Priority of Needs?: An Informed Theory of Need-based Justice - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3031530535 ISBN 13: 9783031530531

Publisher: Springer, 2025

Synopsis

This book develops an empirically informed normative theory of need-based justice, summarizing core findings of the DFG research group FOR2104 “Need-based Justice and Distributive Procedures”. 

In eleven chapters scholars from the fields of economics, political science, philosophy, psychology, and sociology cover the identification and rationale of needs, the recognition and legitimacy of needs, the dynamics and stability of procedures of distributions according to needs, and the consequences and sustainability of need-based distributions. These four areas are studied from the perspective of two mechanisms of need objectification, the social objectification by the discursive generation of mutual understanding (transparency) and the factual objectification by the transfer of decisions to uninvolved experts (expertise). 

The volume addresses academics in the fields of justice research, ethics, political theory, social choice and welfare, framing, individual and group decision making, inequality and redistribution, as well as advanced students in the contributing disciplines.

About this title

About the Author

Bernhard Kittel is a professor of economic sociology at the University of Vienna, Austria. His research focuses on distributive justice attitudes and behaviour, and group decision making. He is co-editor, with Stefan Traub, of “Need-based Distributive Justice. An Interdisciplinary Perspective” (Springer 2020). Further research areas cover aspects of labour markets and welfare states, in particular labour market participation of young people, refugees, and marginalized groups. He has been a principal investigator of the interdisciplinary research group “Need-based justice and distribution procedures”. Recent papers have been published, i.a., in PLoS One, Experimental Economics, Social Science Research, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, and The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 

Stefan Traub is a professor of behavioral economics at Helmut-Schmidt University Hamburg, Germany. His research focuses on individual and group decision-making, social preferences, and the provision of public goods. He is co-editor, with Bernhard Kittel, of “Need-based Distributive Justice. An Interdisciplinary Perspective” (Springer 2020). He has been the spokesperson of the interdisciplinary research group “Need-based justice and distribution procedures” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Recent papers have been published in the Journal of Public Economics, Games and Economic Behavior, European Economic Review, and Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

In eleven chapters scholars from the fields of economics, political science, philosophy, psychology, and sociology cover the identification and rationale of needs, the recognition and legitimacy of needs, the dynamics and stability of procedures of distributions according to needs, and the consequences and sustainability of need-based distributions. These four areas are studied from the perspective of two mechanisms of need objectification, the social objectification by the discursive generation of mutual understanding (transparency) and the factual objectification by the transfer of decisions to uninvolved experts (expertise). 

The volume addresses academics in the fields of justice research, ethics, political theory, social choice and welfare, framing, individual and group decision making, inequality and redistribution, as well as advanced students in the contributing disciplines.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3031530535
• ISBN 13: 9783031530531
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 333
• Editor: Kittel Bernhard, Traub Stefan