Episode 5: Adam Gurri (round 2) on Justice

Today's episode was (mostly) about Aristotelian Justice, but Adam and I wandered a little here and there. I also made a few factual flubs. The name of the Lithuanian coat of arms is the Vytis (Vyčio Kryžiaus ordinas). Aristotle was born in Stagira, on the east coast of Greece. He didn't found the Lyceum until he was pushing 50.


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Here is the Life of Brian scene I referenced:



Caplan on King
Adam rebuts
Nick "The Jacket" Gillespie on systematic injustice:



The full text of the Nicomachean Ethics
A Treatise of Human Nature, by David Hume
The Critique of Pure Reason, by Immanuel Kant
David Wong on the Monkeysphere

And yes, I acknowledge that the philosophy in our discussion is a little on the sophomoric side, but Justice is a hard topic, even for the professionals (which we are not). Just imagine how challenging it is for the ordinary citizen. Imagine further how easy it would be for a sinister sovereign to exploit weaknesses in everyday approaches to justice. Tumpety-tump.

The 3 formulations of the categorical imperative:

• The first (Universal Law formulation): "Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
• The second (Humanity or End in Itself formulation): "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."
• The third (Kingdom of Ends formulation) combines the two: "All maxims as proceeding from our own [hypothetical] making of law ought to harmonise with a possible kingdom of ends."

Perhaps you can understand my confusion early on in the discussion.