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    LoyalLoyalJusticeJustice
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    Gauthier's own contractarianism requires agents capable o... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Contractarian theories avoid assuming that persons have preferences for moral behavior as such, grounding rules of morality or justice in rational self-interest instead.

    Gauthier's own contractarianism requires agents capable of 'constrained maximization,' which presupposes a disposition to honor agreements independent of immediate self-interest.

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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Rational agents benefit from reliable cooperation, which requires a genuine disposition to honor agreements beyond immediate calculations.
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    • 2.Humans demonstrate consistent willingness to keep commitments even when defection would maximize personal gain, suggesting constrained maximization is psychologically real.
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    • 3.Without a commitment device independent of self-interest, contractual agreements become unstable and cooperation collapses into mutual distrust.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.Constrained maximization could arise from enlightened self-interest alone—fearing reputation loss and future exclusion—without requiring non-selfish dispositions.
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    • 2.The claim conflates observable cooperative behavior with proof of independent moral dispositions; behavior consistent with hidden self-interest doesn't require altruism.
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    • 3.Gauthier's requirement creates a problematic circularity: contractarianism needs moral dispositions that contractarianism itself cannot derive from self-interest alone.
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    Social Contract1 linkedJustice & Punishment1 linked

    Related

    Constrained maximization could arise from enlightened self-interest alone—fearin...Contractarian theories avoid assuming that persons have preferences for moral be...Gauthier's requirement creates a problematic circularity: contractarianism needs...Humans demonstrate consistent willingness to keep commitments even when defectio...
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    Rational agents benefit from reliable cooperation, which requires a genuine disp...The claim conflates observable cooperative behavior with proof of independent mo...Without a commitment device independent of self-interest, contractual agreements...

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    claim
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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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