Justice and Economic

Distribution
Ethical questions how wealth &
goods should be allocated..
Should everyone be rewarded according
to how hard they work or how much they
contribute to the society?

The Nature of Justice
1. Justice used to mean fairness
justice is concern for the fair treatment
of members of groups of people.
INJUSTICE occurs when like cases are
not treated in the same fashion.
2. Justice requires that people get what
they deserve
Everyone receive his/her due
The Nature of Justice
3. Justice used to mean equality
Our treatment of people reflect their
fundamental moral equality
Impartial / unbiased

4. Justice when ones moral rights are
not violated.
It is a wrongful behaviour when it
involves a violation of the rights of a
person.
Concerns of Economic /
Distributive Justice
Moral issues raised by assessing
societys distribution of social benefits &
burdens in terms of:

Wealth
Income
Status
Power
Morality and Justice view
Considers ethical behaviour as that
which is impartial and fair in
treating people according to guiding
rules and standards.
Justice view of ethics includes
1. Procedural justice
2. Distributive justice
3. Interactional justice
Procedural justice
The degree to which policies & rules are
fairly administered

Example: does discrimination charge
against senior executive receive the same
full hearing as one made against a first-
level supervisor?
Distributive justice
The degree to which people are treated
the same regardless of individual
characteristics based on ethnicity, race,
gender, age or other criteria.

Example: does a woman with the same
qualifications & experience as a man
receive the same consideration for hiring or
promotion?
Interactional justice
The degree to which others are treated
with dignity and respect.

Example: does a bank loan officer take the
time to fully explain to an applicant why
he/she was turned down for a loan?
Five Rival Principles Of
Distribution (basis of Distribution)
To each an equal share
To each according to individual need
To each according to personal effort
To each according to social contribution
To each according to merit
Problems with the Principles of
Distribution
If equality of income is guaranteed, then the lazy
would receive as much as the hard working
person.

Effort is hard to measure & compare (what
one is able to contribute to the society
DEPENDS on different circumstances)
one must try to find the principle that
best applies in the given circumstances.
DISTRIBUTIVE & ECONOMIC
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Justice based on:
Capitalism basic beliefs are that human
beings are essentially self-interested
is an economic system in which the
means of production are mostly privately
owned
Decisions & activity are determined by the
PROFIT motive
Free market characterised by
competition
DISTRIBUTIVE & ECONOMIC
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Justice based on:
Socialism System based on Marxism
Aim to create a system in which everyone
has an EQUAL opportunity to
BENEFIT from a countrys wealth.
Sees human nature as collaborative rather
than acquisitive
Social wealth should be distributed not
given to just a few
Justice & Economic System
Justice is concerned with the equality of
treatment given to members of a group

Distributive justice is concerned with the
fair distribution of societies benefits and
burden.
3 Theories of Justice in Economic
Distribution:
1. Utilitarian View
2. Libertarian Approach
3. Rawlsian (Egalitarian View)

I. The Utilitarian View on Economic
Distribution
Considers ethical behaviour that which delivers
greatest good to the most people.
Uses happiness as the basis for determining
right and wrong.
Utilitarians associates justice with social well-
being / happiness
Wants economic system that will bring more
good to society
Utilitarians favorably view increased worker
participation in industrial life & more equal
distribution of income.
Forms of Utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism everyone should
perform that act which will bring about
the greatest amount of good.
Rule utilitarianism everyone should
always establish & follow rule(s) that
will bring about the greatest good for all
concerned.
Worker participation is
John Stuart Mill (1848) argued for the
desirability of breaking down the sharp &
hostile division between the producers / workers
and the capitalists / owners.
relation of masters and workpeople overcome by
PARTNERSHIP which will
enhance productivity & promote the
development & well-being (quality of life) of
the people involved.
II. LIBERTARIAN APPROACH
on Economic Distribution
Identifies justice with an ideal of liberty
(freedom).
Argues that individual freedom is the
basis for determining what is right &
wrong.
Justice consists in permitting each person to live
as he/she pleases, free from interference of
others.
Libertarian Approach
Opposes utilitarianism concern for
total social well-being
Belief as long as you are not doing
something that interferes with anyone
elses liberty, then no
person/group/government should
disturb you in living the life you choose.
Nozicks Theory of Justice -
Entitlement Theory
Robert Nozick is a traditional libertarian
who believes that
people are entitled to their holdings
(goods, money & property) as long as
they have acquired them fairly - as long
as they have obtained the property without
violating other peoples right.
Nozicks Entitlement Theory
advocates
People are entitled to private property &
free-market economy.
The only JUST transaction is a voluntary
one.
TAXATION of the rich to support
SOCIAL PROGRAMS for the poor are
unjust because the state is acquiring money
by taking it instead of through a voluntary
transaction.
Human Right to property, liberty &
life
According to both John Locke & Robert
Nozick (Libertarian)

These rights cannot be violated by any Government
law
III. Rawls Theory of Justice
John Rawls (1921)
He believes that human rights / natural
rights are given to human beings by a
just society in which no one has an
unfair advantage over others.



RAWLS THEORY
One must adopt principles of social justice
which we would agree upon behind what he
calls veil of ignorance.
It is a way of looking at society in a neutral
manner without regard to individual
characteristics of anyone.
Behind this Veil of Ignorance
We set up principles for fairness &
justice for all without regard for
anyones:
Specific talents
Inclinations / liking / preference
Social status
Political ideology
Rawlss 2 Basic Principles
1. Equality principle each person has
equal rights to maximum liberty compatible
with the same amount of liberty for
everyone else. freedom for all
2. Difference Principle an inequality is
permissible to the extent that it is to
everyones advantage, including people at
the bottom of societys rank, & that it arises
under conditions of equal opportunity.
inequality is permitted in a just
society.
Difference principle example..
Doctors are necessary for the health &
wellbeing of everyone, so they receive
more pay & advantages than blue collar
workers because they have spent more
time & money achieving their medical
degrees & having good doctors is
advantageous to everyone in the society.
HOWEVER everyone must also have
equal access to medical school
regardless of race / gender.
Does justice require our society to attempt
to move toward a more equal distribution
of income?
How might it attempt to do so?
How equal should distribution of income
be?
Justice and Economic
Distribution