Chapter 20 : Diverse Perspectives on Justice

Diverse Perspectives on Justice

Liberal Perspective

The liberal perspective treats liberty as the central problem of justice, arguing that only substantive liberty enables the realization of justice. This perspective is chiefly represented by John Rawls.

Substantive Liberty A condition where an individual is fully capable of enjoying freedom by understanding what is good for themselves and society, determining goals, and achieving them without unreasonable restraints. It requires removing economic and cultural constraints from deprived sections.

Rawls's Theory of Justice John Rawls (1921-2002) in A Theory of Justice (1971) posits that justice is the "first virtue of a good society" (a necessary but not sufficient condition). Compromising justice for social advancement causes moral degradation.

• Problem of Distribution: Justice consists in the just distribution of 'primary goods' (rights, liberties, powers, opportunities, income, wealth, means of self-respect).
• Pure Procedural Justice: If unanimous principles of justice are accepted, the resulting distribution is necessarily just.
• Critique of Utilitarianism: Rawls attacks the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) because calculating the "greatest happiness of the greatest number" ignores individual hardship (e.g., maximizing happiness through the enslavement of a minority). Rawls argues one cannot compensate for the sufferings of the distressed by enhancing the joys of the prosperous.
• Methodology (Original Position & Veil of Ignorance): Following the social contract tradition of Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke (1632-1704), and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78), Rawls abstracts individuals into an 'original position' behind a 'veil of ignorance'.
• Assumptions: Negotiators are rational, unaware of their specific wants/skills/social conditions, possess elementary knowledge of economics/psychology, and have a 'sense of justice'. They are self-interested but not egoists, and refuse to gamble/take risks.
• Mechanism: In uncertainty, they choose the least dangerous path, hypothetically placing themselves in the "least advantaged position" and demanding the greatest benefit for the least advantaged.

Principles of Distribution Rawls argues negotiators will unanimously accept three principles in this exact order:

• Chain Connection: Rawls argues society should be strengthened by starting with its weakest link. A rise in the expectations of the best off must raise everybody else's expectations. Concessions/subsidies are justified only if empirical facts show benefits filter down to…