Chapter 9 Title: Joel Feinberg The Nature and value of rights Quote: “Charitable contributions are more like gratuitous services, favours, and gifts than like repayments of debts” Expectations: I expect to learn about Joel Feinberg. And his topic about the nature and value of rights. Book Review: Joel Feinberg (October 19, 1926 ‐ March 29, 2004) was an American political and social philosopher. He is known for his work in the fields of individual rights and the authority of the state.[1] Feinberg helped in shaping the American legal landscape. Feinberg studied at the University of Michigan, writing his dissertation on the philosophy of the Harvard professor Ralph Barton Perry under the supervision of Charles Stevenson. He taught at Brown University, Princeton University, UCLA and Rockefeller University, and at the University of Arizona, where he retired in 1994 as Regents Professor of Philosophy and Law. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Feinberg This chapter is about the rights of human. We should treat each one of us equally. I personally don’t want others to treat me like a trash so I don’t treat them that way. The idea of personal desert is that we deserve what we achieve. I think we need to strive hard so that we can have the best. Things I have learned: I have learned to understand more about the rights of human and the rights of nature. Integrity Questions: Who is Joel Feinberg? What is the value of rights? What is the Nature? Review Questions: 1.) Describe Nowheresville. How is this world different from our world? Nowheresville is a place of no rules. You can’t have equality and peace. It is very different from ours because we have human rights.
2.) Explain the doctrine of the logical correlativity of right and duties. What is Feinberg’s position on this doctrine? This doctrine is from duty to rights. 3.) How does Feinberg explain the concept of personal desert? How would personal desert work in Nowheresville? Feinberg explain that everyone deserves the best when they work hard for it. 4.) Explain the notion of a sovereign right‐monopoly. How would this work in Nowheresville according to Feinberg? This are the rights of the Monopoly which is not truly the right of human being. 5.) What are claim‐rights? Why does Feinberg think they are morally important? Claim –rights are the rights of human. Discussion Questions: 1.) Does Feinberg make a convincing case for the importance of rights? Why or why not? Yes, Feinberg shows his thought on how to make rights for each and every one of us. 2.) Can you give a noncircular definition of claim‐right? No.