The Proviso.
ustice by saying that certain acquisitions
ere he is filling in his entitlement theory fj th
tating that these acquis
sre unjust. What his Proviso is, is a principle s ee jons and transte
Annovinoly, he doesn’t give an official explicit statement of which acquisitions and tra
He doesn’t just come out and explicitly say “The fells us _ ae
nexplicitly makes a bunch of gestures in the general vicintt} instead of just saying exa
srinciple is. (This is an example of how nor to write, by the way.) In any case, my best
spproximation of his Proviso is:
Proviso tells
5 it through transfer), and as an
The proviso: if'a person P acquires something (or obtain
Jue, then the acquisition |
obtaining some person R is made worse off than the baseline val
‘hrough which P obtained the thing was unjust.
's unjust because it makes Y worse off than the
Example: X getting all the water sources
this is not unjust because it does not make Y
But if X gets only some of the water source:
chan the baseline value.
baseline value to bv
Dne question: What is the baseline value? I *think* Nozick wants the
g more like: “the
of your life in a Lockean state of nature. Or perhaps, he means somethi
ife would have right now if there weren't a state”, But I'm not sure really. Perhaps the ba
sn't about your quality of life in general, but rather about your access to certain resources f
available in a Lockean state of nature. He’s hard to interpret here. Can anyone help me on
k have the Provis
Another question: why does »
One answer: it has something to do with “ownership”. Can we push this answer furt
‘Another answer: He thinks that societies where some are sufficiently destitute due to
holdings of others, are unjust societies ~ and he has to somehow makes sense of that v
entitlement-theoretic terms instead of the patterned terms in which it more naturally re
A question for Nozick: what if everyone owns one of the 10 water holes, and each of them
independently decides to give his away to Joe. The new situation violates the proviso. But the
like giving away things is not always a “just transfer”, or at least, it is not always a transfer tha
areserves the justice of a society. It looks like Nozick has to say that here, But shen, why nots
Chamberlain case?
Altematively: if he chooses to say justice is preserved in the Chamberlain case, why not then d
Proviso and say it is preserved in this water case too?
Or, getting at the same point another way: why is the Proviso about whether someone is worse «
ina state of nature, as opposed to €.g. whether someone is worse of? 1
egalitarian state?
ey would &The Proviso.
Here he is filling in his entitlement theory of justice by saying that certain acquisitions (:
are unjust. What his Proviso is, is a principle stating that these acquisitions and transfers
Annoyingly, he doesn’t give an official explicit statement of which acquisitions and trans
He doesn’t just come out and explicitly say “The Proviso tells us are unjust
inexplicitly makes a bunch of gestures in the general vicinity, instead of just saying exactl
principle is. (This is an example of how not to write, by the way.) In any case, my best fi
approximation of his Proviso is:
The proviso: if'a person P acquires something (or obtains it through transfer), and as a rest
obtaining some person R is made worse off than the baseline value, then the acquisition (or
through which P obtained the thing was unjust,
xample: X getting all the water sources is unjust because it makes Y worse off than the ba,
But if X gets only some of the water sources, this is not unjust because it does not make Y w
than the baseline value.
One question: What is the baseline value? I *think* Noziek wants the baseline value to be: |
of your life in a Lockean state of nature. Or perhaps, he means something more like: “the qui
life would have right now if there weren't a state”. But I’m not sure really. Perhaps the baseli
isn’t about your quality of life in general, but rather about your access to certain resources that
available in a Lockean state of nature. He’s hard to interpret here. Can anyone help me on this
Another question: why does Nozick have the Proviso?
One answer: it has something to do with “ownership”. Can we push this answer further’
Another answer: He thinks that societies where some are sufficiently destitute due to the
holdings of others, are unjust societies ~ and he has to somehow makes sense of that view
entitlement-theoretic terms instead of the patterned terms in which it more naturally reside
A question for Nozick: what if everyone owns one of the 10 water holes, and each of them
independently decides to give his away to Joe. ‘The new situation violates the proviso, But then it
like giving away things is not always a “just transfer”, or at least, itis not always a transfer that
preserves the justice of a society. It looks like Nozick has to say that here. But then, why not say in
Chamberlain case?
Alternatively: if he chooses to say justice is preserved in the Chamberlain case, why not then drop tl
Proviso and say it is preserved in this water case too?
Or, getting at the same point another way: why is the Proviso about whether someone
ina state of nature, as opposed to e.g. whether someone is worse off than they would be in some m
egalitarian state?
‘These questions aren’t rhetorical. I wonder what his answers
welenone tious thicnrmalicon.on vi. FFE, her! tne eet eer
re and ought to be. Notice that he
acarit Tikes Mauicuiasiied Ook winahiedie ChitThe Proviso,
Here he is filling in his entitlement theory of justice by stying that certain acquisitions (and transfers)
are unjust. What his Proviso is, is a principle stating thal these acquisitions and transfers are unjust.
Annoyingly, he doesn’t give an official explicit statement of which acquisitions and transfers these are.
He doesn’t just come out and explicitly say “The Proviso tells us_are unjust”. He
inexplicitly makes a bunch of gestures in the general vicinity, instead of just saying exactly what his
principle is. (This is an example of how nor to write, by the Way.) In any case, my best first
approximation of his Proviso is:
ult of this
)
The proviso: if person P acquires something (or obtains it through transfer), and as a r
obtaining some person R is made worse off than the baseline value, then the acquisition (or transf
through which P obtained the thing was unjust
Example: X getting all the water sources is unjust because it makes Y worse off than the baseline value,
But if X gets only some of the water sources, this is not unjust because it docs not make Y worse of
than the baseline value
One question: What is the baseline value? I *think* Nozick wants the baseline value to be: the quality
of your life in a Lockean state of nature. Or perhaps, he means something more like: “the quality your
life would have right now if there weren't a slate”. But I'm not sure really. Perhaps the baseline valu
isn’t about your quality of life in general, but rather about your access to certain resources that would be
available in a Lockean state of nature. He's hard (o interpret here, Can anyone help me on this?
Another question: why does Nozick have the Praviso?
One answer:
it has something to do with “ownership”. Can we push this answer further?
Another answer: He thinks that societies where some are sutficiently destitute due to the
holdings of others, are unjust societies — and he has to somehow makes sense of that view in
entitlement-theoretic terms instead of the patterned terms in which it more naturally resides.
A question for Nozick: what if everyone owns one of the
independently decides to give his away to Joe. The new situation violates the proviso. But then it looks
like giving avsay things is not alway’ a “just transfer”, orat least, it is not always a transfer that
preserves the justice of society. It looks like Nozick has to say that here. Bur then, why not say in the
Chamberlain case?
0 water holes, and each of them,
Alternatively: if he chooses to say justice is preserved in the Chamberlain case, why not then drop the
Proviso and say it is preserved in this water case 100?
Or, getting at the same point another way: why is the Proviso about whether someone is worse off than
ina state of nature, as opposed to e.g. whether someone is worse off than they would be in some more
egalitarian state?
These questions aren't rhetorical. I wonder what his answers are and ought to be. Notice that he
acknowledges the questions on p. 177, but does not say much about how he wants to answer them.