Justice and Fairness: Promoting the common good (Ethics Unit III- Topic 4)
Summary
TLDRThis 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
- π The video discusses the concepts of justice and fairness, their differences, and their applications in society.
- π¨βπ« Aristotle's ethical philosophy underpins the fairness approach, emphasizing that equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.
- π 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.
- π€ The script explores the relationship between justice and fairness, noting that while they are often used interchangeably, they have distinct understandings.
- π Distributive justice is defined as the fair allocation of benefits and burdens among society's members, with examples provided to illustrate its application.
- βοΈ Retributive justice concerns the fairness of punishments, taking into account the seriousness of the crime and the intent of the criminal.
- π₯ Compensatory justice involves fair compensation for injuries, ensuring that compensation is proportional to the loss inflicted on a person.
- π Rawls' theory of justice includes the concept of the 'veil of ignorance' and the 'original position' to determine just social institutions.
- π The principles of justice as fairness, as proposed by Rawls, include equal access to basic human needs and fair equality of opportunity.
- ποΈ Social stability is linked to the perception of justice, with unjust treatment leading to social unrest and disturbances.
- π‘ 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
π 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.
π 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.
π 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.
π€ 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.
π° 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Justice
π‘Fairness
π‘John Rawls
π‘Distributive Justice
π‘Retributive Justice
π‘Compensatory Justice
π‘Social Stability
π‘Veil of Ignorance
π‘Original Position
π‘Utilitarianism
π‘Egalitarianism
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
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