Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Archimedes, Michael J. Sandel and ystein Linnebo

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6 ideas

25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
We can approach justice through welfare, or freedom, or virtue [Sandel]
     Full Idea: We have identified three ways of approaching the distribution of goods: welfare, freedom and virtue. ...and these are three ways of thinking about justice.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 01)
     A reaction: Virtue is Sandel's distinctively Aristotelian contribution to the problem. The best known instance of justice is punishment, which is a distribution of harms.
Justice concerns how a society distributes what it prizes - wealth, rights, power and honours [Sandel]
     Full Idea: To ask whether a society is just is to ask how we distribute the things we prize - income and wealth, duties and rights, powers and opportunities, offices and honours.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 01)
     A reaction: There is, of course, the prior question of what things should be controlled by a society for distribution. But there is also justice in the promotional and pay structure of institutions within a society, including private institutions.
Should we redress wrongs done by a previous generation? [Sandel]
     Full Idea: Can we ever have a moral responsibility to redress wrongs committed by a previous generation?
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 07)
     A reaction: Just asking for a friend. It seems to depend on how close we feel to the previous generation. Regretting the crime committed by a beloved parent is one thing. Despising the crime committed by some right bastard who shares my nationality is another.
Distributive justice concern deserts, as well as who gets what [Sandel]
     Full Idea: Debates about distributive justice are about not only who gets what but also what qualities are worthy of honour and reward.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 07)
     A reaction: So the 'undeserving poor' get nuffink? Does just being a human being deserve anything? Obviously yes. That said, we can't deny the concept of 'appropriate reward'.
Justice is about how we value things, and not just about distributions [Sandel]
     Full Idea: Justice is not only about the right way to distribute things. It is also about the right way to value things.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 10)
     A reaction: This is Sandel's distinctively Aristotelian contribution to the justice debate - with which I have great sympathy. And, as he argues, the values of things arise out of assessing their essential natures.
Work is not fair if it is negotiated, even in a fair situation, but if it suits the nature of the worker [Sandel]
     Full Idea: For the libertarian free exchange for labour is fair; for Rawls it requires fair background conditions; for Aristotle, for the work to be just it must be suited to the nature of the workers who perform it.
     From: Michael J. Sandel (Justice: What's the right thing to do? [2009], 08)
     A reaction: [compressed] Aristotle's idea is powerful, and Sandel performs a great service in drawing attention to it. Imagine the key negotiation in an interview being whether this particular work suits your nature!