However, does a person’s obedience to these contracts determine his or her morality? Perhaps it does determine his or her morality according to contractarianism. Shafer-Landau defines contractarianism as “the view that morality is based on social contract” (193). This whole idea was derived from a political view. Shafer-Landau shortly after discusses contractarianism’s ties to politics saying, “Its view of morality stems directly from the political ideal: actions are morally right just because they are permitted by rules that free, equal, and rational people would agree to live by, on the condition that others obey these rules as well” (194). This explains that when a person abides by these contracts, he or she is doing what is morally right, per contractarianism. Many may worry about prejudices, but John Rawls’s “veil of ignorance” helps eliminate them, taking away everything that makes people different and leaving everyone as equals (Shafer-Landau 199). While contractarianism may be a more blanket theory on how societies are ran and how morality is branched from that, there is another theory that starts on a more personal, emotional
However, does a person’s obedience to these contracts determine his or her morality? Perhaps it does determine his or her morality according to contractarianism. Shafer-Landau defines contractarianism as “the view that morality is based on social contract” (193). This whole idea was derived from a political view. Shafer-Landau shortly after discusses contractarianism’s ties to politics saying, “Its view of morality stems directly from the political ideal: actions are morally right just because they are permitted by rules that free, equal, and rational people would agree to live by, on the condition that others obey these rules as well” (194). This explains that when a person abides by these contracts, he or she is doing what is morally right, per contractarianism. Many may worry about prejudices, but John Rawls’s “veil of ignorance” helps eliminate them, taking away everything that makes people different and leaving everyone as equals (Shafer-Landau 199). While contractarianism may be a more blanket theory on how societies are ran and how morality is branched from that, there is another theory that starts on a more personal, emotional