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MIT271 Technology & Human Values March 14: Rights
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Natural Rights Either: God-given Self-evident moral truths (based on human purposes) John Locke (1632- 1704)
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Human rights Human status, independent of laws or institutions Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
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Robert McGinn: Troubling Triad 1. Technological maximality (TM) = df Quality of embodying in one of more of its aspects or dimension the greatest scale or highest degree previously attained or currently possible e.g.? 2. Individual rights (entitlements) e.g. life, liberty, property, procreative rights 3. Increasing numbers of rights-holders (?)
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Situations of Technological Maximality INDIVIDUAL AGGREGATIVE: Simple (individually innocuous) Compound
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Individual strength in the triad Technological Maximality: Profit Faith in “technological fix” Prestige Gauge of progress Confusion of quantity and quality View of nature as homogenous Democratic consumer culture Traditional Rights: Language obscures dependence on prevailing social conditions, and provides “intellectual inertia” Increasing Numbers
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Self-reinforcements in the triad Reproductive “rights” TM allows traditional negative rights to be viewed as positive rights
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Remedies? Limit rights holders Require limiting traditional rights, e.g. mobility, reproduction Limit TM Require a conditional conception of rights (implicit: limiting human rights = changing human rights)
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Contextualized Theory of Human Rights Empirically determinable basis of human needs to survive and thrive Still functions as a focus to remedy neglect and inequality
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Grounds for infringing rights 1. Survival of society 2. Effective social functioning 3. Natural resources vital to society 4. Debilitating financial cost to a society 5. Significant cultural, historical, spiritual or aesthetic value to a people 6. Highly valued social amenity
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Compare to Hardin’s “The Tragedy of the Commons” Similar problem? Similar solution?
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