Nussbaums theory approaches restoring human dignity in society. The aged have lost dignity because few people can take care of the needy aged people. Socially, the aged have fewer friends and accompaniments because of their unproductive state. They are often vulnerable to solitary lifestyles since no one sees something valuable in them. In societies, the aged live among the energetic people, but they are never treated humanely because most people are materialistic, and there is nothing the older people offer at that age. No more attention is given to them, so many suffer from depression.
The aged within the society live in poor houses among the racists who are never concerned with the issues affecting older adults. It is not deniable that the physical appearance of the aged is not attractive, but its love keeps us tied with them. Older people are vulnerable to rejection by society due to their physical appearance. For instance, if some people have been sick for a long time, their health status deteriorates significantly, affecting their physical appearance. Too many drugs make one look older than their actual age, and when one ages, their physical appearance is prone to rejection, especially with the rise of modernism. The old homes are always doomed to silence because few friends visit them. Policing has negatively changed the solitary state of the aged people, especially the Black American people, due to their way of life (Serchen et al., 2020). Society needs a total reformation to equalize people on the same grounds. Human dignity should never be compromised at all costs because its not treatable or correctable when it extends to a particular state.
Amartya Sens transcendental theory of justice
The approach of Sens theory of justice is the capability of people despite their status. For instance, the aged have different advantages unnoticed by society, though none is concerned about them. Older people have the last priority in workplaces because they have less energy to deliver the amount of exemplary service to organizations. Thus, they are considered less profitable and useless, yet they have been of service for a while. There is less tiresome work that they can deliver perfectly, but the conception of denying them jobs has been instilled in the minds of employers.
The economic injustices are prevalent, yet no one rises to voice their grievances because the retirement benefits are not helpful. They are released in relatively small amounts that can be referred to as fragments. It is worth noting that not all older people have retirement benefits authority, especially the population of older women who were dependent on their husbands when they were employed. When the countrys economic analyzers assess the status of the economy, the older people are regarded as the first group of the population that is pulling the economy backward because they are entirely dependent. In contrast with the young population, they are dependent but very productive at a certain age. It is not by choice for the people to have a retirement benefit plan but of the state laws, though the plan seems to be weightless when one gets old because the government has to dictate how one shall use the money saved with them. Many older people are suffering from deadly diseases because they have no source of income that could cater to their hospital bills. The economic vulnerability of older people to succumb to poverty is very high compared to the other groups of age classes, with the highest death rate due to dietary-related diseases and disorders.
Seans theory discourages individualism and promotes the welfare of all people in society. African American women, mainly those with lower incomes, have high chance of losing their retirement pension if the state experiences economic downturns. On the side of health issues, the technology employed in hospitals does not favor the aged people, implying that the government does not put much consideration into their existence when drafting its programs. Some of the health challenges are inappropriate technology to treat the aged who have suffered falls and care-intensive when struggling with life in their last minutes on earth. The intensive care unit suits only the sick people, not the weak-bodied people. The process of releasing the money takes a long such that any financial crisis challenging the government can alter the release and the amount of the money.
John Rawls Theory of Justice
John Rawlss Theory of Justice is another vulnerability among older people that deprives them of the courage to face lifes challenges, including the ability to have a healthy body. It stresses fairness in all economic, social, and political aspects. Many older people, especially the African American population, have a negative attitude toward the government, and a number of them feel having their rights compromised over other peoples rights. When a person becomes old, white, or black, there are high chances of having a changed mind such that thinking capacity goes low.
The aged have few friends because the generation is hitting its climax and the remaining ones mostly spend time alone. One may refer to the couples as the lucky ones, but they, too, are vulnerable to low attitudes. Everyone deserves warm acceptance and spending time with others despite their age. Attitude affects the life of everyone significantly. For instance, the young aspire for a better and flourishing future because of the positive attitude and the possibility they see in themselves. The aged cannot work for a better life because nothing seems interesting in old age. The aged are often disadvantaged in government Practices. For example, on the issue of political matters, they are not represented, nor do their grievances reach the higher ranks of government. They are constantly discriminated against on the providence of government services, especially those discriminated against based on race. The issue of judging people based on color, even among the aged, has adversely lowered self-esteem and sent many into graves due to complications brought about by the negative attitude.
The social injustices based on racism, ageism, social class discrimination, and sexism affect the races and government structures to provide social amenities. There should be fairness in public facilities despite disparities prevalent among the population if equalization and justice are maintained. Older people are rarely included in any policy-making; thus, their rights are less addressed accordingly. The state of the aged people being paid low wages has rendered them poorer such that they cannot pay hospital bills, which is why many Hispanic and American black people are leading in death rates and chronic diseases in women.
Reference
Serchen, J., Doherty, R., Atiq, O., Hilden, D., & Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2020). Racism and health in the United States: a policy statement from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(7), 556-557.
Religion has always played an important role in peoples lives, but it has been acknowledged that organized religions are in decline now, which is specifically apparent in developed countries. Kotkin (2019) finds the major reason behind this shift towards more secular ways of life in peoples focus on their actions and behaviors with less trust in an almighty supernatural force. People tend to embrace ideology as their faith rather than religious teaching, so they have some guidance but have no trust in a god, focusing on their behaviors and outcomes. Organized religions want to change and implement rebranding to fit the new trend, concentrating on social justice in general rather than the individual spiritual aspirations of a person or a family. However, this attitude can become a certain obstacle to the struggle for social justice in general. The clash between politics and religion can make peoples attempts less effective.
Notably, the three major religions are based on the principles of social justice. However, this concept is hardly properly defined in any of the teachings (Accomazzo et al., 2014). On the contrary, the basic ideals cherished by worshipers are associated with quite well-understood individuals spiritual needs and family values. At that, organized religions pay less attention to this aspect in their attempts to become more environmentally conscious or in their struggle for equality. For instance, in Judaism, people are taught to be respectful and helpful, trying to ensure that the vulnerable (oppressed, ill, poor, and so on) can receive support (BibleProject, 2017). However, the more emphasis Orthodox Jews place on social justice, the more they rely on the groups that are hostile to Judaism or any other religion.
In the modern world, people are becoming more secular, looking for spiritual landmarks in political ideologies, which are supported by the media. Political ideologies are also characterized by the focus on social justice, but they are not as universal as major teachings, which makes them more understood. At the same time, political ideologies often segregate populations, making social justice an in-group commodity. Hence, the increasing influence of politics rather than religion can make people concentrate on some groups rights that can be secured at the expense of other groups.
References
Accomazzo, S., Moore, M., & Sirojudin, S. (2014). Social justice and religion. In M. J. Austin (Ed.), Social justice and social work (pp. 65-83). SAGE.
The suggested prompt about promoting social justice through serving God is an adequate statement that confirms the dogma of the Christian church. One of the confirmations is Keller and Alsdorfs (2014) statement about fairness in higher education, when, due to the prevailing trend towards segregation by social status, getting a good education is not available for some. The authors dispute this situation and note the need to revise the existing social norms since the attitude towards other people through the prism of material wealth contradicts Christian values about the soul and knowledge (Keller & Alsdorf, 2014). As Miller and Polson (2019) state, social justice may be shaped by several factors: race/ethnicity and the experience of racism, Biblical texts or stories including the life of Jesus, and some other criteria (p. 239). This means that there are no clearly defined boundaries within which a person can keep Gods commandments, and service may imply not specific steps in a certain direction but the perception of equality and brotherhood as important and dominant social values.
Any occupation, viewed from a Christian perspective, can be characterized as a practice to promote social justice. For instance, Keller and Alsdorf (2014) give an example of art and note that Christian artists have access to a broader and more balanced vision of the world, which, in turn, helps better see problems and gaps in relationships among people (p. 160). A person who seeks to turn injustice into justice in honest ways is doing a good deed by protecting not only the vulnerable but also oneself from the unrighteous environment. Therefore, serving God in action correlates with the promotion of social justice and reflects the importance of Christian teachings about kindness towards others.
References
Keller, T., & Alsdorf, K. L. (2014). Every good endeavor: Connecting your work to Gods work. Penguin.
The issue of social justice has occupied the minds of many scholars in the society for a long time. Scholars and philosophers such as St. Augustine, Plato and John Locke among others have all tried to define what social justice is and how a society can benefit from it.
According to Zafirovski (2005), social justice can be conceptualized in terms of equality and human rights. To this end, this scholar defines this concept as a situation where a society or an institution operates on the basis of equality solidarity (Zafirovski, 2005). For a society or an institution to be regarded as an entity operating on social justice, it must uphold human rights and the dignity of each and every individual in such a society or institution.
But where did the concept of social justice originate from in contemporary philosophical and political discourse? According to Benhabib (2004), the concept of social justice can be traced back to the writings of Luigi Taparelli in the mid 19th century. Taparelli was analyzing the teachings of Thomas Aquinas when he came up with this concept.
Antonio Rosmini-Serbati later on built on the works of Taparelli to further define social justice in contemporary society (Zafirovski, 2005). Other scholars associated with social justice in contemporary social and political discourse include John Ryan, Coughlin and Kant among others.
According to Benhabib (2004), social justice cannot be separated from human rights and equality in the society. This is given the fact that if the rights of the individual are abused, such an individual will not be in a position to partake in social justice.
On the other hand, a society full of economic, social and political inequalities cannot be regarded as having embraced social justice principles. Social justice is also related to economic egalitarianism (Garrett, 2005). A society which is characterized by economic inequalities as indicated above cannot be regarded as operating on the principles of social justice.
But is social justice the same as political egalitarianism? This is the question that is likely to arise when one is analyzing social justice in the context of political developments in the society. This paper is going to look at whether social justice is similar to political egalitarianism.
The author will first provide a brief background on both social justice and political egalitarianism. The author will then try to analyze how the two are related and whether they are one and the same thing. The paper will be based on social justice theory as envisaged by scholars such as John Rawls, Kant and John Locke.
Social Justice
An Overview
Wardell (2011) justice as a concept has been addressed in various legal, political, philosophical and religious discourses. According to him, this concept involves the treatment of the poor and marginalized individuals in the society on an equal basis with those who are privileged. Wardells definition of social justice might appear simplistic on the eyes of social justice theorists, but it provides a significant perspective to the social justice concept. This is the aspect of treating the marginalized and the disadvantaged members of the society equally with the privileged. A society that draws a line between the so called common man and the elite is not just at all. This is the reason why scholars such as Locke and Kant were concerned with the social stratification in early societies that treated members of the royal family as superior citizens while the rest of the society was left to grapple with poverty and starvation.
Like any other concept in contemporary society, many schools of thought on social justice have been formed over the years. The different schools of thought advocate different strategies in addressing the issue of social justice in the society. Most of the arguments advocated by the different schools of thought are based on the principles of social justice that are to be found in John Rawls theory of justice.
Social Justice Theory
Rawls Theory of Justice
Several scholars have made contributions to the justice theories depending on their academic orientation and their beliefs in this concept. These scholars include John Rawls, John Locke and Kant among others.
In the year 1971, John Rawls wrote a book titled Theory of Justice in which he provided his views on several aspects of justice such as social justice and political egalitarianism. In this book, the scholar gives his views of a liberal egalitarian society built on the principles of human rights and equality (Wardell, 2011).
Rawls borrowed heavily from Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who is also regarded as a father figure in social justice discourses (Wardell, 2011). Kant was of the view that people are individuals first (and not) the means to another individuals ends (as cited in Wardell, 2011: p. 2). Building on this concept, Rawls (1985) asserts that individuals in the society must work in tandem to establish equality for all regardless of their social or class status.
In his theory, Rawls is of the view that a society operating on social justice principles is characterized by freedom of speech (Benhabib, 2004), equality in the eyes of the law and freedom of assembly (Solway, 2006). The members of such a society must also enjoy equal access to education, employment and other social facilities such as health cover. Contemporary scholars subscribing to Rawls school of thought cites the central theme in his theory in their writings.
This is the fact that the disadvantaged and marginalized members of the society should be assisted to enable them succeed in the society and live at par with the privileged individuals (Zafirovski, 2005). According to Rawls, all nation states in the world should put social justice at the forefront given the fact that all other policies formulated by the state rest on it. This is for example social and legal policies that are formulated by the state to improve the wellbeing of the citizens (Fernandez & Nicolas, 2006).
Rawls Two Principles of Justice
Rawls social justice theory identifies what he calls two principles of justice (Wardell, 2011).
The First Principle
The first principle as identified by this scholar has already been referred to earlier in this paper. It involves the basic liberties of any member of the society. These include political liberty which involves the freedom to participate in democratic elections, freedom of speech and the freedom to accumulate and own property among others (Solway, 2006).
To support this position, Rawls is of the view that &.first, each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others (Rawls 1971 p.53 as cited in Wardell, 2011 p.34). This means that the individual should be treated equally with other members of the society regardless of their social and class status.
The Second Principle
According to Garrett (2005), the second principle in Rawls theory is concerned with social and economic inequalities. According to Rawls, the two inequalities should exist in a state of balance that meets two conditions. The first condition is the fact that the inequalities should be beneficial to the marginalized and less-privileged individuals in the society or social institution (Garrett, 2005). The second condition is the fact that offices and positions in the society (or within the social institution under consideration) should be accessible to all members of the society. This means that a society operating on social justice principles should not discriminate when it comes to appointments and democratic elections.
Political Egalitarianism
Having looked at social justice in the section above, it is now imperative to address political egalitarianism at this juncture. Fernandez & Nicolas (2006) conceptualize political egalitarianism in terms of political power and political influence in the society.
They regard it as a situation where individuals in the society or within a social institution are equal in terms of the political power and influence that they wield. Wardell (2011) is of the view that political egalitarianism is the foundation on which many democracies are built. It is synonymous with moral reciprocity or legal equality in the society (Solway, 2006).
Some scholars such as Fernandez & Nicolas (2006) have regarded political egalitarianism in significantly different terms. They are of the view that its reductionist and erroneous to limit the concept of political egalitarianism to equality within the political domain. Instead, they view this concept from John Rawls justice theory perspective.
To this end, they refer to it as the egalitarian distributive justice (Zafirovski, 2005: p.23) that is in operation in a heterogeneous society. When political egalitarianism is regarded as such, it assumes political tones that are similar to Rawls political liberalism (Zafirovski, 2005).
But what exactly is egalitarianism? According to Wardell (2011), egalitarianism is a school of thought that advocates for various forms of equalities among individuals in the society. Those who advocates for egalitarianism are of the view that equality leads to equity and improved quality of life among the members of the society. Egalitarianism advocates for equal treatment of all individuals in the society regardless of their social class.
Egalitarianism recognizes the fact that the society is heterogeneous and it is made up of individuals from different backgrounds. The members of the society differ in their gender, their race, religious and sexual orientation among others. However, egalitarianism recognizes that in spite of these differences, each member of the society possesses similar intrinsic qualities that make them equal in all aspects (Fernandez & Nicolas, 2006).
Egalitarian principles recognize the fact that all members of the society are equal when it comes to the value they add into the society as a whole and the social status that they occupy. There are various forms of egalitarianism, and political egalitarianism that was discussed earlier in this paper is one such form. The others include economic, religious and philosophical egalitarianism among others.
It is important to highlight the various forms of egalitarianism at this juncture. The highlight will help the reader to relate the various forms of egalitarianism to political egalitarianism which is the central focus of this section.
According to Solway (2006), economic egalitarianism can be regarded as the equal participation of all members of the society in the economic processes of the society. Economic egalitarianism ensures that all individuals in the society share equally in the economic activities of the society. This is where the aspect of price fixing by the government comes into play. Price fixing ensures that each member of the society is able to access the economic products and services at the same price as their counterparts in the society.
Religious egalitarianism on its part is the situation whereby all members of the society are regarded as being equal before the eyes of God. For example, Christianity teaches that each and every one of us is equal before the eyes of God. This is regardless of our sex, gender, economic status, race and cultural background among others.
On the other hand, legal egalitarianism is the process whereby all members of the society are regarded as equal before the law (Garrett, 2005). This involves the application of similar legal standards to all members of the society regardless of their social or class status. For example, a criminal from a poor background should not be treated harshly by the law while a criminal from an affluent background is let scot-free.
So Is Social Justice the Same Thing as Political Egalitarianism?
It is a fact beyond doubt that social justice and political egalitarianism are inextricably intertwined. The two concepts are closely related and they share some qualities that might make them similar before the eyes of an undiscerning individual.
However, the analysis of social justice and political egalitarianism provided above reveals that the two are not the same thing. This is in spite of the various similarities between them. In this case, similarities between social justice and political egalitarianism do not make the two concepts one and the same thing.
Social justice is broader than political egalitarianism. Political egalitarianism confines itself more to the political domain of the society. The arguments given by Fernandez & Nicolas (2006) and other scholars who argue that political egalitarianism is synonymous to social justice fail to eliminate the line that demarcates the two.
Social justice leads to political egalitarianism. In other words, political egalitarianism is one of the various products of social justice. Political egalitarianism is one of the aspects that characterize social justice in a society or within a social institution.
Zafirovski (2005) is of the view that social justice is one of the key pillars of a liberal democracy. This view brings to fore the interconnectedness between social justice and political egalitarianism. This is given the fact that political egalitarianism is one element of liberal democracy.
Zafirovski (2005) goes further to argue that integral political equality (is the foundation on which) justice in a liberal democracy is built (p. 411). In essence, a political system that is devoid of egalitarianism is regarded as being unfair and unjust to the citizens. In other words, it lacks in social justice.
Political inequality and inequity (all aspects of lack of political egalitarianism) leads to stress and conflict in the society. This is the reason why contemporary democracies shun anti-liberalism movements in the society.
Anti-liberalism movements advocates for what Popper referred to as anti-equalitarianism in 1973 (as cited in Zafirovski, 2005; p. 413). Anti-equalitarianism is synonymous to exclusion of some individuals in politics and other spheres of the society. It extends beyond politics to include exclusion in economy and culture (Solway, 2006).
So how exactly is liberal democracy related to social justice and in extension political egalitarianism? According to Wardell (2011), a liberal democracy is one of the most just and equitable democracies in the world. This is given the fact that it is essentially egalitarian as far as political and social equality are concerned. A liberal democracy advocates for inclusion in all aspects of the society.
Some scholars such as Garrett (2005) provide a new perspective to the relationship between social justice and political egalitarianism. They are of the view that when political egalitarianism occurs in the absence of social justice, it creates a condition within which social justice is able to thrive. In other words, political egalitarianism can also lead to social justice.
The scholars are of the view that political egalitarianism (brings to fore) justice and fairness in a (contemporary) liberal democracy). On the other hand, political anti-egalitarianism (which is lack of political egalitarianism) leads to crime and injustice in the society (Wardell, 2011).
Conclusion
This paper tried to analyze whether social justice and political egalitarianism are one and the same thing. An analysis of social justice (including Rawls justice theory) and political egalitarianism was conducted. The author came to the conclusion that social justice and political egalitarianism are inextricably intertwined but they are not one and the same thing. In other words, social justice is not the same thing as political egalitarianism according to this author.
References
Benhabib, S. (2004). The rights of others: Aliens, residents and citizens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fernandez, G. M., & Nicolas, A. D. (2006). Egalitarian envy: The foundations of social justice. New York: Free Press.
Rawls, J. (1985). Justice as fairness: Political not metaphysical. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 14(3): 223-251.
Solway, J. (2006). The politics of egalitarianism: Theory and practice. New York: Berghahn Books.
Wardell, A. (2011). Social justice theory. Web.
Zafirovski, M. (2005). Liberal modernity and its adversaries: Freedom, liberalism and anti-liberalism in the 21st century. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill NV.
Whosoever said that Knowledge is Power was probably referring to empowerment through knowledge. To me, social justice is of great value because it implies that all individuals in society are treated equally and with dignity. Every individual has the same value so that there is no discrimination based on gender, religion, age, caste, or creed. However, our current society severely lacks in social justice; not all individuals are treated with equality and there is a huge divide between the rich and the poor. In order to reduce or remove this divide, it is important that all humans have equal access to opportunities for education and employment. I firmly believe that the philosophy of empowerment has the power and potential to create a uniform society with equal opportunity for all.
Main body
An important aspect of social justice, empowerment can be explained as the process of increasing power within individuals, families, societies, and communities. Through empowerment, people can develop the potential to enhance their situations in all aspects of life. Within the context of social justice, the philosophy of empowerment stands out because it equips individuals to improve their abilities, strengths, confidence, and ultimately their social and economic status in society. One of the most important rules of empowerment is to share knowledge, listen to people, and encourage them to share their ideas. Empowerment opposes the oppression of any kind. Motivation is also an important tenet of empowerment.
The philosophy of empowerment supports dignity and self-worth; as such, value to all people, regardless of their status or race is an important rule of empowerment. Children are innocent and weak; to me, defending the innocent is a vital rule of empowerment. Finally, the central rule of my philosophy of empowerment is the truth. The truth empowers people in all ways so that they can defend their rights and stand up for the causes they believe in.
Empowerment gives human beings the authority and ability to make rational choices and assumes responsibility for these choices. In the broad context, empowerment is an educational process that helps individuals in developing their knowledge, skills, and attitudes for creating a better future for themselves. Individuals should be motivated to engage in critical thinking so that they can make the right decisions. When people develop these skills, there is a change in the self-image which helps them become stronger and better equipped to progress in life. Since empowerment is such a powerful term and aims at increasing the capabilities of individuals, families, and communities, I believe it is the most reasonable philosophy of social justice.
Conclusion
Empowerment enhances the physical, mental, financial, and spiritual wellness of individuals. It is therefore in compliance with the principle of social justice balancing unequal distributions of resources, wealth, and power in society. Other values supported by this philosophy are the elimination of sexism and racism in society through self-determination and actualization. Through the process of empowerment, it is possible to facilitate power in people which they can use to improve their lives, their communities, and finally the society within which they function. The development of this power allows people to act on issues important to them. Since it is such a powerful tool with the potential to bring about a radical change in society, I consider the philosophy of empowerment most appropriate.
Social justice is a part of the area of philosophy called political philosophy. This branch of philosophy explores themes related to rights, justice, laws, liberties, and, of course, politics. Another science that touches social justice as a subject is ethics, which deals with the questions of morality, vices, and virtues, justice, and crime.
Argument Analysis
To my mind, the two most important principles of justice that should be used to govern within a just society are the selection of highly virtuous state leaders and government representatives to put in charge of the society and the principle of mutual social agreement between people and the state leaders.
Confucius was the supporter of the idea that the leaders of the society must be full of virtue and merit. According to Confucius, this was the main rule to follow in order to provide happiness and wellbeing to society. Moreover, the Chinese philosopher stated that poverty is the result of unreasonably high taxation and poor distribution of state land. Confucian governments main roles were to provide welfare and economic security to the people. Of course, the idea that this task would be fulfilled assumed that the country leaders were very honest and generous people who cared cordially about the nations well being.
Thomas Hobbes was one of the founders of the theory of social agreement, which was the necessary measure to save people from anarchy, antisocial behavior, and decay. The agreement is based on the voluntary refusal of certain rights by the members of a society and freewill surrendering to the power of the leaders. Such organization, according to Hobbes, promotes order and peace. At the same time, society agrees to protect itself from the individuals breaking the rules of social agreement.
Such a system assumes that the majority of members of the society agree to follow the rules; in the opposite case, the system automatically turns into tyranny and can be destroyed as the members of this society are guaranteed the right to rebel.
Argument Evaluation
The theory of Confucius is based on social virtue. Ideally, every member of such a society should possess virtue and merit. Clearly, such a society is a utopia. In reality, the dominant trait of the leaders of most societies and countries is greed; as a result, we have countries drowning in corruption and social injustice. To my mind, theoretically, the selection of highly virtuous leaders for the country would be the key to having just societies. Practically, I consider it hardly possible. Although since I am creating a theoretically perfect society I am using this principle. The rules of Confucian society, including light taxation and economic security, are crucial for my theoretical society in order to avoid injustice, greed, property conflicts, and poverty.
The social agreement is the basis of obedience in society. Again in an ideal one, because real societies have proved to be filled with individuals willing to disobey the rules of social agreement. Hobbes saw the social agreement as a mode of social organization opposite to tyranny. On the other hand, tyranny is a form of ruling that gives none or limited free will to the citizens. To check the validity of such a system, we could try to find a free-social agreement zone on the modern map of the world, but we will fail. It turns out that social agreement also can be seen as a form of tyranny as there is no place for the individuals refusing to obey its rules and laws.
Conclusion
Having thought about all the advantages and disadvantages of the principles suggested by Confucius and Thomas Hobbes, I drew some conclusions. Clearly, the society ruled by virtuous and generous leaders is from the field of fairytales, but I think some parts of this idea are quite sound. The proper distribution of land and resources, division of the countrys property in order to financially secure its citizens these are the ideas that come from the Confucian virtue-based state.
Another important advantage of Confucian virtuous society is its education that spreads the virtues and unites the citizens under the common system of values. Besides, Hobbes valid point about the society protecting itself from the individuals that go against the rights of others can be applied to the corrupted leaders, as social agreement disapproves discrimination and unjust taxation. Actually, some supporters of the social agreement theory fully disagree with the idea of taxation.
In a just society, how will taxation be structured?
To my mind, in a just society, taxation is necessary to maintain the proper operation of state facilities and organizations. Tax sizes should be light and depend on the citizens income. The taxes should only be spent to support the state facilities, not to maintain the politicians wellbeing.
In a just society, how will vices be treated?
In a just society based on virtue, vices such as drugs, alcohol, unhealthy food, or pornography will be treated as cheating. An attempt to distribute poisonous, unhealthy, and destructive goods and make the members of the society dependant on the consumption of these goods will be considered an act against the laws and rules of this society. The citizens affected by the destructive influences of these vies will be offered free help. Virtuous society is educated to not give in to the dangerous dependencies leading to serious health and mental issues.
In the theory of justice, the conception of the desert isnt commonly accepted as the concept of punishment. The conception of desert implies the reward for the virtuous actions, and there are some particular judgments exist which help to determine the reasonableness of rewards. The dependence of rewards on the variety of external and conditional factors makes the public and scholars question the idea of the desert and its use for justice. Nevertheless, Miller calls into question the apprehension of the desert as merely a conventional idea (1999, p.135).
Usually, the reward appears in the wake of a particular performance by an agent that can be a person or a group of people. Through the process of judgement of the agents responsibility for the action, the circumstances and the agents initial intentions are analysed. The analysed action must have value in society.
Since people can have different motivations for their performances, it is essential to make sure that the best person is the one who is rewarded. Thus the assessment of the agents quality is important for judgement. Judgment should not depend just on the situational criteria or predictions and prejudices. According to Miller, the qualitative assessment is crucial, and thereby the person who deserves reward is the person who will subsequently perform at the highest level (1999, p. 137).
Though desert implies the existence of institutions that fulfil the judgement, Miller claims that desert is predominantly a pre-institutional notion (1999, p. 142). Nowadays, many social institutions reward systems function in obedience to external factors and preconceptions. This approach often creates inequality, and its fairness is doubted. To provide the efficiency of the desert, the institutional standards need to be conformed to the idea of the superior performance that deserves a reward.
Though nowadays, many writers and scholars do not support the significance of the desert for the conception of justice, David Miller successfully depicts its importance. The implementation of the desert judgment principals based on the responsibility, intentions and the quality of performance will help to improve the institutional policies and in some measure resolve the issue of social inequality.
Reference List
Miller, D 1999, Principles of Social Justice, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Because it is a relatively new and unpopular notion, social justice is not a term that is defined. People are often action-takers rather than thinkers. Hence, the majority of people do not understand the concept of social justice. Despite this, modern philosophers continue to attempt to define justice without fully comprehending its nature. Many philosophers have tried to delve deeper into and better define social justice. These thinkers include Nozick, Rawls, and Hayek. Although their theories of justice were significant, they would not have existed without Platos influence and the contribution that their ideas of justice have made to political philosophy.
John Rawls, an American philosopher who lived in the 20th century, first proposed the idea that justice equals fairness (Swift). According to his theory, individuals will act more fairly than they would if they knew what form of justice they would receive. However, twentieth-century American philosopher Robert Nozick rejected Rawls idea. Nozick stated that attempts to level the playing field by nature are futile and should not be made. He said people have a right to their possessions so long as they do not unfairly steal or acquire them. In Friedrich von Hayeks opinion, the fundamental concept of social fairness is a hallucination. According to Hayek, there is no need to justify inequality in the first place (Swift).
According to Plato, justice covers both the just person and the just government. In addition to influencing the growth of political theory, Platos notion of justice also affected the theories of Nozick and Hayek. He thought that justice was a moral idea rather than a legal one. He also asserted that there are two levelsindividual and socialat which justice can be understood. Even so, he maintained that people could not advance because they were born into their current class. People are socially situated without their consent.
The idea of justice has long been significant in political theory. Because it imposes a specific standard of goodness on peoples activities and compels them to pay attention to those actions, justice is one of the most fundamental social, ethical, and moral ideas that individuals deal with daily and political theory. The definition of justice for each individual will determine how he or she view society. What it means to distribute justly is a topic of much debate. As a result, those who breach the law are punished by what others deem to be just or just to safeguard the community.
Finally, many philosophers have tried to define justice, including social justice. While they may have some things in common, their views on what constitutes a just society differ significantly. The most intriguing theories came from Nozick, Rawls, and Hayek, all influenced by the great philosopher Plato. Justice is crucial in ensuring that society operates effectively and to its fullest potential.
Work Cited
Swift, Adam. Political Philosophy. 3rd ed., Polity Press, 2013.
Provision of quality health care does not only encompass the medical practice but also includes human values such as social justice. Supporting those people who are living in low-income areas and who are under the increased risk of injuries becomes a priority for a community nurse that has a goal to improve the lives of many people and make sure that underserved areas are provided with an appropriate level of healthcare. My personal experience in working in the Durham Region Health Department DRHD, I reflected based on the nurses experiences and the data they collected have supported my beliefs that quality healthcare should be evenly distributed across all social layers to ensure equal treatment and care for all.
Description of the Experience
I did not have hands-on experience, but I will be discussing the information I gathered from a nurse, who has worked with people in Oshawa and information I collected from the Durham Public Health website. After reviewing what the public department has done in association with the promotion of social justice in the low-income region of Durham, Oshawa, has been rewarding in many ways. As related to my practice, understanding how DRHD provides support for underserved individuals who have restricted access to healthcare opened my eyes to many problems that people experience in their everyday life, not only with regards to healthcare.
For example, the unemployment rate in Downtown Oshawa is 15.5%; the teenage pregnancy rate is 111.1 per 1,000; 42.6% of children aged less than six years old live in low-income households while the overall percentage of residents in low-income households is 28.1%. Furthermore, the median after-tax income in this area is $32,500 and is the lowest in Durham Region (Calis, 2016). These figures speak for themselves; such statistics were the key factor that contributed to the exploration of social justice concepts and ideas in my practice.
The most meaningful component of this experience related to seeing how the nurses communicate with people, identify the main healthcare-related issues, bringing the existing inequities to light, and discovering the ways in which social disparities could be eliminated. A rewarding experience for me was the understanding how the DRDH public health nurses teach low-income households about their rights to quality healthcare as well as how they can administer first aid in critical situations.
According to the report of OSHA (2014), construction workers have an extremely high rate of occupational injuries, so it is important to address the risks they experience at work and develop a cohesive action plan for preventing injuries in the workplace. Sadly, when it comes to workers from low-income households, they often have a lower life expectancy, quality of life, and worth health compared to the individuals with a higher income; for them, salaries are the concern prioritized to health issues (The Health of the Low-income Workforce: Integrating Public Health and Occupational Health Approaches, 2011).
Analysis of the Experience
According to the research for World Health Organization conducted by Prah (2010), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights guarantees the the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (para. 1). This principle influenced the way I felt when reviewing the Durham website in Oshawa because I noticed that not everyone had been granted the right to enjoy the highest standard of health. While the government provides its citizens with emergency services, many low-income individuals that require treatment are not eligible for compensation because of the absence of insurance.
Overall, the low-income population is known to face inequalities in terms of access to healthcare services (The Health of the Low-income Workforce: Integrating Public Health and Occupational Health Approaches, 2011). In fact, accessibility is one of the five primary health care principles, and in the case of the underserved populations, it is unfulfilled. The provision of accessible health services is necessary to minimize the health risks of the low-income households and improve their quality of life.
If I were to educate families on what they could do to address the problem of social injustice in healthcare, I do not think many of them would respond well and may state that without financial help no one would listen to their needs. In my opinion, this thought would be prevalent among people because of their past experiences with health care and when they could not access it in time and remained underserved (AAFP, 2016).
While the process of learning more about inequalities in healthcare in the low-income region and understanding how public health nurses teach the community about how to overcome them was rewarding in many ways, there is still doubt whether the local government will adhere to the proposed changes (Gostin & Powers, 2006). Some members of the community may be very receptive to the information and care provided to them, although they may doubt that there would be some changes for the better.
Therefore, the community should cooperate with the local social justice agencies to acquire support in raising awareness about the inequities in healthcare and demanding equal healthcare standards for all, regardless of income. The statistical data on the low-income area of Oshawa informed me a lot about the problems communities encounter on a daily basis.
Personal Areas for Development
According to the article written by Grace and Willis (2012), social justice is asserted as a responsibility of the nursing professionals, who should educate themselves about implementing social justice in practice, following the essential dimensions of well-being, and promoting equal standards for providing high-quality healthcare for all representatives of the community. By exploring the Durham Public Health departments website and reviewing the data they have, understanding the Oshawa area had a great impact on my personal and professional development because I saw that the ethical principles taught to community nurses are rarely reflected in reality when it comes to the underserved and low-income areas.
Ethics and social justice are problems of secondary concern when families struggle with earning money, have no shelter, or are forced to work in dangerous conditions to earn at least a minimal income. The idea that everyone has a right to equal treatment and a high standard of life becomes impossible to accomplish without the financial help from the outside (Canada Health Act and Its Principles, 2007).
It has become instrumental for me as a nurse to acquire more knowledge about enhancing my understanding of social justice within the context of healthcare as well as raise awareness about how can the ethical guidelines lead me to taking up other social justice endeavours (Canada Nurses Association, 2009). I would like to work with a community that struggles to live a decent life. This experience will teach me a lot about what is really valuable in life not financial aids, but the ability to live comfortably while being treated with respect.
I think mothers want their children to be provided with appropriate accommodations in school as well as free healthcare; seniors need more community-based services that will assist them. These communities should have recognition, care, support, and equal treatment with regards to access to healthcare services.
Conclusion
The experience of understanding how public health nurses work with low-income communities in Durham Region has provided me with extensive knowledge about key problems people face. There is an increased need for offering equal access to healthcare for all members of the public, especially low-income individuals at risk of injuries. Implications for future practice are associated with finding ways to address the needs of low-income communities and cooperating with key stakeholders to raise awareness of the most significant problems and subsequently seeking support.
References
AAFP. (2016). Underserved Populations Struggle with Poverty, Disparities in Health Care. Web.
Calis, K. (2016). Knowing the neighbourhoods: Seven low-income neighbourhoods a priority in Durham Region. Web.
Canada Health Act and Its Principles. (2007). Web.
Canadian Nurses Association. (2009). Ethics in practice for Registered Nurses. Web.
Gostin, L., & Powers, M. (2006). What does social justice require for the publics health? Public health ethics and policy imperatives. Health Affairs, 25(4), 1053-1060.
Grace, P., & Willis, D. (2012). Nursing responsibilities and social justice: An analysis in support of disciplinary goals. Nursing Outlook, 60(4), 198-207.
OSHA. (2014). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Web.
Prah, R. (2010). Health and social justice. Web.
The Health of the Low-income Workforce: Integrating Public Health and Occupational Health Approaches. (2011). Web.
The paper demonstrates a reasonable understanding of the issue, but its coverage is lacking in several aspects. The author manages to identify sources relevant to the topic namely, five scholarly articles from peer-reviewed journals and two books apart from that. However, the sources are not current the newest ones are from 2014, and the majority have been published in the early 2010s. Given the lag between the submission of the article and its publication, it means that these sources most likely reflect the situation with the recruitment of foreign-educated nurses (FENs) by the end of the 2000s. As such, even though the paper satisfies the numerical requirement for the number of articles, the latter do not contain accurate information because their data is obsolete by approximately ten years.
The paper lists and briefly describes all of its sources in the Literature Review section, outlining their content and demonstrating how they may be relevant to the issue discussed. However, it only cites three of these sources in the discussion proper that is, the paragraph stating the authors position about importing nurses as a viable solution to the nursing shortage. For instance, Goodman (2005) is not quoted in the discussion at all. Hence, the author fails to a minimum of five scholarly articles while analyzing the issue and accomplishing the paper. While the sources are presented, the author only engages with some of them in the analysis. Thus, the text uses some of the selected articles to support some of the ideas regarding the issue.
The author states a clear position regarding the issue by claiming that solving the nursing shortage through the recruitment of FENs is a viable solution. However, the paper fails to provide a well-considered analysis of the pros and cons. It largely focuses on the benefits, including better access to healthcare for the population of the importing countries and higher salaries for FENS, increasing the remittances they can send home. However, the author barely touches upon the cons. Admittedly, the paper mentions the fact that FENs may face discrimination and prejudice, which is further complicated by their cultural adaptation. This is in line with the recent findings of Viken et al. (2018). However, the author does not consider the fact that an increased percentage of employed FENs corresponds to a worsened patient experience (Germak et al., 2017). Similarly, the author fails to mention that importing FENs from other countries undermines the accessibility of healthcare in said countries, which themselves may experience even worse shortages of nurses (Elhadi et al., 2020). Hence, the paper states a position but does not properly discuss the pros and cons related to the issue.
Developing of Social Justice
The author selects a suitable definition of social justice and properly cites it. It also addresses one important aspect of the issue in terms of social justice by pointing out that FENs are likely to experience racism and discrimination. At the same time, the paper does not discuss the relation of social justice to the global community. If anything, it deliberately disregards the global aspects of the issue by ignoring how the practice of importing FENs may actually worsen the nurse shortage in the providing countries (Elhadi et al., 2020). As a result, the paper does not go beyond providing and citing an operable definition of social justice and shedding light on some non-global ways in which it relates to the issue.
The author reflects on how the work influenced their future as a leader and provides several considerations that can have an impact on the professional future in this capacity. It also analyzes the research from the perspective of nursing leadership, particularly when discussing the role of leadership in countering possible discrimination and racism faced by FENs. This analysis is not particularly deep since it is only one short paragraph that applies to one aspect of the issue as related to nursing leadership, but it is present nonetheless. Apart from that, the paper also briefly discusses the role of nursing leadership.
The paper presents some of the main points of the work in the introduction section and also summarizes most of them in the conclusion section. However, the summary only includes the major claim that importing nurses is beneficial for both sender and recipient countries and does not mention the arguments developed in the text. The paper manages to adhere to the APA formatting in a slight majority of cases, but numerous deviations are present. When citing the works by their authors last names in the Literature Review section, the author does not include the date of the source publication in parentheses. Source titles in the references page are consistently capitalized instead of only using capital letters for the first words in the title and subtitle. In some cases, and is used instead of an ampersand when listing multiple authors, and sometimes the author uses full names instead of the initials or puts the initials before the last name. Dates for the sources mention months as well as years, which is not required by the APA for printed periodicals. As such, the papers formatting requires considerable improvement.
References
Elhadi, M., Msherghi, A., Alkeelani, Alsuyihili, A., Khaled, A., Buzreg, A., Boughididah, T., Abukhashem, M., Alhashimi, A., Khel, S., Gaffaz, R., Saleim, N. B., Bahroun, S., Elharb, A., Eisay, M., Alnafati, N., Almiqlash, B., Biala, M., & Alghanai, E. (2020). Concerns for low-resource countries, with under-prepared intensive care units, facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection, Disease, & Health, 25(4), 227232.
Germack, H. D., McHugh, M. D., Sloane, D. N., & Aiken, L. H. (2017). U.S. hospital employment of foreign-educated nurses and patient experience: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(3): 2635.
Goodman, B. (2005). Applied leadership. Overseas recruitment and migration. Nursing Management, 12(8), 32-37.
Viken, B., Solum., E A., & Lyberg, A. (2018). Foreign educated nurses work experiences and patient safety A systematic review of qualitative studies. Nursing Open, 5(4), 255-468.