Chapter – 4

Social Justice

In this post we have given the detailed notes of Class 11 Political Science Book 1 Chapter 4 (Social Justice) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in Class 11 board exams.

Chapter 4: Social Justice

What is Justice?

• Intuitive Understanding: Just as we have an intuitive understanding of love, we also have an intuitive understanding of justice, even if we cannot precisely define it.  
• Passionate Responses: Both love and justice evoke passionate responses from their advocates.  
• Universally Desired: No one hates justice; everyone wants it for themselves and, to some extent, for others.  
• Scope: Unlike love, which is an aspect of our relationships with a few people we know well, justice concerns our life in society, the way public life is ordered, and the principles according to which social goods and duties are distributed among different members of society.  
• Central to Politics: Questions of justice are of central importance for politics.  

Different Perspectives on Justice

• Ancient India: Justice was associated with dharma, and maintaining a just social order was considered the primary duty of kings.  
• China: Confucius, the renowned philosopher, argued that kings should maintain justice by punishing wrongdoers and rewarding the virtuous.  
• Ancient Greece: Plato, in his work “The Republic,” discussed issues of justice through a dialogue between Socrates and his young friends Glaucon and Adeimantus.  

Plato’s “The Republic”

• The Question of Justice: The young friends question Socrates about why one should be just, observing that unjust people often seem better off than those who are just.  
• Socrates’ Response: Socrates argues that if everyone were unjust, no one could be sure of benefiting from injustice, and this would likely harm everyone.  
• Understanding Justice: Socrates emphasizes the need to understand clearly what justice means to determine why it is important to be just.  
• Justice and Well-being: Socrates explains that justice involves the well-being of all people, just as a doctor is concerned with the well-being of their patients.  
• Giving Each Person Their Due: The idea that justice involves giving each person their due continues to be an important part of our present-day understanding of justice.  

Modern Understanding of Justice

• Human Dignity: Our understanding of what is just is closely linked to our understanding of what is due to each person as a human being.  
• Kant’s View: According to Immanuel Kant, human beings possess dignity, and justice requires giving due and equal consideration to all individuals.  

Principles of Justice

• Equal Treatment for Equals: This principle considers that all individuals share certain characteristics as human beings and therefore deserve equal rights and equal treatment.  
  • This includes civil rights, political rights, and social rights.  
  • People should not be discriminated against based on class, caste, race, or gender.  
  • Equal pay for equal work is a key aspect of this principle.  
• Proportionate Justice: This principle suggests that justice sometimes means rewarding people in proportion to the scale and quality of their effort, considering factors such as effort required, skills needed, and potential dangers involved.  
• Recognition of Special Needs: This principle recognizes that society should take into account the special needs of people while distributing rewards or duties.  
  • This principle extends the idea of equal treatment by recognizing that people who are not equal in certain important respects may need to be treated differently.  
  • Special needs can include physical disabilities, age, or lack of access to good education or healthcare.  

Harmonizing Principles of Justice

• Governments may face challenges in harmonizing the three principles of justice: equal treatment, recognition of different efforts and skills, and provision of a minimum standard of living and equal opportunities to the needy.  
• It is a function of governments to harmonize these different principles to promote a just society.  

Just Distribution

• Social Justice and Distribution: Social justice concerns the just distribution of goods and services, both between nations and within societies.  
• Equality of Life Conditions: It requires not only that people be treated equally in terms of laws and policies but also that they enjoy some basic equality of life conditions and opportunities.  
• Measures for Just Distribution: In India, the Constitution abolished untouchability and state governments have implemented land reforms to promote social equality and redistribute resources.
• Controversies: Differences of opinion on how to distribute resources and ensure equal access to education and jobs can lead to strong feelings and even violence.  
• John Rawls’ Theory: John Rawls’ theory of just distribution provides a rational justification for helping the least privileged members of society.  

John Rawls’ Theory of Justice

• Fair and Just Society: John Rawls argues that a fair and just society would be in the interest of all members.  
• Veil of Ignorance: Rawls’ theory is based on the idea of a ‘veil of ignorance,’ where individuals make decisions about the organization of society without knowing their future position or status.  
• Rationality and Fairness: This approach encourages us to consider the interests of the worst-off members of society when making decisions about the rules and organization of society.

• Benefits for the Whole Society: Rawls also argues that rational individuals would choose policies that benefit society as a whole, not just any particular section.
• Rationality, Not Morality: Rawls’ theory emphasizes that fairness and justice can be the outcome of rational action, not just benevolence or generosity.

Pursuing Social Justice

• Social Justice and Inequality: Social justice is lacking in societies with deep and persistent divisions between the wealthy and the excluded.
• Basic Minimum Conditions: A just society provides people with the basic minimum conditions to live healthy and secure lives, develop their talents, and pursue their goals.
• Debate on Achieving Social Justice: There is ongoing debate on the best way to achieve social justice:
  • Free Markets: Individuals should be free to own property, enter into contracts, and compete with each other. Proponents argue that free markets lead to a just distribution of benefits and duties in society, rewarding merit and talent.  
  • State Intervention: The government should ensure a basic minimum standard of living for all and provide basic services. This approach may involve redistribution of resources to provide a level playing field for citizens.  

Arguments for and against Free Markets

• Arguments for Free Markets:
  • Choice: Free markets provide consumers with more choices.  
  • Quality: The quality of services provided by private enterprise is often superior to that provided in government institutions.  
  • Neutrality: Markets are neutral and concerned with talents and skills, not with factors like caste, religion, or gender.  
• Arguments against Free Markets:
  • Availability and Affordability: The availability of good quality goods and services at a cost people can afford is crucial, and private agencies may not find it profitable to provide these in all areas.  
  • Inequality: Free markets can exacerbate inequality, as private business tends to focus on areas where profits are highest, potentially denying opportunities to the weak and disadvantaged.  

The Role of the State

• Many argue that to ensure social justice, the state should intervene to ensure that basic facilities are available to all members of society.  
• The state has a responsibility to provide people with their basic needs, which is considered one of the responsibilities of a democratic government.  

Disagreements and Debates

• Disagreements about issues of distribution and justice are inevitable and healthy in a democratic society, as they force us to examine different points of view and rationally defend our own views.  
• Politics involves negotiating these disagreements through debate.  
• Studying different principles of justice helps us discuss the issues involved and reach agreements on the best way to pursue justice.  

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