Principles of Social Justice - Hardcover

Miller, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674706285 ISBN 13: 9780674706286

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1999

Synopsis

Social justice has been the animating ideal of democratic governments throughout the 20th century. even those who oppose it recognize its potency. Yet the meaning of social justice remains obscure, and existing theories put forward by political philosophers to explain it have failed to capture the way people in general think about issues of social justice. This book develops a new theory. The author argues that principles of justice must be understood contextually, with each principle finding its natural home in a different form of human association. Because modern societies are complex, the theory of justice must be complex, too. The three primary components in Miller's scheme are the principles of desert, need, and equality. The book uses empirical research to demonstrate the central role played by these principles in popular conceptions of justice. It then offers a close analysis of each concept, defending principles of desert and need against a range of critical attacks, and exploring instances when justice requires equal distribution and attacks, and exploring instances when justice requires equal distribution and when it does not. Finally, it argues that social justice understood in this way remains a viable political ideal even in a world characterized by economic globalization and political multiculturalism. This book will appeal to readers with interest in public policy as well as to students of politics, philosophy, and sociology.

About this title

Review:

This groundbreaking book explores...how extremely divergent views about what is required to bring about justice might be reconciled when they stem from shared beliefs at a deeper level...This is a complex and ambitious book. Instead of proposing a normative theory of social justice, Miller illustrates how different principles are used in different social contexts. His theory of justice does more than simply report popular beliefs, however. It presents principles of need, desert, and equality that are philosophically coherent and blended together to form a cohesive theory.--Dorothy Van Soest"Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare" (06/01/2001)

From the Back Cover:

The theory ofjustice set out in this book has a different character from most theories developed in recent political philosophy. Besides being more sensitive to popular opinion, it also pays closer attention to the social contexts in which principles of justice are applied. This focus gives the theory a less abstract character. It also, I believe, increases its political relevance. I have felt acutely aware, while writing the book, of the huge gap that exists between the conceptions of social justice defended by political philosophers, particularly those we might describe as egalitarian liberals, and the kind of policy changes it is feasible to propose for the liberal societies of today. Of course social justice has always been, and must always be, a critical idea, one that challenges us to reform our institutions and practices in the name of greater fairness. But it should not be simply utopian.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0674706285
• ISBN 13: 9780674706286
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 344