The Idea of Justice
Encyclopedia
The Idea of Justice is a 2009 book by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen
. The book has been described by The Economist
as "commanding summation of Mr Sen’s own work on economic reasoning and on the elements and measurement of human well-being". Sen delivered a lecture based on the book (The Penguin Annual Lecture) in Kolkata
on August 5 which was followed by a discussion with Barkha Dutt
.
Sen's book is principally a critique and revision of John Rawls' basic ideas in A Theory of Justice
. Sen was a student of Rawls and the book is dedicated to his memory.
One of Sen's main arguments throughout the book is that the project of social justice should not be evaluated in binary terms, as either achieved or not. Rather, he claims that justice should be understood as existing to a matter of degree, and should correspondingly be evaluated along a continuum. Furthermore, he argues that we do not need a fully established abstract ideal of justice to evaluate the fairness of different institutions. He claims that we can meaningfully compare the level of justice in two institutions without positing an ideal, transcendental idea of justice. He names the opposite position institutional transcendentalism.
Sen defends one of Rawls' most fundamental theoretical concepts: justice as fairness. Although this is a vague notion fraught with difficulties in any particular case, he nevertheless views it as one of Rawls' strongest insights while rejecting the necessity of Rawls' two principles of justice emerging from the Original position
thought experiment in A Theory of Justice.
Sen also draws heavily on Adam Smith
and his first major work The Theory of Moral Sentiments
, arguing that it is Smith's most important and unduly overlooked work.
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
. The book has been described by The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
as "commanding summation of Mr Sen’s own work on economic reasoning and on the elements and measurement of human well-being". Sen delivered a lecture based on the book (The Penguin Annual Lecture) in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
on August 5 which was followed by a discussion with Barkha Dutt
Barkha Dutt
Barkha Dutt is an Indian TV journalist and columnist. She is currently the Group Editor, English News at New Delhi Television.Dutt gained prominence for her reportage of the Kargil War. She has won many national and international awards, including the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian...
.
Sen's book is principally a critique and revision of John Rawls' basic ideas in A Theory of Justice
A Theory of Justice
A Theory of Justice is a book of political philosophy and ethics by John Rawls. It was originally published in 1971 and revised in both 1975 and 1999. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls attempts to solve the problem of distributive justice by utilising a variant of the familiar device of the social...
. Sen was a student of Rawls and the book is dedicated to his memory.
One of Sen's main arguments throughout the book is that the project of social justice should not be evaluated in binary terms, as either achieved or not. Rather, he claims that justice should be understood as existing to a matter of degree, and should correspondingly be evaluated along a continuum. Furthermore, he argues that we do not need a fully established abstract ideal of justice to evaluate the fairness of different institutions. He claims that we can meaningfully compare the level of justice in two institutions without positing an ideal, transcendental idea of justice. He names the opposite position institutional transcendentalism.
Sen defends one of Rawls' most fundamental theoretical concepts: justice as fairness. Although this is a vague notion fraught with difficulties in any particular case, he nevertheless views it as one of Rawls' strongest insights while rejecting the necessity of Rawls' two principles of justice emerging from the Original position
Original position
The original position is a hypothetical situation developed by American philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment to replace the imagery of a savage state of nature of prior political philosophers like Thomas Hobbes. In it, the parties select principles that will determine the basic structure...
thought experiment in A Theory of Justice.
Sen also draws heavily on Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
and his first major work The Theory of Moral Sentiments
The Theory of Moral Sentiments
The Theory of Moral Sentiments was written by Adam Smith in 1759. It provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological, and methodological underpinnings to Smith's later works, including The Wealth of Nations , A Treatise on Public Opulence , Essays on Philosophical Subjects , and Lectures on...
, arguing that it is Smith's most important and unduly overlooked work.
External links
- Amartya Sen (2009). The Idea of Justice. Description and scroll to chapter-preview links.