[EQ] The Idea of Justice - also webcast September 23

The Idea of Justice

Amartya Sen

The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Cambridge, Massachusetts – 2009

 

Excerpt PDF [19P.] at: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/pdf/SENIDE_excerpt.pdf

Website: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/SENIDE.html?show=reviews

“….A major critical analysis and synthesis. Sen's inclusive approach transcends the many important scholars and viewpoints that he analyzes. The Idea of Justice presents a set of considerations on justice of importance to both the academic community and to the world of policy formation….”
   --Kenneth Arrow, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Stanford University

“……justice is not a monolithic ideal but a pluralistic notion with many dimensions. Yet Western philosophers have seen justice largely in singular, utopian terms. Hobbes, Locke and Kant, for example, wove their notions of justice around an imaginary "social contract" between the citizens and the state. A "just society" is produced through perfectly just state institutions and social arrangements and the right behaviour of the citizens.

Sen identifies two serious problems with this "arrangement focussed" approach. First, there is no reasoned agreement on the nature of a "just society". Second, how would we actually recognise a "just society" if we saw one? Without some framework of comparison it is not possible to identify the ideal we need to pursue.

Furthermore, this approach is of no help in resolving basic issues of injustice. How would you reason, for example, that slavery was an intolerable injustice in a framework that concerned itself with right institutions and right behaviour? How would we ensure that well-established and cheaply producible drugs were available to the poor patients of Aids in developing countries? When faced with stark injustice, the contractual approach turns out to be both redundant and unfeasible. …”
The Independent –UK  Book Of The Week: The Idea of Justice, By Amartya Sen  - Reviewed by Ziauddin Sardar

Contents

Introduction An Approach to Justice

Part i

The Demands of Justice

1 Reason and Objectivity

2 Rawls and Beyond

3 Institutions and Persons

4 Voice and Social Choice

5 Impartiality and Objectivity

6 Closed and Open Impartiality

Part ii

Forms of Reasoning

7 Position, Relevance and Illusion

8 Rationality and Other People

9 Plurality of Impartial Reasons

10 Realizations, Consequences and Agency

Part iii

The Materials of Justice

11 Lives, Freedoms and Capabilities

12 Capabilities and Resources

13 Happiness, Well-being and Capabilities

14 Equality and Liberty

Part iv

Public Reasoning and Democracy

15 Democracy as Public Reason

16 The Practice of Democracy

17 Human Rights and Global Imperatives

18 Justice and the World

 

Webcast Communication and Human Development: The Freedom Connection?

Co-sponsored by the
International Development Research Centre and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University

Nobel Laureates Amartya Sen and Michael Spence join Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts Yochai Benkler and Clotilde Fonseca in a discussion of the role of communication and ICTs in human development, growth, and poverty reduction.

Wednesday, September 23, 7:00 pm

Ames Courtroom, Austin Hall, Harvard Law School

When (begins) : 2009-09-23 19:00 (Ottawa) DST 2009-09-23 20:30 (Ottawa) DST –

Webcast Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast

Website:
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2009/09/idrc?utm_source=IDRC&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=Harvard%2BIDRC%20events%20page

 

 

 

 

*      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.