An Introduction to Western Philosophy with Integrated Readings Yuqiao Xiang

Lecture Seventeen Equality and Partiality

1. Who is Thomas Nagel?

Three things about Thomas Nagel (a) Chief works include The Possibility of Altruism (1970),The View from Nowhere (1989),Equality and Partiality (1991), etc.

(b) Nagel, in addition to his remarkable contributions in moral philosophy, has made significant contributions in metaphysics, epistemology, and political philosophy.

(c) Nagel’s philosophical work has been guided by the fundamental belief that the main problems of philosophy are traceable to a tension between the personal standpoint and the impersonal standpoint.

Two important concepts the personal standpoint: a view of things from the standpoint of a person’s current local situation the impersonal standpoint: a view of things from the standpoint of complete objectivity with respect to a person’s situation and everyone else’s

2. What is the central problem of political philosophy in Nagel’s understanding?

A. The central problem of political philosophy: the tension between the personal standpoint and the impersonal standpoint within each human being.

B. The Essence of the problem: not primarily a question about the relation between the individual and society, but in essence and origin a question about each individual’s relation to himself.

C. The problem reflects a conviction that ethics, and the ethical basis of political theory, have to be understood as arising from a division in each individual between the personal standpoint and the impersonal standpoint.

D. The impersonal standpoint in each of us produces a powerful demand for universal impartiality and equality, while the personal standpoint gives rise to individualistic motives and requirements which present obstacles to the pursuit and realization of such ideals.

E. The problem shows that a harmonious combination of an acceptable political ideal and acceptable standards of personal morality is very hard to come by.

3. How does Thomas Nagel think of social institutions so far devised?

A. All social and political arrangements so far devised are unsatisfactory.

B. The problem of designing institutions that do justice to the equal importance of all persons, without making any unacceptable demands on individuals, has not yet been solved, partly because the problem of the right relation between the personal standpoint and the impersonal standpoint within each individual has not yet been solved.

C. We don’t yet have an acceptable political ideal.

D. Democratic capitalism is not the last word in human social arrangements.

4. Is Thomas Nagel a pessimist in political philosophy? Why?

A. One should think of political theory as an enterprise of discovery----the discovery of human possibilities.

B. Political philosophy cannot transfer every situation, but it can drive political choices through strengthening people’s moral convictions.