stay woke?
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