Occasionally, political reductionists argue that the very purpose of government is to enforce morality: "Don't we punish murderers to make people moral?" The moral improvement of murderers, however, is not the fundamental goal or justification that prompts us to take governmental action against them. Rather, the other members of society band together through government to act against murderers and other aggressors in self-defense. Such action is akin to that of a group of sheep-ranchers, who might band together to track down a wildcat that preyed on their herds. The ranchers, of course, have no intention of attempting to improve the wildcat's moral state; they do, however, have a legitimate moral interest in protecting their own livelihoods. Similarly, rational citizens may have no illusions that they can make murderers "moral." Nevertheless, they may exercise the moral responsibility of self-defense through the institution of government.
What then is the proper relationship between government and moral principles and objectives? To determine the proper functions and limits of government will be our chief task as we launch into the final section of this course.
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