Deeper Foundations? (Fred Speaking)
		Comment				MAIN PATH: John
			John

Utilitarianism has problems. OK. Lots of contemporary philosophers have piled on the poor utilitarians. But what's the alternative?

As I see it, secular philosophy has several main traditions to work with, but they all have problems. There are at least three traditions that I know of:

• Utilitarianism
• Natural rights and natural law (based on something other than utility)
• Contractarianism or social contract theory

Ann is a utilitarian; but if we accept Dee's criticisms, what kind of a basis for a liberal policy of free expression (not to mention ethics in general) do we have? My own view is less philosophical. I believe that our ideas about morals, including liberty, are based more on slowly evolving tradition than any abstract moral theory.

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