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Single Idea 20978

[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice ]

Full Idea

A theory of justice that can serve as the basis of practical reason must include ways of judging how to reduce injustice and advance justice, rather than aiming only at the characterisation of perfectly just societies.

Gist of Idea

Practical justice concerns not only ideals, but ways to achieve them

Source

Amartya Sen (The Idea of Justice [2009], Pref 'What')

Book Ref

Sen, Amartya: 'The Idea of Justice' [Penguin 2010], p.-20

A Reaction

Sounds simple, but this is Amartya Sen's revolutionary new idea - that justice is not just ideals and opportunities, but what sort of life people actually end up with.

The 23 ideas from Amartya Sen

20980 You don't need a complete theory of justice to see that slavery is wrong [Sen]
20979 Democracy needs more than some institutions; diverse sections of the people must be heard [Sen]
20978 Practical justice concerns not only ideals, but ways to achieve them [Sen]
20982 In politics and ethics, scrutiny from different perspectives is essential for objectivity [Sen]
20981 What justifies reliance on reason? Is it just a tool? Why is it better than blind belief? [Sen]
20983 The original position insures that the agreements reached are fair [Sen]
20984 A social contract limits the pursuit of justice to members of a single society [Sen]
20985 Our institutions should promote justice, rather than embodying it [Sen]
20986 A person's voice may count because of their interests, or because of their good sense [Sen]
20988 Freedom from torture or terrorist attacks is independent of citizenship [Sen]
20987 The veil of ignorance encourages neutral interests, but not a wider view of values [Sen]
20990 Rationality is conformity to reasons that can be sustained even after scrutiny [Sen]
20993 Eradicating smallpox does not impoverish nature [Sen]
20994 We must focus on removing manifest injustice, not just try to design a perfect society [Sen]
20995 Capabilities are part of freedom, involving real opportunities [Sen]
20998 Freedom can involve capabilities, independence and non-interference [Sen]
20997 The need for equality among people arises from impartiality and objectivity [Sen]
20996 All modern theories of justice demand equality of something [Sen]
21000 If justice needs public reasoning, which needs democracy, then justice and democracy are linked [Sen]
20999 Democracy as 'government by discussion' now has wide support [Sen]
21001 Famines tend to be caused by authoritarian rule [Sen]
21002 Effective democracy needs tolerant values [Sen]
21005 A human right is not plausible if public scrutiny might reject it [Sen]