Source: ICJ/UN Photos
Essential Question: What is justice?
| Learning Outcome | Prescribed Content | Possible Examples |
| Nature and evolution of human rights | Definitions of human rights | Notions such as inalienability, universality, indivisibility, equality, justice, liberty |
When you think of the word justice what is the first thing to comes to mind? Do you picture a court room? Do you see the police? Is justice about punishment or is it about fairness? Justice is a very subjective concept and different people will see it very differently. However, the concept of justice has some important implications for the study of human rights in global politics.
First, since justice is linked to the idea of fairness the pursuit of human rights is often seen as the pursuit of a fair and just society. Many liberals believe that a just society is one that guarantees equal rights and a suitable quality of life for all of its citizens.
Second, violations of human rights inevitably bring up the question of justice. What should be done to protect human rights? How do we know when human rights have been violated? How do we punish people and organizations that violate human rights? How do we obtain justice for the victims of human rights abuses?
So you can see that justice is quite broad. It can either be used to describe a society at large (is it just or unjust?) or it can be used in the context of a crime (e.g. war crimes, crimes against humanity).
Finally, justice is an important concept that motivates actors in global politics. Think of Greta Thunberg and the climate strikes. She often speaks about climate justice. Women and men who participate in the MeToo Movement demand justice for survivors of sexual abuse. Indigenous peoples around the world demand justice for loss of ancestral territory and other historical wrongdoings. As we move through the human rights unit we should keep the concept of justice in our minds and use it as a lens to explore how human rights affects global politics.
When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Two Theories of Justice
Although there are many views of justice we will only look at a few. In particular, we will compare the theories of two 20th century philosophers; John Rawls and Robert Nozick.
Video A: What is Justice?
1. Briefly describe each of the following types of justice described in the video;
- Distributive Justice
- Need-Based Justice
- Merit-Based Justice
2. Take some notes to help you summarize the theories of Robert Nozick.
Video B: Political Theory – John Rawls
Viewing Instruction: Describe John Rawls’ thought experiment, the “veil of ignorance”. How does this relate to the concept of justice?
Power and Justice: Chomsky vs. Foucault Debate
Viewing Instructions: While you watch, complete the organizer below. Take notes on Chomsky and Foucault’s views on power and justice.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r-4pwudG2Bi-1LeqXkKPay3cFRmcW_uSeRqtKm8AQfI/edit?usp=sharing
Reflection: Is it possible to achieve create a just world? Is the pursuit of justice inevitably doomed to fail? Why do you think individuals and societies seek to achieve justice? Post a response to the task on Managebac.
CISH Global Politics 