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RRReeeVisions RRee Vol. 4, No. 1 Best Student Essays of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Spring 2004 AMES COTINA ReVisions: Best Student Essays is a publication designed to celebrate the finest nonfiction work composed by undergraduate students at The University of North Carolina at Pem- broke. This issue was copyedited, designed, and produced by the students in PRE 345: Computer-Assisted Editing and Publication Design. Cotina Ames Lauren Bell Doris Berrer Tiffeny Fields Diane Frech Crystal Holston Todd Luck Sara Oswald, Instructor Front: Lauren Bell, Cotina Ames, Crystal Holston; Back: Doris Berrer, Todd Luck, Diane Frech, Sara Oswald; Not Pictured: Tiffeny Fields The cover photograph shows Selection Committeeee: Editorsors: part of the construction site for Nancy Barrineau Susan Cannata the new pedestrian mall in front Dept. of English, Theatre, and Languages Dept. of English, Theatre, and Languages of the Jones Health and Physical Jamie Litty Jesse Peters Education Center, one of the Dept. of Mass Communications Dept. of English, Theatre, and Languages many revisions in progress on Timothy Ritter Managing Editoror: the UNCP campus this year. It Dept. of Chemistry and Physics Sara Oswald was shot through the circular Carolyn Thompson Dept. of English, Theatre, and Languages window in the outer stairwell of Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration; the Chavis University Center by Director, University Honors College Cotina Ames, a student in PRE 345: Computer-Assisted Editing and Publication Design. Photoshop effects applied by Sara Oswald. ReVisions: Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring 2004 Best Student Essays Click on any title below to be linked to the first page of that essay. Click on the Return to Contents button at the bottom of any page to return to this page. John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice as Indirect Utilitarianism .......................................4 by Jason Bentley PHI 205: Social and Political Philosophy Baby ..........................................................................................................................................9 by Tammie Tanner Britt ENG 105: Composition I One Hundred Percent Half-Breed .......................................................................................11 by Bridget Dimery ENG 105: Composition I Children in the System: Who Represents Their Interests? ......................................... 14 by Terri Gray ENG 106: Composition II Racial Divides and Death .................................................................................................... 19 by Chris Lowry ENG 106: Composition II Eyes Wide Shut..................................................................................................................... 22 by Krystle Melvin ENG 106: Composition II Digging Up Bones................................................................................................................. 27 by Cristy Oxendine ENG 105: Composition I Echoes of the Farm ............................................................................................................. 32 by Austin Sheppard ENG 105: Composition I Call for Papers .................................................................................................................... 34 Nomination Form ..................................................................................................................35 John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice as Indirect Utilitarianism by Jason Bentley or… to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness” and the principle of utility as “that principle which approves or disapproves of anything whatsoever, ac- cording to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish… happiness.”2 At the community level, according to Bentham, actions, governments and laws can be said to conform to the principle of utility insofar as they tend to promote the happi- ness of the community.3 Similarly, says John Rawls, for the utilitarian “the main idea is that society is rightly ordered, and therefore just, when its major institutions are arranged n the preface to his text A Theory of Jus- Jason Bentley is a so as to achieve the greatest net balance of tice, John Rawls indicates his intention second semester satisfaction summed over all the individuals Ito present an alternative to the utilitarian belonging to it.”4 junior at UNCP. He is theories that have dominated much of mod- Utilitarianism is thus an example of majoring in 1 ern moral philosophy. I intend to argue, what Rawls labels a teleological theory of philosophy and however, that Rawls in fact presents his own morality, meaning that the Good is first de- religion and has system of indirect utilitarianism, based on a fined (in the case of utilitarians as “the satis- recently become recognition that within any given social struc- faction of desire” or “the satisfaction of ra- specifically interested ture there exist certain commodities (the word tional desire”), and the Right is subsequently in ethical and political is used in a broad sense) that aid its mem- defined as that which maximizes the Good.5 philosophy. Jason is bers in maximizing their own utility, what- The indirect consequentialist adheres to a originally from ever their individual preferences, goals or teleological theory of morality, but holds that, Oklahoma and, more aims. I will proceed by first briefly summa- for whatever reason, it is most effective to rizing the utilitarian position and outlining recently, from Wake pursue the Good not directly, but through indirect consequentialism generally and in- Forest, North Carolina. the promulgation of rules, principles or in- direct utilitarianism specifically, then by de- tuitions that in general promote that Good. scribing Rawls’s main objections to the utili- Thus the indirect utilitarian specifically pro- tarian position and his alternative moral sys- mulgates those rules, principles or intuitions tem, and finally by showing how that alter- that tend to maximize utility. native system in fact constitutes an indirect Rawls admits that there is “a way of pursuit of the utilitarian aim. thinking about society” according to which The reader should know that my argu- the utilitarian conception of justice seems the ments refer only to A Theory of Justice, and most rational.6 To this way of thinking, just not to Political Liberalism. as the individual pursues his own satisfac- Utilitarian thinkers begin with the con- tion, weighing various possible pleasures and cept of utility and proceed according to the pains against one another, so should a soci- principle of utility. Jeremy Bentham, a cen- ety seek the greatest overall satisfaction of its tral utilitarian thinker, defines utility as the members, weighing pleasures and pains for tendency of an object “to produce benefit, some individuals against pleasures and pains advantage, pleasure, good or happiness… for others.7 According to Rawls, however, 4 ReVisions: Best Student Essays Return to Contents Jason Bentley this line of thinking is subject to a serious In discussing social inequalities in his flaw: “Utilitarianism does not take seriously principles, Rawls refers to what he labels “the the distinction between persons.”8 This primary social goods,” which include “rights means that the distribution of satisfaction and liberties, opportunities and powers, in- among the various members of society mat- come and wealth… [and] a sense of one’s own ters only indirectly, so long as overall satis- worth.”17 Rawls states that his accounting faction is maximized.9 for the importance of the primary social goods The danger of balancing satisfaction is not inconsistent with utilitarianism.18 It among individuals just as the individual bal- appears, in fact, to be a thoroughly utilitar- ances various pleasures and pains is, accord- ian conception and the pivotal point in show- ing to Rawls, that “there is no reason in prin- ing that Rawls, in spite of his claims to the ciple why the greater gains of some should contrary, is himself an indirect utilitarian. not compensate for the lesser losses of oth- Rawls’s main idea in emphasizing the ers; or more importantly, why the violation primary social goods and their distribution of the liberty of a few might not be made begins with the individual who crafts a ra- right by the greater good shared by many.”10 tional plan, the goal of which is the satisfac- Moreover, in balancing the satisfaction of tion of rational desire, and proceeds with the Jason’s essay is as well- desires it matters only indirectly what the assumption that “though men’s rational plans thought and well-written as 11 desires are for. Thus, “if men take a certain do have different ends they nevertheless all many graduate level papers. pleasure in discriminating against one an- require for their execution certain primary —Carolyn Thompson other, in subjecting others to a lesser liberty” goods.”19 So the rational individual must then “these desires must be weighed in our pursue his own utility, and whatever his plan deliberations… along with other desires.”12 for doing so, the primary social goods are Rawls objects, however, that justice should essential to his success. Thus, for Rawls, the hold the members of society and their free- social goods function as a probabilistic index doms inviolable in a way that even the gen- of utility. The greater the individual’s liber- eral welfare cannot override, and moreover, ties, opportunities, wealth and so on, the that the principles of justice specify bound- greater

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