Political ideologies offer different answers to questions about how society should be organized and what responsibilities government should have. This lesson introduces distributive justice and explores how conservatism approaches social institutions, change, and fairness.
Distributive justice is a moral framework for judging how fairly wealth, goods, and services are distributed. Disagreement often concerns what fairness requires. Should resources be allocated according to need, or should individual freedom take priority even when people end up with very different amounts?
All flashcards
What is distributive justice?
A moral framework concerned with whether wealth, goods, and services are distributed fairly.
What is conservatism?
A political theory that values institutions and practices that have demonstrated their worth over time and generally favors cautious, gradual reform.
What was Burke’s concern about the French Revolution?
He feared that radical destruction of established institutions would produce violence and instability, even when those institutions were imperfect.
Why are property rights important in conservative thought?
They are viewed as a check on governmental power and as one support for a stable society.
Can conservatism support redistribution?
Yes. Conservatives may support redistribution, especially to relieve severe poverty, while often preferring action at the local level.
Quiz questions
According to John Stuart Mill’s harm principle, when may society justifiably interfere with an individual’s liberty?Answer: To prevent harm to other people.
What does Isaiah Berlin mean by negative liberty?Answer: Freedom from obstruction or interference by others or government.
Under Rawls’s difference principle, when are social and economic inequalities permitted?Answer: When positions are fairly open and inequalities benefit the least advantaged.
What does the capability approach assess when considering justice?Answer: People’s real opportunities to do and be things they value.
What does Marx mean by surplus value?Answer: Value workers produce beyond what they receive in wages.