A Critique of Theories of Global Justice

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A Critique of Theories of Global Justice

• Göran Collste

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Communitarianism

• A Theory in political philosophy that stresses
  the importance of community and a common
  tradition,
• and that takes communities, i e societies or
  nations, as the basic subjects of justice.
• (Alasdair MacIntyre, Michael Walzer, Michael
  Sandel, David Miller)

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Comunitarianism

• Emphasising that communities have
• A common tradition/shared identity/culture
• Fostering common virtues and values
• including conception of justice
• the human need of community/belongingness

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Problems with comunitarianism

• C1 Natural fallacy conclusion from is to ought
• C2 Cultural relativism what is morally right in
  one society is morally wrong in another?

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Arguments against global justice

• C1Patriotic ties (community) have intrinsic
  value (compare family ties) (Miller)
• national self-determination entitled to
  autonomy

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• But.. these patriotic ties do not exclude
  universal rights cosmopolitan ideal of equal
  respect global background conditions (Tan
  158)
• Is national self-determination more important
  than justice?

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The institutional objection

• C2. Justice requires political and economical
  institutions for its implementation (Rawls.
  basic structure is the subject of justice)

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• But one aspect of globalisation is precisely the
  increasing importance of governing social
  institutions and financial agreements on a global
  level
• (IMF, World Bank, World Trade organisation)

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Globalisation

• As the twentieth century comes to a close, the
  modern system of independent states is being
  transformed. National governments are gradually
  losing control over domestic economic and
  political affairs. Separate national economies
  are being replaced by a single, integrated global
  economy and basic political functions, which
  traditionally have been the province of national
  authorities, are being delegated to international
  institutions including transnational
  corporations. The twin processes of economic and
  political integration have fundamentally altered
  our world order
• Adams, F, Dev Gupta, S, The Political economy of
  Globalisation

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C3 The meaning of justice is contextual not
universalthe ideological objection

• The context (culture, tradition) decides
• - what goods/values should be the object for
  distribution
• - what are the basic moral unit the recipient of
  distribution individual, family ?
• what are the criteria of justice
• Every substantive account of justice is a local
  account (Michael Walzer)

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• But...it is doubtful whether the concept of
  justice is deeply culturally relative in the way
  that the objection assumes

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• 1. Is what goods/values should be the object for
  distribution contextual?
• But, there are universal values
• ex. Capabilities/Needs health, knowledge,
  integrity, community
• (Sen and Nussbaum)

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• 2. Is the concept of justice relative?
• No, homogenous societies have their dissidents
  (ex Gandhi)

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Sens argument

• In every tradition there is a multiple of values
  freedom etc

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Kukathas argument

• 1. Common moral standards develop in an urge for
  mutual understanding
• 2. Interaction means interchange of norms and
  values
• 3. Globalisation means global interchange
  common moral standards

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• A theory of global justice does not presuppose a
  full unity or consensus on values an overlapping
  consensus is sufficient, and
• The ideological objection would also apply to
  multi-cultural societies...but does it?

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• C4 Social justice presupposes a sense of
  community (special ties and commitments, Tan
  135)
• Solidarity condition for redistribution
• - this only exists in the national context
  fellow co-nationals ( the patriotic
  objection)

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• What is a sense of community?
• What are the extensions and limits of our sense
  of community?
• family? City? Nation?
• In a multi-cultural society?