Chapter 4
Justice
Introduction
Should people who are intelligent, or good looking or naturally charming be
allowed to keep whatever they gain from their exploitation of those natural
attributes? Should people be free to pass on their material gains to whoever
they choose? If it is a good thing for parents to care about their children, then
why should they not be allowed to benefit them? These questions go to the
heart of debates about distributive – or ‘social’ – justice. Distributive justice is
concerned with the fair – or ‘just’ – distribution of resources. In the early
modern period, the focus was on property rights as the moral basis for the
distribution of resources, and justifications for the state – that is, individuals’
obligations to obey the state – were often grounded in the role the state played
in protecting those rights. In this chapter we concentrate on contemporary
theories of justice, in which private property rights are often regarded as
problematic – although one of the three theories discussed is a contemporary
restatement and defence of strong private property rights.Chapter map
In this chapter we will:- Discuss an important liberal egalitarian
theory of justice – that of John Rawls. - Contrast Rawls’s theory with a
libertarianalternative, advanced by
Robert Nozick.- Consider a major challenge to both
theories – that of Gerald Cohen, who
argues from a Marxistperspective. - Apply these theories to real-world
examples of distributive justice.
- Consider a major challenge to both