Communities, self-causation and the natural lottery

Area of Science:

• Philosophy
• Ethics
• Social Contract Theory

Background:

• Examining differing concepts of community and their implications for justice and freedom.
• Investigating the role of the 'natural lottery' in health and illness.
• Exploring the concept of 'self-causation' in relation to communal obligations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the philosophical underpinnings of community and its ethical obligations.
• To evaluate the impact of differing views on the 'natural lottery' within community frameworks.
• To explore the relationship between self-causation, community, and the natural lottery.

Main Methods:

• Juxtaposing minimalist (autonomy-based justice) and broader (beneficence-based justice) views of community.
• Analyzing the consequences of various interpretations of the 'natural lottery' on community.
• Examining the linkage between self-causation of illness and concepts of community.

Main Results:

• A minimalist ethic is insufficient for establishing a social contract; beneficence and trust are presupposed.
• Narrow conceptions of community are neither practically applied nor philosophically sound.
• The 'natural lottery' as a sole cause of illness and health is a questionable concept.

Conclusions:

• Community necessitates a social contract built on beneficence, not just refraining from harm.
• A broader, more inclusive view of community is essential for practical and ethical functioning.
• Rethinking the 'natural lottery' and self-causation is crucial for understanding communal obligations.