This thesis argues that unfair social disadvantage is best conceived as the relative impairment of the will of the person when that will is directed towards a valuable end. That valuable end is self-realisation. The term ‘self-realisation’ signifies a perfectionist conception of social justice in which the self-realisation of other persons forms part of one’s own self-realisation. Although the notion of a substantive will is taken to be illusory, the experience of will is taken to be as real as the experience of pain. The experience of will is therefore taken to be the de facto will. It is argued that the will extends beyond the mind of the individual to include the culture, technology, and circumstances of the person’s environment. This conception of the will connects social disadvantage and morality within a framework of capabilities. It is then argued that social disadvantage can be mitigated by application of a principle of will-egalitarianism: the idea that all persons ought to have an equal opportunity to exercise will compatible with a similar scheme for all. This scheme is sufficientarian, but one in which a lower threshold of sufficiency of the will is tracked by an upper threshold. This upper threshold represents the degree of realised will above which persons cannot progress further towards self-realisation in the presence of others below that threshold. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the significant implications (both practical and theoretical) for the role of the state. These include the adoption of policies designed to empower individuals, rather than targeting the circumstances of disadvantage. Such an approach would support policies that enhance social mobility, public participation, and the breaking down of social and class barriers, whilst addressing some of the problems associated with a ‘benefits culture’.

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Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 56-58. / by Gretchen A. Bowder. / B.S.

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, 1987. / Bibliography: leaf 54. / by Michael Jerry Saylor. / B.S.

Thesis (S.B. in Creative Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, 2004 / This novella is the story of a young woman, Sakura "Cherry" Ogata, who is inhabited by an alien construct, "Nephesh." The motives of the alien are not explicitly malevolent and Cherry's experience leads her to believe that they are benign. A significant portion of the story examines how Cherry and Nephesh learn to live with one another. In the larger sense, the alien has no motives, either benign or malevolent. In some circumstances, it simply acts in the way it must. This leads to the story's conclusion, which purposefully leaves many unanswered questions. Cherry cannot truly understand the alien, and the reader is left wondering about her fate and the fate of humanity. / by Antony Nigel Donovan. / S.B.in Creative Writing

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, 1965. / MIT Institute Archives copy bound with: Abrams, Arnold R. The introduction of chemical warfare into the First World War (1965). / "June 1965." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-66). / by Warren LeRoy Anderson. / B.S.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Humanities. Thesis. 1973. B.S. / MICROFICHE COPY ALSO AVAILABLE IN HUMANITIES LIBRARY. / Lacking leaf 70. / B.S.

Thesis: S.B. in History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, 2016. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 57-60). / Theories abound to describe how and why Europe was able to become the economic hegemon of the world between the 18th and 20th centuries. One of these theories is the competition argument, which argues that competition between the fractured states of Europe created the impetus for technological and institutional innovation which pushed Europe ahead of other areas of the world. However, these theories don't account for the negative effects that wars cause directly, which should detract from Europe's ability to stay competitive economically. In this thesis, I detail a theoretical model through which warfare in Europe increased trade, even though individual wars caused devastation and disruptions in trade. By requiring rulers to raise new revenue streams, warfare forced them to bargain for new resources. This bargaining granted concessions to cities and merchants, in the form of city charters and monopolies, which encouraged trade and therefore increased the economic well-being of the affected states. I focus on Northern Europe between 1000 and 1500, though I use examples from other times and places as well. / S.B. in History

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 151). / by Kristen Ann Gardner. / B.S.

Thesis. 1976. B.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Humanities. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Humanities. / Bibliography: leaves 38-41. / B.S.