Contractarianism
David Gauthier
• The foundational crisis of morality
• “Moral language fits a world view that we have abandoned—a view of the
world as purposively ordered.”
David Gauthier
• The foundational crisis of morality
• “Moral language fits a world view that we have abandoned—a view of the
world as purposively ordered.”
• In the absence of this worldview, we must ask, “What reason can a
person have for recognizing and accepting a constraint that is
independent of his desires and interests?”
David Gauthier
• The foundational crisis of morality
• “Moral language fits a world view that we have abandoned—a view of the
world as purposively ordered.”
• In the absence of this worldview, we must ask, “What reason can a
person have for recognizing and accepting a constraint that is
independent of his desires and interests?”
• We have a method of justifying our actions that does not make
reference to moral consideration.
• Self-interest
• Self-interest
• We justify actions by their propensity to maximize our expected utility
• Self-interest
• We justify actions by their propensity to maximize our expected utility
• So- not utilitarianism. Valuation seen as subjective.
• Self-interest
• We justify actions by their propensity to maximize our expected utility
• So- not utilitarianism. Valuation seen as subjective.
• So why accept constraints on behavior at all?
• Self-interest
• We justify actions by their propensity to maximize our expected utility
• So- not utilitarianism. Valuation seen as subjective.
• So why accept constraints on behavior at all?
• Self-interest
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
• “In many situations, if each person chooses what, given the choices of
others, will maximize her expected utility, then the outcome will be
mutually disadvantageous in comparison with some alternative—
everyone could do better.”
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
• “In many situations, if each person chooses what, given the choices of
others, will maximize her expected utility, then the outcome will be
mutually disadvantageous in comparison with some alternative—
everyone could do better.”
• Gauthier’s solution: “If one benefits more from a constraint on others
than one loses by being constrained oneself, one may have reason to
accept a practice requiring everyone, including oneself, to exhibit
such a constraint.”
Justifiable Moral Practices
• “Justifiable moral practices are those that would secure our
agreement ex ante, in an appropriate pre-moral situation.”
• Only such practices, Gauthier claims, will invite stable compliance.
• Moral constraints justified by mutual self-interest