Dynamism of Theories of Justice: Decoding John Rawls & Amartya Sen’s Theories
Keywords:
Social Justice, Theories, Amartya Sen, John Rawls, Criticism, Society, Inequalities, Liberty, Jurisprudence
Abstract
The concept of justice is somewhat complex and there are different facets that has been unraveled by different philosophers, scholars and other academicians. The aspect of social justice is always celebrated in the jurisprudential aspect as it is one of the core aspects that has a strong nexus with the legal facets particularly amongst other forms of justice. The philosophy of political, justice and social sciences is the core domain that is impliedly discussed by various academicians and scholars with respect to a just and fair society. In this paper, researcher critically evaluates the theory of justice by taking into account the two most famous theories proposed by two eminent personnel of their time. First one is of John Rawls in 1971 in which he beautifully enshrined the aspect of positive discrimination and distributive justice under the umbrella of social justice and second one is the work of Noble laureate, Amartya Sen. He provides a new notion on the idea of justice through his pathbreaking work on concept of justice which is also a critique of John Rawl’s Work-Theory of Justice.
In the present work, researcher has dealt the concept of justice in the light of proposed work on same by the highlighted personnel in different phase. This paper provides a critical analysis coupled with the litmus understanding of the substance of Rawl’s and Sen’s notion of justice with the conceptual, practical as well as analytical perspective of the concept of justice by examining the theories as per their evolution and relevance in the instant time. The paper in toto presents the main concepts, appraisal, dominant criticisms and the current approach of researcher for understanding with a view to further decode that Sen’s contribution is a global framework for the discourse of social justice.
References
A Theory of Justice - Overview, How It Works, Principles (2021). Available at: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/a-theory-of-justice/ (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
Rajput, Shelal Lodhi, Unfolding the Contributions of Greek & Roman Philosophers in Natural Law School of Jurisprudence (November 18, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3751247 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3751247
Sen Amartya (2002), Rationality and Liberty, The Belknalp Press of Harvard University Press.
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
"Rawls’ Theory of Justice: A Naturalistic Evaluation" (2021), p. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03605310500253022 (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ (2018). Available at: https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/07/27/john-rawls-a-theory-of-justice/ (Accessed: 26 March 2021).
Thomas Pogge, World Politics and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2002) see especially Chapter 6. Thomas Nagel, “The Problem of Global Justice,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 113 – 147, 2005
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
Freeman, S. (2012). Ideal Theory and The Justice of Institutions vs. Comprehensive Outcomes. Rutgers Law Journal , 43 (2), 169-209.
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ (2018). Available at: https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/07/27/john-rawls-a-theory-of-justice/ (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Murphy, T. (2010) A Review of Amartya Sen, The Idea of Justice, Poseidon01.ssrn.com. Available at: https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=774106069097102096030023025086012065099038066037028071088064098088127008089023119076007011027056020006042084020000102103119089048008059012061104013092031064016084023042039013102076006018006001118016117013090079111100006004092073004127093001082014103029&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Rawls’ view is therefore a ‘hypothetical contract’ theory (i.e. it rests on what would be agreed under certain idealised assumptions), as opposed to the ‘actual contract’ view (e.g. Gauthier, 1986; Gilbert, 2006).
Rawls, John (1971) A Theory of Justice Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Osmani, S.R. (2010). Theory of Justice for an Imperfect World: Exploring Amartya Sen's Idea of Justice. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities , 11 (4), 599-607.
Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl's theory of justice and its communitarian critiques (2021). Available at: https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/notes/justice-conceptions-of-justice-with-special-reference.html (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Taylor, Charles (1985). ‘The nature and scope of distributive justice’ in Philosophy and the Human Sciences: Philosophical Papers 2 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 289-317
Martin, R. and Reidy, D. (eds.), 2006, Rawls's Law of Peoples: A Realistic Utopia?, Oxford: Blackwell.
This was later revised to a weaker requirement: that people have access to a “fully adequate” set of basic rights and liberties (2001: 42-3): these rights cannot be overridden by appeals to the common good.
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
John Rawls Views on the Theory of Justice (2015). Available at: https://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/theories-of-justice/john-rawls-views-on-the-theory-of-justice/759 (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
H. Richardson, “John Rawls,” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Mills, Charles (2009) ‘Rawls on Race/Race in Rawls’ The Southern Journal of Philosophy (2009): 161-184
Maffettone, S. (2011). Sen's Idea of Justiceversus Rawls' Theory of Justice. Indian Journal of Human Development , 5 (1), 119-132.
(2021) Giapjournals.com. Available at: https://giapjournals.com/index.php/hssr/article/view/1013/884?download=pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Cohen, Joshua. 1989. "Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy." The Good Polity . Alan Hamlin and Philip Pettit (red.) 17--34. Oxford: Blackwell.
Walzer, M. (1983). Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality. New York: Basic Books
Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence 222 (Oxford University Press, New York, 2nd edn. , 2009). 8 Id at 223.
Reiko Gotoh and Paul Demouchel eds. Against Injustice: the New Economics of Amartya Sen (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Bond, D. and Park, J. 1991. An empirical test of Rawls's theory of justice: A second approach, in Korea and the United States. Simulation & Gaming,, 22(4): 443–462.
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence 222 (Oxford University Press, New York, 2nd edn. , 2009). 8 Id at 223.
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice Orig n l i a Edition (Cambridge MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1970/2005).
The concept of justice has been discussed in a very broad manner; to quote Prof. Sen “...aim is to clarify how we can proceed to address questions of enhancing justice and removing injustice, rather than to offer resolutions of questions about the nature of perfect justice”
V.R. Krishna Iyer , Social Justice – Sunset or Sun dawn 28 (Eastern Book Co., Lucknow 1987)
Arneson , Richard, “Equality of opportunity” The Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2015 edn.), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/summer 2015/entries/equalopportunity/(l
Sen, Amartya, (1980), ‘Equality of What?’ in Tanner Lectures on Human Values, S. MacMurrin (ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Debra Satz, “Amartya Sen’s The Idea Of Justice : What Approach , Which Capabilities” 43 Rutgers Law Journal 277(2012 ).
Hinsch, W. (2011). Ideal Justice and Rational Dissent: A Critique of Amartya Sen's The Idea of Justice. Analyse and Critique , 33 (2), 371-386.
Nussbaum, Martha, (2006), Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Sen, A. (2015). The Country of First Boys. New Delhi: Oxford University Press
Debra Satz, “Amartya Sen’s The Idea Of Justice : What Approach , Which Capabilities” 43 Rutgers Law Journal 277(2012 ).
Wellbank, JH, Denis Snook, and David T. Mason. 1982. John Rawls and His Critics: an Annotated Bibliography . New York: Garland Publishing Company.
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
Rajput, Shelal Lodhi, Unfolding the Contributions of Greek & Roman Philosophers in Natural Law School of Jurisprudence (November 18, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3751247 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3751247
Sen Amartya (2002), Rationality and Liberty, The Belknalp Press of Harvard University Press.
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
"Rawls’ Theory of Justice: A Naturalistic Evaluation" (2021), p. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03605310500253022 (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ (2018). Available at: https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/07/27/john-rawls-a-theory-of-justice/ (Accessed: 26 March 2021).
Thomas Pogge, World Politics and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2002) see especially Chapter 6. Thomas Nagel, “The Problem of Global Justice,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 113 – 147, 2005
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
Freeman, S. (2012). Ideal Theory and The Justice of Institutions vs. Comprehensive Outcomes. Rutgers Law Journal , 43 (2), 169-209.
Charles Beitz, Political Theory and International Relations, Revised Edition (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999); Thomas Pogge, Realizing Rawls (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989).
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ (2018). Available at: https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/07/27/john-rawls-a-theory-of-justice/ (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Murphy, T. (2010) A Review of Amartya Sen, The Idea of Justice, Poseidon01.ssrn.com. Available at: https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=774106069097102096030023025086012065099038066037028071088064098088127008089023119076007011027056020006042084020000102103119089048008059012061104013092031064016084023042039013102076006018006001118016117013090079111100006004092073004127093001082014103029&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Rawls’ view is therefore a ‘hypothetical contract’ theory (i.e. it rests on what would be agreed under certain idealised assumptions), as opposed to the ‘actual contract’ view (e.g. Gauthier, 1986; Gilbert, 2006).
Rawls, John (1971) A Theory of Justice Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Osmani, S.R. (2010). Theory of Justice for an Imperfect World: Exploring Amartya Sen's Idea of Justice. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities , 11 (4), 599-607.
Justice: Conceptions of justice with special reference to Rawl's theory of justice and its communitarian critiques (2021). Available at: https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/notes/justice-conceptions-of-justice-with-special-reference.html (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Taylor, Charles (1985). ‘The nature and scope of distributive justice’ in Philosophy and the Human Sciences: Philosophical Papers 2 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 289-317
Martin, R. and Reidy, D. (eds.), 2006, Rawls's Law of Peoples: A Realistic Utopia?, Oxford: Blackwell.
This was later revised to a weaker requirement: that people have access to a “fully adequate” set of basic rights and liberties (2001: 42-3): these rights cannot be overridden by appeals to the common good.
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
John Rawls Views on the Theory of Justice (2015). Available at: https://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/theories-of-justice/john-rawls-views-on-the-theory-of-justice/759 (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
H. Richardson, “John Rawls,” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Mills, Charles (2009) ‘Rawls on Race/Race in Rawls’ The Southern Journal of Philosophy (2009): 161-184
Maffettone, S. (2011). Sen's Idea of Justiceversus Rawls' Theory of Justice. Indian Journal of Human Development , 5 (1), 119-132.
(2021) Giapjournals.com. Available at: https://giapjournals.com/index.php/hssr/article/view/1013/884?download=pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2021).
Cohen, Joshua. 1989. "Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy." The Good Polity . Alan Hamlin and Philip Pettit (red.) 17--34. Oxford: Blackwell.
Walzer, M. (1983). Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality. New York: Basic Books
Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence 222 (Oxford University Press, New York, 2nd edn. , 2009). 8 Id at 223.
Reiko Gotoh and Paul Demouchel eds. Against Injustice: the New Economics of Amartya Sen (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Bond, D. and Park, J. 1991. An empirical test of Rawls's theory of justice: A second approach, in Korea and the United States. Simulation & Gaming,, 22(4): 443–462.
Gilbert, Margaret (2006) ‘Reconsidering Actual Contract Theory’ in A Theory of Political Obligation: Membership, Commitment, and the Bonds of Society. Oxford University Press. 215-238
Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence 222 (Oxford University Press, New York, 2nd edn. , 2009). 8 Id at 223.
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice Orig n l i a Edition (Cambridge MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1970/2005).
The concept of justice has been discussed in a very broad manner; to quote Prof. Sen “...aim is to clarify how we can proceed to address questions of enhancing justice and removing injustice, rather than to offer resolutions of questions about the nature of perfect justice”
V.R. Krishna Iyer , Social Justice – Sunset or Sun dawn 28 (Eastern Book Co., Lucknow 1987)
Arneson , Richard, “Equality of opportunity” The Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2015 edn.), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), available at: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/summer 2015/entries/equalopportunity/(l
Sen, Amartya, (1980), ‘Equality of What?’ in Tanner Lectures on Human Values, S. MacMurrin (ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Debra Satz, “Amartya Sen’s The Idea Of Justice : What Approach , Which Capabilities” 43 Rutgers Law Journal 277(2012 ).
Hinsch, W. (2011). Ideal Justice and Rational Dissent: A Critique of Amartya Sen's The Idea of Justice. Analyse and Critique , 33 (2), 371-386.
Nussbaum, Martha, (2006), Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Sen, A. (2015). The Country of First Boys. New Delhi: Oxford University Press
Debra Satz, “Amartya Sen’s The Idea Of Justice : What Approach , Which Capabilities” 43 Rutgers Law Journal 277(2012 ).
Wellbank, JH, Denis Snook, and David T. Mason. 1982. John Rawls and His Critics: an Annotated Bibliography . New York: Garland Publishing Company.
Published
2025-02-01
How to Cite
Rajput, S. L. (2025). Dynamism of Theories of Justice: Decoding John Rawls & Amartya Sen’s Theories. GLS Law Journal , 7(1), 29 - 38. https://doi.org/10.69974/glslawjournal.v7i1.154
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Articles
