David Gauthier: Why Contractarianism

question 21

Multiple Choice

David Gauthier: Why Contractarianism?
Gauthier begins by claiming that morality faces a foundational crisis: morality's supposed authority depends on a worldview we no longer accept - one according to which the world is purposively ordered. Because of this, there is a serious question as to why we should accept the constraints of morality, given that these constraints purport to be independent of our desires and interests. This question becomes particularly pressing when obeying the dictates of morality would require sacrificing our interests for the sake of someone or something that we do not personally care about.
Some respond to this challenge by claiming that morality needs no justification. Gauthier claims that such a vindication is necessary, however. And we have an alternative method for justifying our actions that makes no reference to moral considerations. This method is that of deliberative justification, according to which an action is justified if and only if it maximizes the agent's expected utility (where utility is understood in terms of considered preferences) . Even if we were to do away with morality, we could still justify our actions via deliberative rationality.
Gauthier claims that there are three possible ways for morality to survive the challenge he has raised. One could argue that (i) we must postulate moral facts to explain our experiences, or (ii) one could argue that deliberative justification is somehow incomplete, or (iii) one could try to locate morality within the framework of deliberative rationality. Gauthier embraces the third way of resolving the crisis. He conceives of morality as a set of rules that constrain people's behavior, but that are mutually agreed on because they are to everyone's advantage. Because we gain more than we lose by submitting to such rules, deliberative rationality councils us to accept them.
-Gauthier claims that the foundational crisis of morality should be resolved by:

• A) finding an explanatory role for moral properties.
• B) accepting a religious foundation for morality.
• C) rejecting the idea of deliberative justification.
• D) finding a place for morality within the framework of deliberative justification.

---

Definitions:

Marginal Tax Rate

The tax rate applied to the last dollar of income, which can be used to measure the impact of additional income or deductions on overall taxes due.

Incremental After-Tax Net Cash Flows

The additional cash flows a business expects to generate after accounting for taxes, resulting from a new project or investment.

Depreciation

The systematic allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life, reflecting the decrease in the asset's value over time.

Marginal Tax Rate

The rate at which the last dollar of income is taxed, indicating the percentage of tax applied to your income for each tax bracket in which you qualify.