Fluent Essays

Please paraphrase only the Yellow lines and Please answers the Question in the same document attached. please find attachedThank you. sandel_chapter_3_111.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview Sandel Chapter 3 1. What is the ratio of wealth between the top 1\% of Americans and the bottom 90\%? There seems to be a disparity in the distribution of wealth in America. The top 1\% of Americans possess a little bit over 1/3 of the wealth that exists in the U.S. That is more than the combined wealth that the bottom 90\% of Americans share between themselves. They call this the “American Dream”. 2. What might a utilitarian argument for redistribution of wealth say? The Utilitarian argument that supports the redistribution of wealth supports the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor in the society. This is similar to the concept that was perpetuated by Robin Hood but there is no stealing in this case. When it reaches the point whereby the last dollar that is being redistributed from the rich is doing more harm than good then the redistribution should end at that point. 3. Why might a utilitarian argue against redistribution of wealth? Higher tax rates on income. Utilitarians are frightened that this could lead to a decline in investment and interest in work. This directly will lead to a decline in productivity. If there were to be a crash in the economy, there would definitely be much less wealth to distribute causing utility to go way down. So this would bring them to a dilemma: would taxing lead rich people to decrease their working time just to earn less, this would decrease the amount of wealth to redistribute for people in need. 4. Why would a libertarian argue against redistribution of wealth? The libertarians are in the support of the markets that are not restricted. Additionally, they do not advocate for government regulation for the markets. Hence, in this case, each person is entitled to do whatever they want as long as they respect the right of the other individual to do the same. 5. What is the central claim of libertarianism? Liberty. We have a right to do with our own possessions whatever we please, as long as we respect others right to do the same exact thing. 6. What do libertarians believe is the role/purpose/right activity of government? For the libertarianism, they argue that the role of the government should be limited to enforcing contracts and keeping people from engaging in vices such as stealing by keeping the social environment civil. 7. What are the 3 types of policies that libertarians reject and WHY do they reject these? • • • No paternalism: to oppose laws to protect people from harming themselves. They believe that as long as people assume the responsibility for their own actions and no third party is involved in the incident, there should be no interference from government. No moral legislation: if the majority of the community doesn’t approve of what you want to do, individuals should not be outcast just for living the way they want to. No redistribution of wealth: to help people in need should be left to the individual, not obligated by government. It should be optional. 8. Why would a libertarian argue against Social Security? The argument of libertarians against social security would arise when an individual chooses to live for the moment in the place of giving more consideration for the future. In their view, people should be motivated to save for the future. Nonetheless, forcing the people to save would in their view not be ideal. 9. Why would a libertarian argue against a minimum wage? They believe that a worker should negotiate his salary with his boss, and they should be allowed to accept any wage they seem appropriate. Government should only be a spectator in this matter and not influence in what a salary should be. 10. Why would a libertarian argue against occupational licensing? In the view of the libertarians, people should have the right to do whatever pleases them. This will incorporate the necessary training that will be required to perform certain given tasks in the society. Hence, pursuing occupational licensing would be interfering with the rights and freedoms of the individual. Thus, the qualifications that one possess should not be a consideration for the individual. 11. Explain Robert Nozick’s position on income redistribution. Totally against it. Taxing wealthy people to help poor people suppresses the rich. People should do with their things whatever they please and this would violate that concept. 12. For Nozick, what does distributive justice depend on? (we will encounter a different definition of distributive justice in a different method) Distributive justice depends on 2 demands: a) Justice for initial belongings: things we already own b) Transfer justice: things we can acquire 13. Why can the determination of the just acquisition of initial holdings be difficult? It is quite difficult to determine if the acquisition of the initial holdings was just. For instance, one cannot be able to determine if the wealth that was taken from the illegal assets was acquired by force. This is because wealth acquisition by force was the only way the wealthy were able to acquire their initial holding generations ago. 14. According to Nozick, what are two problems with patterened theories of distributive justice? ▪ ▪ Liberty upsets patterns, to those who believe that there is an economic inequality will have to participate actively in the free market, again and again to undo the effects of the choices people make in their own lives. Any interference nullifies individual rights by taking their stuff. Any donation they make would be made against their own will. 15. How do libertarians understand “self-ownership? The libertarians understand self-ownership from an interesting perspective. In their view, if someone owns himself or herself them he or she owns the labor. This gives premise to the argument of having a slave and a master. Using this view, then it plausible to say that someone could have other people to order around and task them to do certain things. 16. Name and explain 5 objections to libertarianism? A. Taxes aren’t as bad as forced labor: when we are taxed, we have the choice to reduce our working capability just to pay lower taxes. Now, if I am forced to work, then I would have no such choice and why should they enforce labor on the individual. B. Let’s take as examples Michael Jordan and Bill Gates. Even though they are very wealthy but stealing from them to give to the poor is still stealing, even if it is enforced by the government. There should be a voluntary aspect to charity, not obligatory. C. Jordan and Gates don’t work by themselves, this would mean that they owe monetary compensation to those who contributed to their success. D. Jordan and Gates are not being taxed without their approval. If we belong to a civilization and take part in a democracy we have a say and vote in what tax laws are applied to us. E. Michael Jordan would be considered lucky to have the natural talent and luck to be part of a society that lets him profit greatly from the sport of basketball. The community does him no injustice by taxing his income for the general well-being of the population. 17. What arguments would a libertarian use to support one’s right to sell one’s kidneys? The libertarians argue that something that is in our body will ultimately belong to us and hence the individual is free to do with it as he or she pleases. This applies to the case of selling the kidneys. 18. What are the arguments against a right to sell one’s kidneys? ▪ ▪ The reason why we were to sell our own kidney is not based on the fact that it’s a good reason or not, but the option to dispose of one’s property as we see fit. This argument brings up the notion that people shouldn’t be lured into giving up their life for money because it’s one thing to sell one kidney, we can survive with one. Selling the second kidney would end their life. 19. What are libertarian arguments in favor of assisted suicide? Since one is in control of their life then it is plausible to say that one has the right to choose death over life and hence the support for assisted suicide. 20. What are arguments against assisted suicide? There are many views on this subject. Assisted suicide would be to terminate the life of a person who is ill. But we are not talking about this, we are looking at it from the sick person’s point of view: he owns his life and he should do whatever he pleases with it. 21. Summarize the foundational values of libertarianism. Libertarianism is founded on the values of freedom despite the laws that are imposed on the masses by the government. ... Purchase answer to see full attachment