Can I be a luck egalitarian and a Rawlsian?

Luck egalitarianism and Rawlsianism have been presented as competing answers to the same question: the question of distributive justice. In this paper, I show how they are in fact not different theories of the same thing, but rather different theories of different things - different answers to different questions. I trace the history of luck egalitarian thinking and try to show why Rawlsianism and luck egalitarianism were taken to be the same kind of project. I then examine different ways that one could consistently endorse (some version of) luck egalitarianism and (some version of/elements of) Rawls' theory.

Playing Kant at the Court of King Arthur

This article contrasts the sense in which those whom Bernard Williams called ‘political realists’ and John Rawls are committed to the idea that political philosophy has to be distinctively political. Distinguishing the realist critique of political moralism from debates over ideal and non-ideal theory, it is argued that Rawls is more realist than many realists realise, and that realists can learn more about how to make a distinctively political vision of how our life together should be organised from his theorising, although it also points to a worrying tendency among Rawlsians to reach for inappropriately moralised arguments. G. A. Cohen’s advocacy of socialism and the second season of HBO’s The Wire are used as examples to illustrate these points.

Logical and epistemic foundationalism about grounding: the triviality of facts and principles

In this paper, I seek to undermine G.A. Cohen’s polemical use of a metaethical claim he makes in his article, ‘Facts and Principles’, by arguing that that use requires an unsustainable equivocation between epistemic and logical grounding. I begin by distinguishing three theses that Cohen has offered during the course of his critique of Rawls and contractualism more generally, the foundationalism about grounding thesis, the justice as non-regulative thesis, and the justice as all-encompassing thesis, and briefly argue that they are analytically independent of each other. I then offer an outline of the foundationalism about grounding thesis, characterising it, as Cohen does, as a demand of logic. That thesis claims that whenever a normative principle is dependent on a fact, it is so dependent in virtue of some other principle. I then argue that although this is true as a matter of logic, it, as Cohen admits, cannot be true of actual justifications, since logic cannot tell us anything about the truth as opposed to the validity of arguments. Facts about a justification cannot then be decisive for whether or not a given argument violates the foundationalism about grounding thesis. As long as, independently of actual justifications, theorists can point to plausible logically grounding principles, as I argue contractualists can, Cohen’s thesis lacks critical bite.

Of Library Budgets and Scholarly Productivity: What Academics Analytics Can Tell Us about how Library Spending Impacts Scholarly Communication at Different Types of Universities

This presentation was offered as part of the CUNY Library Assessment Conference, Reinventing Libraries: Reinventing Assessment, held at the City University of New York in June 2014.

Vilken typ av rättvisa ska råda i framtiden : Om rättvisa, målkonflikter och demokratiska processerinför FN:s nya hållbara utvecklingsmål

Hösten 2015 väntas FN:s medlemsstater fatta beslut om millenniemålens efterföljare:Sustainable Development Goals; SDG. Uppsatsen syftar till att ge svar på frågan omvilka olika typer av rättvisa som dessa nya föreslagna hållbara utvecklingsmål, SDG,ger uttryck för. Utöver detta tas frågan om risken för eventuella målkonflikter upp,liksom på vilket sätt processerna som föregått besluten om målen ger uttryck förvärderingar knutna till demokratiskt beslutsfattande. Uppsatsen utgår från rättvisasom etiskt begrepp och analysen bygger på teorier från John Rawls, MarthaNussbaum och Seyla Benhabib. Genom närläsning och argumentationsanalys nåsföljande slutsatser: det råder flera olika typer av rättvisa inom SDG, de olika typernaav rättvisa bidrar till risken för målkonflikter samt att processerna som föregått målenger uttryck för värderingar knutna till demokratiskt beslutsfattande. Trots dessavärderingar föreligger risk för svårigheter med förankring, implementering ochgovernance av de framtida SDG. Den etiktradition som dominerade inom denuvarande millenniemålen, var den traditionella antropocentrismen. Etiken för hållbarutveckling har fått betydligt större utrymme i SDG.

Therapeutic Discourse and the American Public Philosophy: On American Liberalism's Troubled Relationship with Psychology

I explore the main currents of postwar American liberalism. One, sociological, emerged in response to the danger of mass movements. Articulated primarily by political sociologists and psychologists and ascendant from the mid-fifties till the mid-seventies, it heralded the "end of ideology." It emphasized stability, elitism, positive science and pluralism; it recast normatively sound politics as logrolling and hard bargaining. I argue that these normative features, attractive when considered in isolation, taken together led to a vicious ad hominem style in accounting for views outside the postwar consensus. It used pseudo-scientific literature in labeling populists, Progressives, Taft conservatives, Goldwaterites, the New Left and others "pathological," viz. mentally ill. Hence, "therapeutic discourse." I argue that philosophical liberalism, which reasserts the role of political theory in working out norms and adjudicating disagreement, is a more profitable way of thinking about and defending from critics liberalism. I take the philosopher John Rawls as the tradition's modern representative. This inquiry is important because the themes of sociological liberalism are making a comeback in American public discourse, and with them perhaps the baggage of therapeutic discourse. I present a cautionary tale.

Responsabilidade social das empresas e valores humanos: um estudo sobre a atitude dos gestores brasileiros

In the last decades of the 21st century, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become one of the most widely debated issues in business management, concerning researchers, politicians, managers and society at large. With multilateral implications in economic and social life, CSR refers, essentially, to the discussion about the boundaries of business intervention in society and the ethical limits that should regulate that intervention. It questions the impact of business practices in social well-being, the role left for corporations and for the State in attending to community needs, and which are, at last, the responsibilities that tie enterprises to society. In this research, CSR is approached from the perspective of its ethical foundations, based on the moral reasoning of the business manager, as a key organizational leader with relevant decision power. Specifically, the research aims to understand how the personal human value system and the ethical orientation of managers influence their attitude towards CSR, considering this attitude as an indicator of managerial behavior that translates into corporate performance. Theoretically, CSR concept is discussed and presented as a set of social commitments, based on a strict interpretation of its meaning. As to human values, its philosophical roots are briefly analyzed and Schwartz modern motivational theory is addressed as main reference for studying the personal value system of managers in this research. Concerning ethics, based on classical theory from moral philosophy, references are seek in John Stuart Mill¿s utilitarianism, Immanuel Kant¿s deontological absolutism, John Rawls¿s theory of justice and the ethics of virtue inspired by Aristotle¿s moral thoughts. Based on an extended literature review, research hypothesis are proposed as part of a theoretical model of analysis named Individual Attitude Towards Social Responsibility Model. In order to test the theory¿s empirical validity, it was conducted a field study with 252 Brazilian managers, mainly from the metropolitan areas of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Results show that managerial attitude aligned with CSR principles is favored by conservative personal values, protectors of stability and centered on collective will, and by an ethical orientation based on egalitarianism as postulated by distributive justice principles. However, results also show that the influence of values and personal ethics on managerial attitude towards CSR only occur in managers younger than 30 years old. Findings and their meanings are discussed, as well as summarized in the Axiological and Ethical Determinants of Managers¿ Social Commitment Model. Finally, methodological limitations are evaluated and clues for further research are suggested.

A justiça distributiva como critério fundamental nas políticas públicas: o caso dos jogos panamericanos na cidade do Rio de Janeiro

This dissertation is a project of evaluation of the proposals of the Panamerican Games of 2007, that they will be carried through in the city of Rio De Janeiro. Great events present the possibility of improvement of the urban space and economic development, amongst other chances seen by politics and urban planners well. For this work we search to argue the city as field of specific study, understanding it in the current world-wide scene of globalization and computerization, the relations politics, economic and social existing interns. We search in material literature to study and to evaluate what it would be a ¿good city¿ and studies that had understood the development of the urban space. We also look for to understand the city of Rio de Janeiro as a singular urban space, since the origin of the city as a urban space, passing for the proposals gifts of modification of the carioca space. We dedicate part of the work, inside of the chapter where we understand the city of Rio de Janeiro, the presentation of the project of the Panamerican of 2007, comparing it with great previous events. The vision of technique and politics during the interviews was essential for the best understanding of the proposals of the Games. Finally we evaluate the proposals of modification of the Pan2007 for the city of Rio de Janeiro with the methodology of Kevin Lynch to evaluate the good form of the city" in communion with the proposal of distributive justice of Rawls. The result of this evaluation was that the current proposals of modification of the city for the Pan2007 will be able to generate resulted not deliberate for a considerable parcel of the population and to modify the economic relations harmfully, social and politics inside of the territory of the city. For such we consider measured compensatory satisfactory that they can reach the objectives of an equal citizenship and an equitable equality of chances, starting for the offering of the social minimums of just form. "

A estética da cidadania em relato de um certo oriente de Milton Hatoum

A Cidadania, tal como a entendemos hoje, é um conceito e uma prática extremamente recentes na história da humanidade. Fundamentado na noção do comparatista Edward Said (1995) de que a Literatura Comparada procura ver, em conjunto e em contraponto, várias culturas, literaturas e áreas do conhecimento, o presente estudo explora e desenvolve o conceito estabelecido pela autora deste trabalho de “Estética da Cidadania” moderna em oposição à Estética da Cidadania tradicional aristotélica. O conceito de Estética da Cidadania é analisado, no romance Relato de um certo Oriente, do escritor brasileiro, nascido em Manaus, Milton Hatoum (2003). O termo “estética” está relacionado à condição literária do texto, enquanto que o termo “cidadania” expressa uma preocupação ética, própria ao domínio filosófico. Assim, Literatura e Filosofia não se confundem, mas relacioná-las pode ser útil para ampliar a compreensão de ambas. A relação entre as duas áreas se dá através do exame da voz e dos comportamentos dos personagens da narrativa, onde é possível desenvolver e exemplificar o conceito de Cidadania Moderna. O conceito de “moderno” está aqui empregado no sentido de Charles Taylor (1997). Através da análise das concepções morais dos personagens centrais e da ética própria aos grupos aos quais eles pertencem é possível exemplificar a manifestação dos princípios éticos que permitem o exercício da Cidadania, preconizados por John Rawls (2000). Estes princípios são também os três objetivos da Filosofia Política, a saber: reduzir as diferenças morais e filosóficas, compatibilizar os planos de vida e estabilizar o esquema de cooperação.

Evaluation of toothbrush bristles' deterioration used by preschool children

The toothbrush is an effective instrument for oral diseases prevention. The flexibility and status of bristles, as well as the size of the handle are fundamental for an effective toothbrushing. Thus, the assessment of physical characteristics of toothbrushes is important. This study evaluated the deterioration and wear of bristles of toothbrushes used by preschool children. For the sample selection, five elementary schools were assorted from a city of the São Paulo State northwest region, one from each city area. All toothbrushes used by preschool children who aged between 5 and 6 years old and who attended the assorted schools were visually analysed by two calibrated examiners, according to the criteria proposed by Rawls HR, Mkwayi-Tulloch NJ, Casella R, Cosgrove R (J Dent Res 1989; 12: 1781): 0 - it is impossible to state if the toothbrush was used or not; 1 - the bristles seem to be separated within some tufts; 2 - most tufts are separated, many cover other tufts and present a large number of curved and inclined bristles; 3 - most tufts are covered by others and bristles are folded and tipped. In total, 333 toothbrushes were evaluated. The data obtained revealed that 57.96% of the toothbrushes presented adequate condition for utilization (scores 0 and 1), whereas 42.04% presented inadequate bristles for their function (scores 2 and 3). It was concluded that a great number of toothbrushes presented deterioration of the bristles. Thus, there is the need to guide and promote awareness among teachers, parents and children as well as the need to replace toothbrushes.

Políticas públicas e direitos humanos em Jürgen Habermas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Monetização dos riscos no meio ambiente do trabalho uma leitura a partir do liberalismo igualitário

Esta dissertação trata da Monetização dos Riscos no Meio Ambiente do Trabalho – fenômeno que autoriza a compensação financeira para o trabalhador em razão de sua exposição a riscos existentes no local de trabalho –, sob a ótica do Liberalismo Igualitário de John Rawls e Ronald Dworkin. O primeiro capítulo analisa e compara as teorias liberais igualitárias apresentadas por John Rawls e Ronald e Dworkin com a teoria da Análise Econômica do Direito de Richard Posner. O segundo capítulo demonstra quais são as práticas do ordenamento jurídico brasileiro com relação à monetização dos riscos. O terceiro capítulo realiza uma análise normativa e principiológica para responder se há necessidade de reformular tais práticas, analisando, ainda, quais são os óbices à efetivação da proteção aos trabalhadores.

Contribuições a uma teoria da democracia digital como suporte à formulação de políticas públicas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)