Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk Stealing Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk © Michael Lacewing

Stealing Steal: to take someone else’s property with no intention of returning it and without their permission (or without the legal right to do so) To own property involves a system of rights We are free to use our property, but others are not Stealing is a matter of justice, what we are ‘owed’ by right So assume that stealing is wrong – but always? © Michael Lacewing

Utilitarianism Act utilitarianism: an action is right if it maximises happiness, and wrong if it does not So if stealing, on some occasion, creates greater happiness than not stealing, then it is morally right on that occasion. Usually, it causes greater unhappiness, so usually, it is wrong. Stealing in dire need, esp. from someone wealthy Robin Hood: stealing back property that was unjustly taken Stealing to prevent harm © Michael Lacewing

Utilitarianism A society in which people stealing was permitted whenever it increased happiness could indirectly lead to greater unhappiness Lack of trust Mill: justice is ‘most sacred and binding part of all morality’ So don’t violate people’s rights for some other purpose But what about previous examples? © Michael Lacewing

Rule utilitarianism An action is right if, and only if, it complies with those rules which, if everybody followed them, would lead to the greatest happiness (compared to any other set of rules). Should we have rules allowing property in the first place? This is irrelevant to whether stealing is right, since stealing presupposes that property exists That a world without property would be happier doesn’t justify stealing Should the rule be ‘Do not steal’ or more complicated, allowing exceptions? © Michael Lacewing

Kantian deontology ‘Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law’ Stealing can only be the right thing to do if everyone could do it. If everyone stole whatever they wanted, property rights would disappear, so it would be impossible to steal ‘To steal what I want’ cannot be universalised So stealing is wrong © Michael Lacewing

Kantian deontology Can some maxims involving stealing be universalised, e.g. ‘To steal to save a life’? Still involves stealing, so wrong? ‘To save a life, even if by stealing’ – the kind of action is saving a life ‘Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end’ Stealing involves not allowing someone to make an informed choice (just ask them) © Michael Lacewing

Aristotelian virtue ethics Stealing concerns justice, and Aristotle understands justice in deontological terms Stealing is never in the mean What about stealing in an unjust situation? It depends how the unjust situation came about If it is not the result of unjust action, but simply unfortunate, stealing is hard to justify, since it is an unjust action (which is worse) If the situation is the result of unjust action, then perhaps stealing is ‘justice in rectification’ Can stealing be ‘in the mean’, e.g. when not trying to deprive anyone of their fair share? © Michael Lacewing

A final thought Property rights are not absolute I can’t do anything I want with my property, e.g. I can’t start a fire with my books inside a cinema, I can’t withhold tax… To steal from someone, they must legitimately own what you steal If the laws of property are not just, then is stealing unjust? © Michael Lacewing