罗尔斯对功利主义的批判和超越

发布时间：2019-06-20 13:20

【摘要】：罗尔斯是美国当代著名的哲学家、伦理学家,他所创建的正义理论是西方伦理学史上的奇葩。自《正义论》问世以来,一直受到各国学者的广泛关注及持续讨论,被认为“二次大战后伦理学、政治哲学领域中最重要的理论著作”。而他的正义理论是在批判功利主义的基础上不断形成和完善起来的,最终取代了一直占据西方理论学界主导地位的功利主义。在罗尔斯看来,功利主义主要有三方面的理论缺陷:第一,功利主义将社会福利总量增长置于优先地位,而忽视了社会的公平,这个问题的实质是功利主义只考虑如何将蛋糕做大而不关注如何公平的分配蛋糕。在这种情况下,可能会导致社会分配不公等问题,这是罗尔斯公平的正义理论所要拒绝的核心;第二,功利主义把正当作为增加善的工具,从而将善置于优先于正当的位置。罗尔斯认为它在处理善与正当的关系上存在很大的问题,因为若善比正当优先,也就是承认善是主导者,正当与否都是由善决定的,但由于立场不同,各个学者对善都有不同的看法,没有一种让大家都认同的最高的善作为行为标准,这样,善就具有不确定性,以这种不确定的善为依据来制定和调整各种社会制度,那么在此之下的社会也将是不确定的;第三,功利主义将个人选择原则扩大到了社会。它认为,个人在进行选择时,会为了将来可能实现的最大利益而放弃眼前的较小利益,既然社会是个人的集合,那么社会同样也会为推进最大净余额而牺牲某个社会成员的利益。罗尔斯认为功利主义这种简单的将个人选择扩大到社会的做法是错误的,因为它忽视了个人选择与社会选择的不同。罗尔斯正是在批判功利主义的过程中实现对其的超越。他的理论涵盖了原初状态、平等自由、以及两个正义原则等支柱性内容,同时又有无知之幕、反思的平衡、最大最小值规则加以佐证,最终构建出一个宏伟又不乏精雕细琢的理论大厦。虽然很多学者认为罗尔斯对功利主义的批判不够彻底,因为其理论本身仍受功利主义影响颇深而带有些许功利主义色彩,但不可否认的是罗尔斯的正义理论不仅在西方伦理学史上产生了巨大的影响,并且对我国在社会主义市场经济条件下,如何协调自由与平等的关系、集体利益与个人利益的关系以及大学生思想政治教育工作都有一定的启示作用,从而对我国构建社会主义和谐社会具有积极意义。
[Abstract]:Rawls is a famous contemporary American philosopher and ethicist. His theory of justice is a wonderful work in the history of western ethics. Since the publication of the Theory of Justice, it has been widely concerned and continuously discussed by scholars from all over the world. It is regarded as the most important theoretical work in the field of post-World War II ethics and political philosophy. His theory of justice is constantly formed and perfected on the basis of criticizing utilitarianism, and finally replaces utilitarianism, which has always occupied the dominant position in western theoretical circles. In Rawls' view, utilitarianism has three theoretical defects: first, utilitarianism gives priority to the growth of total social welfare while neglecting social fairness. The essence of this problem is that utilitarianism only considers how to make the cake bigger than how to distribute the cake fairly. In this case, it may lead to problems such as unfair social distribution, which is the core of Rawls' fair justice theory; second, utilitarianism takes justice as a tool to increase good, thus giving priority to good. Rawls believes that there are great problems in dealing with the relationship between good and justice, because if good takes precedence over justice, that is to say, it is recognized that good is the leader and decency is determined by good. However, because of their different positions, scholars have different views on good, and there is no highest standard of good behavior that everyone agrees with, so that goodness is uncertain. On the basis of this uncertain goodness to formulate and adjust various social systems, then the society under this will also be uncertain; Third, utilitarianism extends the principle of individual choice to society. It holds that when an individual makes a choice, he will give up the present smaller interest for the best interests that may be realized in the future. Since society is a collection of individuals, society will also sacrifice the interests of a member of a society in order to promote the maximum net balance. Rawls believes that utilitarianism, which simply extends individual choices to society, is wrong because it ignores the difference between individual choices and social choices. It is in the process of criticizing utilitarianism that Rawls surpasses it. His theory covers the original state, equality and freedom, as well as the two principles of justice and other pillar content, at the same time, there is the curtain of ignorance, the balance of reflection, the maximum and minimum rule to support it, and finally build a magnificent and meticulous theoretical building. Although many scholars think that Rawls' criticism of utilitarianism is not thorough enough, because his theory itself is still deeply influenced by utilitarianism and has some utilitarian color, it is undeniable that Rawls' theory of justice has not only had a great influence on the history of western ethics, but also on how to coordinate the relationship between freedom and equality in our country under the condition of socialist market economy. The relationship between collective interests and individual interests, as well as the ideological and political education of college students, have certain enlightening effects, which is of positive significance to the construction of a harmonious socialist society in our country.
【学位授予单位】：河南科技大学
【学位级别】：硕士
【学位授予年份】：2011
【分类号】：D09

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