Plato and Rawls Justice in Philosophy - 652 Words

Justice in philosophy is one of the most important political and moral concepts. The word justice comes from the Latin word jus, which means right or law. English Dictionaries defines it as one who typically does what is morally right as well as offering the word â€Å"fair† as a synonym. But philosophers get beyond etymology and what the dictionary definitions are and look deeper into it. For example, the nature of justice is both a moral virtue of character and a quality needed for political society, as well as knowing how it applies to social and ethical decision making. The question to answer is how Plato and Rawls theories were used for philosophical conceptions of justice. These are known to be the greatest theories of ancient Greece. Not only their theories of justice will be explained, but also how Plato and Rawls apply their own theories to controversial social issues like civil disobedience, punishment, equal opportunity for women, property rights, and internat ional relations. For Plato, justice is a virtue establishing rational order. Meaning each part has to perform its appropriate role and to not interfere with the proper functioning of other parts. Plato makes and argument for equal opportunity for women. He believes in it, and even though women tend to be weaker than men from a physical standpoint, this should not prove that they aren’t being educated for the same socio-political functions that men are taught. While the body itself determines gender, it isShow MoreRelatedMedical Ethics Essay997 Words   |  4 Pagesthat incorporates everything from social-ecomonical status of patients to euthanasia. A topic such as this, the key to understanding the many different and wide-ranging questions this topic poses is to approach it with an understanding of Moral Philosophy. A better understanding through asking questions, using rational, and reasoned thought, Ethics teaches us what â€Å"ought† to happen or what is morally good in that situat ion. For the purposes of this exercise, we will look at just the idea of a UniversalRead MoreEssay on What is the Function of a Social Contract?1637 Words   |  7 PagesFunction of a Social Contract? Philosophers have been concerned with the theories of a social contract for thousands of years. Plato mentions the concept in Crito and in Republic. These theories have stemmed from the concept of justice and for our society to be just. I will look at the works of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and finally with John Rawls after which a overall view into the function of a social contract can be derived as well as any problems with the theory(s). Read MoreThe Role of Reason in Human Behavior Essay1578 Words   |  7 PagesFreud and Thomas Hobbes disagree with Plato and Aristotle regarding the role of reason in human behavior, and all four of these disagree with Jean-Paul Sartre on the same question. Describe. Freud, Hobbes, Aristotle, Plato, and Sartre was all well-known philosophers which each one had their own theory on human behavior. The two philosophers Freud and Thomas Hobbes disagreed with Plato and Aristotle concerning their explanations about the behavior of humans. Freud theory is human behaviorRead MoreThe Function of a Social Contract1676 Words   |  7 PagesFunction of a Social Contract? Philosophers have been concerned with the theories of a social contract for thousands of years. Plato mentions the concept in Crito and in Republic. These theories have stemmed from the concept of justice and for our society to be just. I will look at the works of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and finally with John Rawls after which a overall view into the function of a social contract can be derived as well as any problems with the theory(s). TheRead MoreState Of Nature, Reciprocal Equality For Individual Rights Balanced With Individual Freedom Duties930 Words   |  4 Pagesideas, State of Nature, reciprocal equality for individual rights balanced with individual freedom duties which I will call responsibilities and third the idea that these laws arise from and are formed or shaped to us by the laws of nature. Locke’s philosophy had an intense and direct deterministic impact on the language used by the founding fathers. While it took Locke several thousands of words to detail his meaning, the founding fathers seemed to have distilled it into five sentences, 202 words. HeRead MoreAnalysis Of David Hume s Theory Of Justice2868 Words   |  12 PagesMan creates society to enforce justice which allows man to own and use property as he desires. A grand idea but is it so simple? If Man creates society to protect this arbitrary concept, does society have the right to take this right away? John Rawls felt that society was responsible for deciding who properly owns property, whether it s individually or communally owned. In his influential work, A Theory of Justice, Rawls conception of society is defined by justice as fairness. Essentially sayingRead MoreUniversalism And Relativism Essay1116 Words   |  5 PagesThe concepts of Universalism and Relativism are fundamental to Justice Studie s insofar as the perceptions of justice/injustice heavily rely on either one of these points of view. To be sure, Universalism considers everything is equal in its natural state. Conversely, the concept of Relativism (the antithesis of Universalism) posits that everything is variable, or, situational. â€Å"The universalistic conception of distributive justice, rules are held to be just and unalterable regardless of contextRead MoreThe Principles Of Distributive Justice2244 Words   |  9 PagesThe principles of distributive justice are deeply rooted in western philosophy. The concept includes the available goods, the process by which goods are distributed, and the resulting allocation of the goods to the members of the society. Since in every society there is limited goods the decision. Distributive justice is thought to be perceived as fairness in how both rewards and costs are distributed among members of the society. The fair allocation of goods should take into account th e quantityRead MoreA Humanist Perspective And A Biblical Perspective3024 Words   |  13 Pagesâ€Å"If there were true justice in the world no children would starve while others have so much money they don’t know what to do with it†¦ Justice is about treating people fairly† (Warburton, 2012, p. 228). Justice is an idea that has shaped the world and has been a foundation for many other ideas and ideals. Kuyper quotes that â€Å"†¦there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry out ‘mine!’† (1998, p. 488). God is able to cry outRead MoreEssay about What Is Distributive Justice?5286 Words   |  22 PagesWhat is Distributive Justice? Distributive justice is generally referred to as fairness regarding the pattern of distribution among individuals. In order for distributive justice to be met, it is necessary for goods to be distributed fairly or justly. Goods are anything that holds value to any person(s); if something does not have any value then it is not a good. Value is the main requirement for something to be considered a good; therefore, not only physical goods hold value. Thus, such things