The Elements of Justice

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Acknowledgments......Page 9
PART 1 WHAT IS JUSTICE?......Page 13
preliminary survey......Page 15
only that which has no history is definable......Page 16
disagreement......Page 17
what we know about the basic concept......Page 19
seeking a referee......Page 21
justice: what is it for?......Page 22
a multiplicity of principles......Page 25
puzzles......Page 26
a pluralist theory......Page 29
a contextual theory, crudely stated......Page 30
how to refine a context: a case study......Page 31
Theories Are Abstractions......Page 33
Theories Have Counterexamples......Page 34
Different Destinations Call for Different Maps......Page 35
theories are compromises......Page 36
articulating the code......Page 38
i could be wrong......Page 39
discussion......Page 40
PART 2 HOW TO DESERVE......Page 41
6 Desert......Page 43
the “big bang” theory......Page 46
all are lucky; some are merely lucky......Page 47
when history doesn’t matter......Page 48
being destined to work hard......Page 49
do i deserve this?......Page 50
 puzzles......Page 51
how do i deserve this?......Page 52
two ways to balance the scale......Page 54
punishment......Page 57
refining the promissory model......Page 58
a puzzle about prediction......Page 60
people who never get a chance......Page 61
earning......Page 62
earning as redemption......Page 63
doing justice to our opportunities......Page 64
summary......Page 65
discussion......Page 66
why one conception rather than another?......Page 67
What they want to get; what they want to be......Page 68
Is the Original Position an Experience Machine?......Page 69
how to care about consequences......Page 70
deserving and needing......Page 71
a kantian grounding......Page 72
justice – institutional and natural......Page 74
the preinstitutional aspect......Page 75
puzzles......Page 76
whose performance is it?......Page 78
how to see desert as noncomparative......Page 79
how much should wilt be paid?......Page 80
desert versus entitlement......Page 81
PART 3 HOW TO RECIPROCATE......Page 83
13 Reciprocity......Page 85
reciprocity, desert, self-respect......Page 87
inducing cooperation......Page 91
pluralism......Page 92
transitive reciprocity......Page 94
reciprocity as a value......Page 97
alienation, reciprocity, and the ideal of equal partnership......Page 98
the double counting problem......Page 102
if it’s your talent, should you get
all the benefits?......Page 104
discussion......Page 105
reciprocity and basic structure......Page 106
the disabled......Page 108
favors accepted versus favors merely received......Page 109
real favors, and how we return them......Page 111
when are duties of reciprocity enforceable?......Page 112
summary......Page 113
PART 4 EQUAL RESPECT AND EQUAL SHARES......Page 117
18 Equality......Page 119
on behalf of equal shares......Page 121
dimensions of equality......Page 122
nonsimultaneous arrival......Page 123
discussion......Page 124
equality and humanity......Page 126
global equality in economics and politics......Page 128
society is not a race; no one needs to win......Page 129
meritocracy......Page 132
equal worth?......Page 133
Markets as Imperfect......Page 135
discussion......Page 136
progress......Page 138
household income quintiles......Page 139
larger households, larger incomes......Page 140
older households, larger incomes......Page 141
even when money per se does not trickle down, quality of life does......Page 143
incomes are not stagnant......Page 144
we appear to be a vertically mobile society......Page 145
children......Page 147
a land of opportunity, but not equal opportunity......Page 149
discussion......Page 150
diminishing marginal utility......Page 152
premises......Page 154
the argument......Page 156
The Argument Assumes a Dynamic Model......Page 158
What If We Combine the Utilities of Production and Consumption?......Page 159
conclusion......Page 160
liberalism is about free association, not atomic isolation......Page 162
justice in worlds with histories......Page 164
first possession as an alternative to equal shares......Page 165
when equality is not where we are......Page 166
losing the race......Page 167
grounding rules of first possession......Page 169
PART 5 MEDITATIONS ON NEED......Page 171
25 Need......Page 173
needs versus need-claims......Page 175
a hierarchy of urgency......Page 176
objectivity......Page 177
passing self-inspection......Page 178
primary rules and rules of recognition......Page 179
discussion......Page 181
trolley versus hospital......Page 182
acts versus practices......Page 183
an “untutored” reaction......Page 187
a peaceful culture......Page 189
rudimentary benevolence......Page 190
we don’t need perfection......Page 191
conclusion......Page 192
PART 6 THE RIGHT TO DISTRIBUTE......Page 193
30 Intellectual Debts......Page 195
an alternative to utilitarianism......Page 197
justice as fairness......Page 198
the least advantaged class......Page 200
strains of commitment......Page 201
the veil of ignorance......Page 202
“least advantaged” is not a rigid category......Page 203
must the principle of maximum equal liberty take priority?......Page 206
articulating a consensus......Page 207
puzzles......Page 208
history and pattern......Page 210
a problem with patterns......Page 211
voluntarism......Page 214
rights......Page 217
puzzles......Page 218
does nozick have a theory of just distribution?
should he?......Page 220
freedom as a zero-sum game......Page 221
the limits of rectification......Page 224
those who cannot forget the past are doomed to repeat it......Page 225
when do we have a right to distribute?......Page 228
the word “arbitrary” has two meanings......Page 229
the natural lottery......Page 230
the real issue......Page 231
getting to the difference principle......Page 232
getting the desired solution......Page 234
suppose we don’t know what conclusion we desire......Page 235
not knowing whether equal shares is the default......Page 236
an incomplete theory is what we need......Page 237
final thought......Page 239
References......Page 241
Index......Page 249