“Rights, Practical Deliberation and Action”

Cristián Rettig

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy 

Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile

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Guest Political Philosophy Seminar ~ Friday, May 3, 12noon-1:30pm

Wooten Hall 301 (Kerstetter Room) ~ Buffet Lunch from 11:50am

The paper is available for optional pre-read.  Prof. Rettig will present it for 40 minutes followed by discussion. 

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Abstract

We live in an age of rights, but there is a deep disagreement on how we should conceptualize these normative standards, even at a very fundamental level. In this paper, I discuss two different ways of understanding rights from the practical perspective. On the one hand, friends of ‘specificationism’ hold that rights are conclusions of practical reasoning whose content is specified on the basis of exception clauses – e.g. S has a right to P unless in circumstances A, B and so forth. On the other hand, friends of ‘generalism’ hold that rights are not conclusive but simply pro-tanto reasons for action (i.e. practical reasons that can be overridden by weightier considerations) whose content is general, like our ordinary assertions of rights – e.g. S has a (pro-tanto) right to P simpliciter. I argue that specificationism is inherently problematic from the practical angle, while generalism needs to avoid the charge that it reduces rights to ordinary moral reasons. I suggest that understanding rights as exclusionary reasons is a promising way to avoid that charge. I defend this possibility from prominent objections. 

Sponsored by the University Center for Human Values and the Department of Politics

Organized by Prof. Stephen Macedo

LSR Prof. of Politics and UCHV

“Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any event does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented.”