A Theory of Global Justice

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A Theory of Global Justice

• Göran Collste

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1. Last time

• 1. Rawls Theory of Justice.. two principles
• 2. Political Liberalism
• justice in plural societiesoverlapping
  consensus

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• 3. The Law of Peoples a theory of global
  justice
• or rather a theory of decent international
  relations
• Critique
• Rawls does not include the Difference principle
• because
• (1) each society has its own potential to realise
  justice
• (2) it is based on individualism a liberal
  notion of human nature
• (3) global inequality is based on peoples own
  decisions (p 117)

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2. Today A theory of global justice
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Aristotles theory of justice

• Distinction
• Distributive justice distribution of honour,
  money etcforward looking
• Rectificatory justice plays a rectifying part
  backward looking

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• Global Rectificatory Justice (GRJ)
• Global Distributive Justice (GDJ)

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Aristotles on rectificatory justice
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GRJ The history of Colonialism

• 15 20th century
• Flew of resources
• raw materials (mines, farms)
• people (slaves)
• Adjustment of economies and borders
• Political and economic dependence

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• Image
• File history
• File links
•                                                 
                                                    
                        

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• Eduardo Galeano Venas abiertas de América Latina
  (Open Veins of Latin America).

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Robert Nozicks entitlement theory

• A person is entitled to his or her property
  provided that it is acquired in a just way.
  Hence, property rights depend on justice in
  acquisition and justice in transfer

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Moral force of GRJ

• Assume that I live a life in prosperity and
  welfare. My next door neighbour, on the other
  hand, lives in poverty and misery. Let us also
  assume that many years ago my grandparents stole
  the land from my present neighbours grandparents
  and our present difference in welfare is the
  result of this historical fact. Then, it seems
  that my neighbour with good reasons could demand
  to get a part of my land or income, and thus,
  that I have some moral obligations to my
  neighbour. And these obligations are generated by
  the acts of my forefather.

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Problems with GRJ

• C1 GRJ presupposes the possibility of historical
  and collective responsibility
• C2 Would the former colonies be better off
  without colonialism?

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• Mike Davis Late Vicorian Holocausts
• Famines hit India and China in the 19th Century
• Between 12 and 29 millions died in India
• 19 and 30 millions died in China
• Explanation?

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Different regions amount of the world GNP ()
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• Consequences of colonialism in America
• demographic catastrophe the number of Indians
  in Mexico decreased from 25 millions 1519 1,9
  million 1580

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Constraints to the application of GRJ

• time-related restrictions
• its application depends on whether the colonial
  or imperial power still gain and the subject of
  colonialism and imperialism still suffer from
  former injustices.
• Who is today responsible?
• Rectification or reconciliation?

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Global Distributive Justice (GDJ)

• John Locke (1632-1704)
• The earth is given to mankind in common and
  each individual is by God given equal rights to
  employ the creation
• If there is enough and as good left in common
  for others the proviso
• Combines GRJ and GDJ

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GDJ as a consequence of Globalisation

• Processes and relations (social, economic,
  political, cultural etc) that are
• 1)transcending national borders, that
• 2)link distant places and peoples and that
• 3)are spontaneous rather than the result of
  political decisions.
• A Global Village is it just?

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Global Distributive justice

• A Rawlsian (but not Rawls) theory of GDJ
• The hypothetical device of a social contract is
  then transferred from a nation to the world as a
  whole. Representatives of the worlds population
  deliberate on the appropriate principles of
  justice behind a veil of ignorance
• Cosmopolitanism

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Global Distributive Justice

• 1) A principle of respect for universal basic
  human rights
• 2) A principle of democratic legitimacy of global
  governance, and
• 3) A principle of equal distribution of social
  goods unless an unequal distribution is to the
  benefit of the least advantaged.

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Arguments against GDJ

• C1 There are significant differences between a
  nation and the world
• C2 There is no global basic structure

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Implications?

• Of Global Rectificatory Justice?
• Of Global Distributive Justice?