Justice as a Problem

Abstract

The debate over the concept of justice is not a novel, keeps sparking heated controversies given its intricate relation with another central issue such as liberty. I recently presented a Masters Dissertation under the title “Justice as a Problem”, in which I exposed the critique of John Rawls¨ difference principle from the perspective of Robert Nozick´s principle of justice in acquisition. Two liberal visions which, as I argue in my dissertation, prove right the assertion that “there is not one and only liberalism” (Cortina. A. Ética aplicada y democracia radical. 2008. Página. 31) and verify Rawls¨ idea that a “just and stable society made of free and equal citizens, albeit divided by reasonable doctrines, is sustainable in the long run” (Rawls, 1993, p 29). One is constantly placed before a dilemma when having to determine the fairness of daily life situations, for there are many different but equally reasonable definitions of justice. In my dissertation. I explore Robert Nozick´s idea of justice as exposed in his book Anarchy, State and Utopia, challenging the author´s overly technical and jurisprudential approach to the law and the good, and warning against some of its potential shortfall such as a justice for the few. Methodologically speaking, I have shed a comparative light on Nozick´s critique of Rawls, with the aim of being as pertinent and comprehensive as possible. Nonetheless, the millenary debate over the concept of justice is far from being exhausted. On the contrary, it must be “reformulated, renewed and adapted to the characteristics, modes and circumstances of the various events, places and times for it to be adequately applied in a variety of contexts” (Porras, T. 2020. Página 23)
Keywords: justice, liberalism, entitlement, liberty, differences