Social Justice Notes in English Class 11 Political Science Chapter-4 Book-2

 

Different Views of Justice

1. Justice in the ancient Indian context

2. Confucius' View (China)

3. The Greek Approach

4. Modern understanding of justice 

Justice in the Ancient Indian Context

Relation between justice and religion: -

• In ancient Indian society, justice was linked with 'Dharma'. 

• Religion meant social and moral order.

Duties of the King: -

Maintaining Dharma or just social order was considered the primary duty of the king. This shows that the purpose of justice was to maintain balance and morality in society.

View of Confucius (China)

Policy of Punishment and Reward:

According to Confucius, the king must punish wrongdoers and reward good doers in order to establish justice.

Emphasis on morality:

Confucian thinking sees justice as a matter of morality and governance, with punishment and reward maintaining a balance.

Greek approach

Plato discussed justice in his book, "The Republic."

Dialogues of Socrates:

Socrates linked justice to the long-term interests of every individual in society.

Self-interest and justice:

Socrates explained that if everyone acted only out of self-interest and broke the law, anarchy would prevail in society.

Well-being of all:

• Justice is not limited to individual interest only, but it is linked to the welfare of the society. 

• Socrates explained that just as a doctor works for the good of all patients, 

• Similarly, the ruler should also rule justly.

Modern understanding of justice 

Every person's fair share 

• Justice means giving every person his due rights.

• This concept is still an important part of our justice system today.

principle of justice 

Equal treatment of equal people 

Need for Equal Rights:  

Every person should get equal opportunities and rights. 

Irrespective of caste, class, religion or gender, his/her human dignity and rights must be respected. 

This idea is linked to many fundamental rights, such as the rights to life, liberty, and property. This principle is important to ensure equal opportunities in society so that every person can progress according to his or her potential.

When we say that two people should get equal remuneration for the same work, it means that we should move towards an equal and just society by eliminating discrimination. It is wrong for a person to get more or less salary on the basis of his caste, religion or sex. This not only creates imbalance in the society, but it is also a violation of the basic human rights that should be respected for every human being.

Equal opportunities in society:

• The right to equal opportunities ensures that every individual gets the chance to flourish according to his or her potential. 

• No one should suffer discrimination in their working life based on their race, gender, or class. 

• When equality is talked about in today’s society, it means that everyone should get recognition and reward based on their effort and hard work.

Pay gap between men and women:

If there is a difference in pay for equal work for men and women in schools or other areas, then this is clearly an example of inequality and injustice. The question of giving equal pay to women for equal work is not only legal, but it is an important step towards establishing equality and justice in society.

Thus, the principle of equal treatment of equals and exchange of equal rights is very important towards equality and social justice in the society. 

It is not only about legal rights, it is also about human dignity, respect and upholding of ideals.

Taking care of people's special needs

This principle not only advances the idea of ​​equality but also ensures that all sections of the society get justice according to their specific context and needs.

Balancing equality and special needs 

Not every person's situation is the same. Every person's basic situation, needs and resources are different. 

Example - If a person is facing a physical disability, he may need different types of assistance than another person. Therefore, according to this principle, it may be necessary to provide special assistance to some people keeping in mind their special needs. This is not just an extension of equality but its practicality, so that every person gets opportunities and resources according to his needs.

Discrimination based on physical disability, age and education

• Special facilities or reservations for persons with disabilities, or special health care schemes for the elderly, may all be justified under the principle. 

• This becomes necessary when a class or group needs special attention because it is deprived of equal opportunities.

Inequality and equitable distribution in society

A major cause of inequalities in society is the lack of access to education, health, and other basic facilities, and this inequality is also linked to caste-based social discrimination. 

Therefore, before applying the principle of equality, it is necessary to consider whether those people are able to avail the minimum basic facilities or not. If not, then it is necessary to provide them special assistance.

Provision of reservation

• Reservation for SC, ST, OBC is mentioned in the Constitution. Reservation ensures that the disadvantaged sections of the society get equal opportunities as other groups, especially in the fields of education and government jobs. 

• This initiative is important because if these classes do not get special opportunities, the principle of equality will remain only an ideal and inequality will persist in the real society.

equitable division 

Equitable distribution of resources -

An important aspect of social justice is the equitable distribution of resources. When there are serious economic and social inequalities in society, it becomes necessary to redistribute some of the major resources of the society so that all citizens can get equal opportunities and fulfill their basic needs.

In India, the Constitution ordered the abolition of the practice of untouchability and ensured that people of all castes have equal access to temples, opportunities in government jobs and access to basic amenities. 

This step was significant towards social justice, as it made the underprivileged castes experience equality and have their rights respected.

Equal access to education and jobs -

In a diverse country like India, reservation policies are important for the disadvantaged sections of the society such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). 

However, these policies often generate differences and conflicts in society, especially when people feel that their merit or ability is not being properly recognised. Reservations in education and jobs can often lead to violence and fear for the future of a class. It is a sensitive issue, which generates deep emotions and tensions in society.

Differences and conflicts over the distribution of resources and equal opportunity in society are natural, as different people have different perspectives on how to implement equality and justice in society. Political theories debate whether policies such as reservations to provide special favours to disadvantaged groups are justified or not, and if so, whether they promote collective development in society or lead to discontent and inequality.

John Rolls' Theory of Justice  

'Veil of ignorance' 

John Rawls says that we should imagine ourselves in a situation where we have to decide how to organize society. 

Whereas we do not know what our place will be in that society. 

That is, we do not know what type of family we will be born into, whether we will be born in a 'high' caste family or a 'low' caste family, whether we will be rich or poor, well-equipped or underprivileged. 

Rawls argues that if we do not know, in a sense, who we will be and what options will be open to us in a future society, then the decisions we support about the rules and organization of that future society will be inimical to what is good for all its members.

Rawls calls this thinking under the 'veil of ignorance'. 

They expect that each man, in a state of total ignorance about his possible place and status in society, will decide in his own interests. Since no one knows who he will be and what will be beneficial to him, everyone will imagine society in the worst possible way. 

It will be clear to a person who can think for himself that those who are privileged by birth will enjoy certain special opportunities. But what if unfortunately he is born in a disadvantaged section of society where such opportunities are not available? Therefore, it will be appropriate for every self-interested person to think about such rules of organization which can ensure adequate opportunities for the weaker sections. This effort will ensure that important resources like education, health, housing are available to all people, whether they are from the upper class or not.

Pursuit of social justice  

If a society is deeply divided between the extremely wealthy and the excluded and deprived, we would say that there is a lack of social justice.

A society will be considered unjust if there is a huge gulf between the rich and the poor, where they seem to live in entirely different worlds, and where the deprived have no chance to improve their condition, no matter how hard they work.

In other words, a just society must provide minimum basic conditions for people to be able to live a healthy and safe life, develop their talents in society and pursue their chosen goals through equal opportunities.

basic requirement - 

• Food, accommodation, 

• Pure drinking water, 

• Education 

• Minimum Wage 

• health facility 

Free markets vs. state intervention 

Free market proponents believe that, to the extent possible, individuals should be free to acquire property and to enter into contracts and agreements with others regarding prices, wages, and profits. 

They should be free to compete with each other to achieve the maximum amount of profits. 

Free market proponents believe that if markets are freed from state interference, the sum total of market transactions will ensure a just distribution of benefits and duties in society. 

This will result in people with ability and talent getting higher rewards while incompetent people will get less. 

He believes that whatever the outcome of market distribution, it will be just.

Not all free market advocates today would support a completely unrestricted market. 

Many people will now be willing to accept some restrictions. 

State intervention 

The State must intervene to ensure a minimum basic standard of living for all people, so that they are able to compete on equal terms.

State policies should try to empower people to purchase these services. 

It may also be necessary for the state to provide special support to the elderly and the sick who cannot compete. 

But beyond this the role of the state should be limited to maintaining a rule of law framework that ensures competition between individuals free from coercion and other constraints.

They believe that the free market is the basis of a fair and just society. It is said that the market does not care about a person's caste or religion. 

He doesn't even see whether you are a man or a woman. 

He remains indifferent to all this and is concerned only with your talent and skills. 

If you have the ability then everything else is meaningless.

One argument in favor of market distribution is that it provides us with more choices. 

There is no doubt that the market system gives us more choices as consumers. 

We can choose the type of rice we like and go to the school of our choice, provided we have the means to pay for them.

But, the important thing in the case of basic goods and services is that good quality goods and services should be available at a price that people can afford. 

If private agencies do not find it profitable for themselves, they will not enter that particular market or will provide cheap and inferior services. 

This is the reason why there are very few private schools in remote rural areas and even if some are open, they are of low standard.

The same is true for health care and housing. 

In these circumstances the government has to intervene.

Another argument often heard in favour of free markets and private enterprise is that the services they provide are often of better quality than those provided by government institutions. But the cost of these services may put them out of reach for poor people. 

Private business wants to go where it can earn the most profit, and so the free market tends to work in the favor of the powerful, the wealthy, and the influential. 

This may result in depriving the relatively vulnerable and disadvantaged of opportunities rather than expanding them.