Justice and Fairness: Promoting the common good (Ethics Unit III- Topic 4)

Summary

This educational video by Jumari Akdan, Jessalyn Ortiz, and Jerica Siliban delves into the concepts of justice and fairness, exploring their definitions, differences, and applications in society. It introduces John Rawls' theory of justice, emphasizing principles of fairness and equality, and discusses distributive justice, including its principles and theories. The video concludes by highlighting the importance of fairness in ethical decision-making and the pursuit of a just society.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses the concepts of justice and fairness, their differences, and their applications in society.
• 👨‍🏫 Aristotle's ethical philosophy underpins the fairness approach, emphasizing that equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.
• 📘 John Rawls, a 20th-century philosopher, is introduced as a key figure in the development of a theory of justice aimed at creating a just society.
• 🤔 The script explores the relationship between justice and fairness, noting that while they are often used interchangeably, they have distinct understandings.
• 🏛 Distributive justice is defined as the fair allocation of benefits and burdens among society's members, with examples provided to illustrate its application.
• ⚖️ Retributive justice concerns the fairness of punishments, taking into account the seriousness of the crime and the intent of the criminal.
• 🏥 Compensatory justice involves fair compensation for injuries, ensuring that compensation is proportional to the loss inflicted on a person.
• 🌐 Rawls' theory of justice includes the concept of the 'veil of ignorance' and the 'original position' to determine just social institutions.
• 🔄 The principles of justice as fairness, as proposed by Rawls, include equal access to basic human needs and fair equality of opportunity.
• 🏛️ Social stability is linked to the perception of justice, with unjust treatment leading to social unrest and disturbances.
• 💡 The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of fairness in ethical decision-making and the role of Rawls' theory in achieving a fair and just society.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is the discussion of justice and fairness, including the nature of theory, distributive justice, and the application of Rawls' theory of justice in life situations.

Who are the hosts of the video?

The hosts of the video are Jumari Akdan, Jessalyn Ortiz, and Jerica Siliban.

What is the connection between fairness and justice according to the video?

Fairness and justice have a narrow relationship and are often used interchangeably, but they also have distinct understandings. Justice focuses on the standards and rules of the current justice system, while fairness is about judging without reference to one's feelings or interests.

What is the principle of justice defined by Aristotle?

Aristotle's principle of justice states that equals should be treated equally, and unequals should be treated unequally, meaning individuals should be treated the same unless they differ in ways relevant to the situation.

Who is John Rawls and what did he contribute to the field of ethics?

John Rawls is a 20th-century philosopher known for his work 'A Theory of Justice,' in which he developed a standard of principles aimed at creating a fair and just society.

What are the three kinds of justice mentioned in the video?

The three kinds of justice mentioned are distributive justice, which concerns the fair distribution of benefits and burdens; retributive justice, which concerns fair and just punishments; and compensatory justice, which concerns fair compensation for injuries.

What is Rawls' first principle of justice, and what does it emphasize?

Rawls' first principle of justice, the equal liberty principle, emphasizes equal access to basic human needs, rights, and liberties, guaranteeing the right of each person to have extensive basic liberties.

What is the difference principle in Rawls' theory of justice?

The difference principle in Rawls' theory of justice emphasizes the idea of fair equality of opportunity and equal distribution of socio-economic inequalities, aiming to benefit the least advantaged members of society.

What is the concept of the 'veil of ignorance' in Rawls' theory?

The veil of ignorance in Rawls' theory is a hypothetical situation where individuals choose social institutions without knowing their own personal attributes or social status, ensuring that the choices made are fair and just.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of distributive justice as discussed in the video?

Strengths of distributive justice include protecting many a just workplace and encouraging ethical decisions by workers. Weaknesses include practically ignoring individual efforts, discouraging differences, and ignoring other rights such as inheritance.

What does the video suggest for achieving a fair and just society according to Rawls' theory?

According to Rawls' theory, a fair and just society will be achieved if the society itself treats citizens freely, equally, and fairly, ensuring that all individuals are given what they deserve.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Justice and Fairness

The video script begins with an introduction to the concepts of justice and fairness, with a focus on the philosophical underpinnings of these ideas. The presenters, Jumari Akdan, Jessalyn Ortiz, and Jerica Siriband, set the stage for a discussion on the promotion of common good and the differentiation between justice and fairness. They introduce John Rawls, a 20th-century philosopher, and his influential work 'A Theory of Justice,' which attempts to establish principles for a just society. The script also touches on the historical significance of justice in Western civilization and the principles of justice as defined by Aristotle, emphasizing equal treatment for equals and unequal treatment for unequals in relevant ways.

05:03

📚 Exploring the Principles of Justice

This paragraph delves deeper into the principles of justice, discussing the criteria that justify treating people differently and those that do not. It provides examples of justifiable and unjustifiable criteria, such as providing financial assistance to a family affected by a typhoon versus giving preferential treatment based on familial relationships. The paragraph outlines the different kinds of justice: distributive, retributive, and compensatory, each with its own focus on fairness in society's allocation of benefits and burdens, the fairness of punishments, and the compensation for injuries, respectively. The foundation of justice is linked to social stability, with the argument that a just society is one where members feel they are treated fairly, leading to social unity and preventing unrest.

10:06

🌟 Rawls' Theory of Justice: Fundamental Principles

The script introduces the fundamental principle of Rawls' theory of justice, which asserts the inviolability of each individual and the importance of securing rights that should not be compromised, even for the welfare of the state. It critiques consequentialist ethics, particularly utilitarianism, for potentially suppressing individual rights for the perceived benefit of the majority. The paragraph also discusses the implications of Rawls' theory, including the tolerability of an erroneous theory in the absence of a better one and the need to restrict individual liberties to maintain equality of opportunity. Two basic principles of justice are highlighted: the equal liberty principle, ensuring extensive basic liberties, and the difference principle, aiming to benefit the least advantaged members of society.

15:07

🤔 The Veil of Ignorance and Original Position

This section of the script explores Rawls' concepts of the veil of ignorance and the original position, which are hypothetical situations used to determine just social institutions. In the original position, individuals are placed behind a veil of ignorance, unaware of their personal attributes and social status, leading them to choose social rules and institutions that they believe are just. The theory suggests that rational individuals in this position would opt for a society that promotes equality and fairness, as they would not know their own place in society and would thus aim to create a system that benefits everyone, including the least advantaged.

20:07

💰 Distributive Justice and Its Principles

The final paragraph of the script focuses on distributive justice, discussing the ethical principle concerning the fair allocation of resources in society. It contrasts historical models of distribution, such as monarchies, with modern societal expectations of fairness. The paragraph outlines three principles of distributive justice: equality (both in opportunity and outcome), proportionality (where equal work should yield equal outcomes), and fairness (the balance of equality and proportionality). It also presents different theories of distributive justice, including Rawls' justice as fairness, utilitarianism, and egalitarianism, each with its own approach to addressing inequality and fairness in society. The paragraph concludes with examples of distributive justice in action and a discussion of its strengths and weaknesses, emphasizing the importance of fairness in ethical decision-making.

Keywords

💡Justice

Justice refers to the principle of fairness in the way people are dealt with, ensuring that individuals receive what they are due. In the video's theme, justice is central to the discussion of ethics and morality, with the script highlighting its importance in creating a fair and just society. For example, the script mentions Aristotle's principle that 'equals should be treated equally,' which underscores the foundational role of justice in ethical considerations.

💡Fairness

Fairness is the quality of treating people equally without favoritism or discrimination. It is closely related to justice but focuses more on impartiality and the absence of bias. In the video, fairness is discussed in the context of public policy arguments and the importance of treating everyone the same way without prejudice, as illustrated by the question of how fair an action is and whether it shows favoritism.

💡John Rawls

John Rawls is a prominent 20th-century philosopher known for his work on the theory of justice. The script introduces him as a key figure in the discussion of justice and fairness, mentioning his book 'A Theory of Justice,' which attempts to develop principles for creating a just society. Rawls' work is central to the video's exploration of ethical theories and the nature of a fair society.

💡Distributive Justice

Distributive justice is concerned with how benefits and burdens are allocated among members of a society in a fair and just manner. The script discusses this concept as one of the types of justice, providing examples such as a company hiring employees without regard to race or color, and paying them based on their work effort. It is a key principle in ensuring that the distribution of resources is equitable.

💡Retributive Justice

Retributive justice relates to the fairness and appropriateness of punishments within a society. The script explains that punishments are considered just when they take into account relevant criteria like the seriousness of the crime and the intent of the criminal, while disregarding irrelevant factors such as race. This concept is used to critique unjust practices and advocate for a justice system that is truly fair.

💡Compensatory Justice

Compensatory justice involves the fair compensation for injuries caused by one party to another. The script mentions this as the third type of justice, emphasizing that just compensation should be proportional to the loss inflicted on a person. An example given is mine owners compensating workers whose health has been affected by their work, illustrating the principle of compensating for harm done.

💡Social Stability

Social stability is the state of equilibrium within a society or group, which the script connects to the concept of justice. It is argued that the stability of a society depends on its members feeling that they are treated justly. When there is a perception of unequal treatment, it can lead to social unrest and conflict, highlighting the importance of justice in maintaining social cohesion.

💡Veil of Ignorance

The veil of ignorance is a hypothetical situation introduced by Rawls in which individuals choose principles of justice without knowing their personal circumstances, such as their social status or natural abilities. The script uses this concept to explain how individuals might rationally choose to create a just society, detached from their personal identities and contexts, which is central to Rawls' theory of justice as fairness.

💡Original Position

The original position is a hypothetical scenario in Rawls' theory where individuals are placed behind the veil of ignorance to decide on the principles of justice. The script describes this as a situation where individuals agree on social rules and institutions without knowing their personal identities, which is crucial for achieving justice as fairness.

💡Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that focuses on maximizing overall benefits for society, often at the expense of individual rights. The script critiques this theory as it can lead to the suppression of rights for the perceived benefit of the majority, contrasting it with Rawls' theory of justice, which emphasizes the protection of individual rights and the importance of fairness.

💡Egalitarianism

Egalitarianism is a theory that advocates for equality, especially in terms of income or wealth. The script mentions this as one of the theories of distributive justice, suggesting that inequalities are fair only if they result from deliberate and informed choices by individuals, and unfair if they stem from uncontrollable factors.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of justice and fairness, their importance in ethics and public policy.

Aristotle's influence on the concept of fairness, emphasizing equal treatment for equals and unequal treatment for unequals.

John Rawls, a 20th-century philosopher, and his seminal work 'A Theory of Justice'.

Rawls' principles for creating a fair and just society based on moral standards.

The distinction between justice and fairness, with justice focusing on standards and rules, and fairness on impartial judgment.

The principles of justice applied in conflicts of scarcity, with Aristotle's principle of treating equals equally as a foundation.

Examples of justifiable and unjustifiable criteria for differential treatment in society.

Types of justice: distributive, retributive, and compensatory, and their respective definitions and applications.

The role of distributive justice in ensuring fair allocation of societal benefits and burdens.

Retributive justice and the criteria for fair punishment, including the seriousness of the crime and the intent of the criminal.

Compensatory justice and the concept of fair compensation for injuries caused by others.

The foundation of justice in social stability and the impact of unequal treatment on social unrest.

Rawls' theory of justice as both an ethical and political framework, addressing the problem of distributive justice.

Basic principles of Rawls' theory, including the inviolability of the individual and the rights secured by justice.

Implications of Rawls' theory for individual liberties, majority rule, and the avoidance of greater injustices.

Rawls' two principles of justice: equal liberty and fair equality of opportunity, along with the difference principle.

The original position and the veil of ignorance as theoretical constructs for achieving justice as fairness.

Strengths and weaknesses of distributive justice, including its impact on workplace ethics and potential to ignore individual efforts.

Examples of distributive justice in action, such as social insurance and public education.

The importance of fairness in moral decision-making and the criteria for evaluating actions as just and equal.

Conclusion emphasizing the achievement of a fair and just society through free, equal, and fair treatment of citizens.

Transcripts

[Music]

good day everyone and welcome to our

learning hub

i am jumari akdan and i am with jessalyn

ortiz

and jerica siliban for today's video

we're gonna discuss to you guys the

justice and fairness

promoting the common good and on this

topic

we're also gonna tackle the nature of

theory

and distributive justice at the end of

this lesson

we will be able to differentiate between

justice and fairness

describe the different kinds of justice

apply rose theory of justice in life

situations

enter the society and discover how

distributive justice

apply role's theory now let's start our

adventure

the fairness or justice approach to

ethics

has its roots in the teachings of the

ancient greek philosopher aristotel

who said that equals should be treated

equally

and unequals and equally fairness has

been the focus of many public policy

arguments

it is asked if how fair is an action

does it treat everyone in the same way

or does it show favoritism

and discrimination

let me introduce to you who is john rose

john rose is a popular 20th century

philosopher

he was born and raised in baltimore

maryland

in the year 1921. rose

studied at princeton university and

proceeded to teach

at oxford harvard and mit

in 1971 he published a theory of

justice in which this moral work of

roles

attempts to develop a standard of

principles that could create a fair in

just society

so to further dig into our topic

let's hear it from jericho siriband

about

justice and fairness

[Music]

arguments about justice or fairness have

a long tradition in western civilization

they got no idea why western

civilization has been more consistently

linked to ethics

and morality than the idea of justice

but in the theory of justice written by

the late harvard

philosopher john john raoul's

every major work on ethics has held that

justice is part of the central core of

morality

justice means giving each or what he or

she deserves

or in more traditional terms giving each

person

his or her do fairness is

the freedom from prejudice and quality

of treating people equally

justice and fairness has a very narrow

relationship

and are often used interchangeably

however they also have distinct

understandings

justice focuses mostly on the standards

and rules of our current justice system

or with reference to a standard of

rightness

on the other hand fairness is used with

regard to an

ability to judge without reference to

one's

feelings or interests it is also been

used to refer to the ability to make

more judgments

that are not overly general but that

are concrete and specific to a

particular case

in any case a motion of being treated

as one deserves is crucial to both

justice and fairness

questions about justice or fairness

arise

when people differ over what they

believe should be even

our decisions about the distribution of

benefits is made

in fact ethicists believe that there is

no point of talking about

justice and fairness if it were not for

the conflicts of scarcity in goods and

services

so with these questions about justice or

fairness

principles of justice are applied

the most accepted principle is defined

by aristotel

it says that equals should be treated

equally

and unequals and equally in its

contemporary form

these principles sometimes express as

individuals should be treated the same

unless they differ in ways that are

relevant to the situation in which they

are involved

for example in a recent typhoon calamity

santa's family decided to help the area

who got affected by the typhoon

they give relief goods in all families

but they also

help one poor family in terms of

financial assistance

because their house has been carried

away by the flood

while other families are not

however many differences that redeem us

justifiable criteria

for treating people differently for

example

we think it is fair when the person who

is first in a line at a theater

is given first choice of theater tickets

another example is we think it is just

when the government gives benefits to

the needy

that it does not provide to more

affluent citizens

on the other hand there are also some

criteria that are not justifiable in

giving treatment to people

for example if the judge nephew receives

a suspended sentence for armed robbery

when another offender unrelated to the

judge

goes to jail for the same crime

another example is we believe that it's

unfair when a person is punished for

something over which he or

she had no control or isn't compensated

for a harm he or she suffered

now let's talk about the different kinds

of justice

first is distributive justice

this refers to the extent to which

society's institutions

ensure that benefits and burdens are

distributed

among scientist members in ways that are

fair and just

for example a company hires its

employees

in disregard of their race or color

and they pay them in terms of their

effort of working

second is retributive justice this

refers to the extent to which

punishments are fair and just in general

punishments are held to be just to the

extent that they take into relevant

criteria

such as the seriousness of the crime and

the intent of the criminal

and disregard irrelevant criteria such

as race

for example it is unjust the chop of a

person's hand for stealing a dime

another scenario is when blacks murders

white

they are much more likely to receive

death sentences

than when white murders the third and

last justice is compensatory justice

this refers to the extent to which

people are fairly compensated

for their injuries by those who have

injured them

just compensation is proportional to the

loss inflected on a person

for example mine owners should

compensate the workers

whose health has been ruined but

others argue that workers voluntarily

took the risk

of their job the foundation of justice

can be traced to the notions of social

stability

as the ethicist generals has pointed out

the stability of society or any group

depends upon the extent to which the

members of that society

feel that they are being treated justly

when some of society's members come to

feel that they are subjects to unequal

treatment the foundations have been laid

for social unrest

disturbances and strife the members of a

community

will retain their social unity only to

the extent

that their institutions are just

[Applause]

now let's move on and discuss the nature

of theory

the nature of theory or role's theory of

justice

general's theory of justice attempts to

explain why clear social inequalities

are unjust and what a just society

really is

as we can see rose theory of justice

is both a work of ethics and politics

hence we can glean from rose theory of

justice some kind of an ethical theory

from one in his theory of justice

rose attempts to address the problem of

distributive justice

in what follows these notes will briefly

sketch the key concepts

of rose theory of justice here are some

basic principles

of rolls theory of justice rose believed

that a just society

is one whose characteristics conform to

normative rules that everyone would

agree

this explains why rose theory of justice

begins by introducing the fundamental

principle

that every individual is inviolable

rose writes that each person possesses

an inviolability found dead on justice

that even the welfare of the state

cannot override

meaning that everyone of us has a right

that should not be dishonored

not evenly the higher welfares

therefore the rights secured by justice

are not subject to political bargaining

or to the calculus of social interests

so from this fundamental principle we

can draw the following implications

the first implication for roles is

life should not be sacrificed for the

sake of the majority

for example suppressing the people's

right to speech and expression

for the sake of economic growth is

morally wrong

for roles another example is

dictating people for who they vote in an

election

as we can see rose theory of justice

directly attacks consequentialist

ethics most especially the most notable

representative

which is utilitarianism

because the goal of utilitarian is to

produce the most benefit for society as

a whole

it is like they suppress the rights of

the people

in order to attain what they think is

good for the majority

the second implication for roles is that

an erroneous theory is tolerable in the

absence of a good one

thus rose believe that an unjust law

is better than no law at all in other

words

an act of injustice is tolerable

if and only if it is necessary to avoid

greater act of injustice

for example it might be morally right to

incapacitate

or kill a notorious killer if it

is the only way to stop him from killing

more innocent people

now the third implication is that

individual liberties

should be restricted in order to

maintain equality of opportunity

for roles restrictions through law

preserves freedom in democracy

for example it is probably morally right

to restrict people from owning than 5

hectares

of agricultural lot so that other people

will have the chance to own a lot

so this is like giving limit to the

liberties

in order to give chance to others

with those implications roles come up

with two basic principles of justice

these two basic principles of justice

are expressions of what roles calls

justice as fairness the first

principle put emphasis on equal access

to the basic human needs

rights and liberties rose called this

the equal liberty principle this

principle guarantees the right of each

person

to have the extensive basic liberty

some examples of this right are the

right to life

the right to vote the right to speech

and the right to peaceable assembly

now the second principle emphasizes

the idea of fair equality of opportunity

and equal distribution of socio-economic

inequalities

meaning that is to give the greatest

expected benefit

to the least advantaged members of

society

rose call this the difference principle

this principle implies that social and

economic positions

are to be everyone's advantage and open

to all but how can such

principles be universally adopted

or how can we actualize rose theory of

justice

it is hewaro's notions of the veil of

ignorance and the original position

come in rose introduces

the theoretical veil of ignorance in

which all players in the social game

will be placed in a hypothetical

situation called the original position

rose suggests that in the original

position

each individual does not know her sex

race natural abilities social status

economic conditions and the like

in other words in the original position

individuals hide their identity behind

the veil of ignorance

according to rose out of this veil of

ignorance each individual makes a

rational prudential choice

concerning the kind of social

institution they would enter

into contract with

as we can see rose appears to be a moral

contract farian

and his theory of justice is in itself a

kind of social contract

roles recommend that individuals in the

veil of ignorance

ought to adapt a generalized moral point

of view

and according to rose if everybody in

the original position

promotes equality then justice as

fairness is a thing

if not then injustice prevails

justice as fairness is achieved through

the notions of the original position

and the veil of ignorance in the

original position

individuals agree on specific social

rules and institutions

and in the veil of ignorance individuals

choose the basic structure of society

that they thought is just this is

possible because royals

argues that selfish but rational people

who are detached from their concrete

identity and context

will freely choose to create a society

that is truly just

in fact ross believes that through the

veil of ignorance

individuals can identify universal

beliefs

about how society should be organized

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

distributive justice distributive

justice

is a key ethical principle that concerns

the social leaders allocations of

resources

and the fair distribution of money and

possessions

as a part of being a member of a modern

society

is accepting that all good will be

distributed through society by some

means

in kingdoms and empires the monarch

could own all goods

but permit his or her people to enjoy

them in his or her name

meaning there is the central force which

owns

all goods distributive justice addresses

who owns these goods and how they are

acquired

it assumes that there is a large amount

of fairness in the distribution of goods

equal work should provide individuals

with an equal outcome in terms of goods

acquired

or the ability to acquire goods

there are three principles of

distributive justice

one is equality

equality equality affects

two areas of distributive justice

one is opportunities and two is

outcomes equality of opportunity is

found when all members of

society are allowed to participate in

acquiring goods

while equality of outcome describes a

state

which people have approximately the same

material wealth

this states that distributive justice is

absent

when equal work does not produce equal

outcomes

or when an individual or a group

acquires a misappropriate amount of

goods number two proportionality

it is based around the idea that equal

work produces equal outcome

this principle is commonly interpreted

as saying that

income should be distributed

proportionally to individual effort

[Music]

example of proportionality is two people

can work 12 hours in different

work environments so their concept of

who

work harder or who deserves a greater

amount of goods

varies number three

fairness fairness is the backbone of the

principle of

equality and proportionality this

fairness will be achieved if equality

in the aspect of opportunity and outcome

reigns

and proportionality is highly observed

there are also theories of distributive

society

and number one is roles justice as

fairness

[Music]

any inequalities in a society should

benefit

the least advantage and equal and fair

opportunity range

number two utilitarianism

it attempts to maximize benefits for

society

by balancing entitlement and needs

number three egalitarianism

inequality should be deemed fair as long

as they follow from

individuals deliberate and fully

informed choices

while inequality should be deemed unfair

if they follow from choices

over which the individual has no control

distributive justice certainly is

achieved when individuals receive the

same allocations of benefits

some examples of distributive justice

are the following

state services provide social insurance

or medical care to all egged

and retired citizens another example is

public school where all children have

equal chances to attend for learning

now let us see what are the strengths

and weaknesses of distributive

justice strengths of distributive

justice

protects many a just workplace

encourages ethical decisions by workers

weaknesses of distributive justice

practically ignores individual efforts

and discourages

differences ignores other rights

such as inheritance

as fairness then is a central part of

ethics

and should be given due consideration in

our moral lives

in evaluating any moral decision we must

ask whether our actions treat all

persons equally and fair

are the criteria we are using relevant

to the situation at hand

or not but as ros theory of justice said

a fair and just society will be achieved

if the society itself treated citizens

freely

equally and fairly

that's all for today's lesson and in

behalf of my core reporters

i am jumma yakdan reminding you to

continue learning

and never say never thank you again for

listening

have a nice day and keep safe