Justice

by Pojman,Louis P.

• ISBN13: 9780131835153
• ISBN10: 0131835157
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2005-01-10
• Publisher: ROUTLEDGE

Summary

Written by a group of distinguished philosophers, theFoundations of Philosophy Seriesaims to exhibit some of the main problems in the various fields of philosophy at the present stage of philosophical inquiry. This book is written from the viewpoint that although justice is the most important concept in political philosophy, it is also one of the most contested concepts in philosophy. The material presents a philosophical map to navigate the plethora of confusing, competing theories and concepts regarding the importance of justice.Coverage begins with an overview of the concept of justice, arguing that justice is a vital part of political philosophy, which in turn is part of moral philosophy. The book outlines an objectivist view of moral philosophy, which holds that moral principles have universal validity. The author distinguishes between formal and material concepts of justice and discusses the related issues of comparative/noncomparative justice and distributive versus commutative justice.For those in criminal justice professions or philosophical vocations.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Chapter 1 Introduction	1	(15)
The Circumstances of Justice	1	(2)
Justice and Moral Philosophy	3	(3)
Formal and Material Principles of Justice	6	(2)
Is Justice Comparative or Noncomparative?	8	(2)
Law, Justice, and Equity	10	(2)
Democracy, Capitalism, and Distributive Justice	12	(1)
Status Disequilibrium	13	(1)
Conclusion	14	(2)
Chapter 2 The Classical Theory of Justice as Desert	16	(17)
The Classical Concept of Justice as Desert	16	(4)
Natural and Institutional Desert	20	(1)
The Bases for Desert	21	(1)
Merit and Desert	22	(4)
The Symmetry Argument	26	(2)
Objections to Desert-Based Justice	28	(3)
Conclusion	31	(2)
Chapter 3 The Libertarian Theory of Justice: Robert Nozick	33	(11)
Classical Liberalism and Justice: Rights and the Justification of Property	33	(3)
Robert Nozick's Libertarian Theory	36	(2)
A Critical Assessment of Libertarianism	38	(3)
Liberty and the Tragedy of the Commons	41	(2)
Conclusion	43	(1)
Chapter 4 The Liberal Theory of Justice: John Rawls	44	(14)
John Rawls's Theory of Justice as Fairness	44	(4)
The Principles	48	(1)
An Assessment of Rawls's Theory of Justice as Fairness	49	(2)
On Rawls's Rejection of Preinstitutional Desert	51	(4)
A Reconciling Egalitarianism	55	(1)
Conclusion	56	(2)
Chapter 5 Complex Justice	58	(18)
Nine Spheres of Justice	61	(11)
Conclusion	72	(4)
Chapter 6 Equal Opportunity	76	(16)
The Ideal of Equal Opportunity	76	(1)
The Concept of Equal Opportunity	77	(2)
Types of Equal Opportunity	79	(3)
Arguments for Equal Opportunity	82	(8)
Conclusion	90	(2)
Chapter 7 Global Justice	92	(17)
Introduction: Global Disparities	92	(1)
Theories of Obligation to Distant People	93	(4)
Justice: Theories of Rights and Duties	97	(3)
Universal Duties of Justice	100	(2)
Cosmopolitan Vision	102	(3)
The Cosmopolitan Justice Imperative: The Possibility of World Government	105	(2)
Conclusion	107	(2)
Chapter 8 Justice and Punishment	109	(19)
Why Do We Have a System of Punishment?	109	(2)
The Definition of Punishment	111	(2)
Theories of Punishment	113	(3)
Desert and Retributive Justice	116	(2)
Deterrence	118	(2)
Rehabilitative Theories	120	(2)
Application to the Death Penalty	122	(1)
Conclusion	123	(5)
Conclusion	128	(3)
For Further Reading	131	(4)
Index	135