Justice in a Changing World

Should governments give special rights to ethnic and cultural minorities? Should rich countries open their borders to economic immigrants or transfer resources to poor countries? When framing and implementing economic and environmental policies, should current generations take into account the interests of future generations? If our political community committed a wrong against another group a hundred years ago, do we owe reparations to current members of that group? These are just some of the pressing questions which are fully explored in this accessible new analysis of justice in the contemporary world. They force us to reconsider the extent of our obligations to our fellow citizens, future generations and foreigners. Justice in a Changing World introduces the moral debates around issues such as immigration, national self-determination, cultural rights and reparations, as well as resource transfers from one generation to the next and from rich to poor countries, through the lenses of liberalism, communitarianism and libertarianism. In so doing, it helps to unravel the complexity of key ethical dilemmas facing us today. The book will be a valuable resource for students of political theory, and will appeal to anyone wishing to reflect on their deepest values and commitments by putting them to the test of practical politics.

Should governments give special rights to ethnic and culturalminorities? Should rich countries open their borders to economicimmigrants or transfer resources to poor countries? When framingand implementing economic and environmental policies, shouldcurrent generations take into account the interests of futuregenerations? If our political community committed a wrong againstanother group a hundred years ago, do we owe reparations to currentmembers of that group?These are just some of the pressing questions which are fullyexplored in this accessible new analysis of justice in thecontemporary world. They force us to reconsider the extent of ourobligations to our fellow citizens, future generations andforeigners.Justice in a Changing World introduces the moral debatesaround issues such as immigration, national self-determinationcultural rights and reparations, as well as resource transfers fromone generation to the next and from rich to poor countries, throughthe lenses of liberalism, communitarianism and libertarianism. Inso doing, it helps to unravel the complexity of key ethicaldilemmas facing us today.The book will be a valuable resource for students of politicaltheory, and will appeal to anyone wishing to reflect on theirdeepest values and commitments by putting them to the test ofpractical politics.

Chapter 1 Setting the stage.1. Introduction.2. Egalitarian liberalism.2.1. Rawls' Theory of Justice.2.2. Egalitarian liberalism post Rawls I: luckegalitarianism.2.3. Egalitarian liberalism post Rawls I: sufficientism.3. The communitarian critique of Rawls: individuals andcommunities.4. The libertarian critique of Rawls: justice asentitlements.5. Themes and issues.Chapter 2 Justice towards future generations.1. Introduction.2. Egalitarian liberalism and future generations.2.1. Rawls' just savings principle.2.2. Luck egalitarianism.2.3. Sufficiency.3. The transgenerational community: a source of obligations toour successors.4. Libertarianism and future generations.5. Two objections to obligations to future generations.5.1. Rights, obligations, and non-existing people.5.2. The non-identity objection.6. Conclusion.Chapter 3 Multiculturalism .1. Introduction.2. An egalitarian liberal position: Kymlicka's defence ofminority rights.3. Communitarianism and minorities.4. A libertarian position: Kukathas' liberalarchipelago.5. Conclusion.Chapter 4 National self-determination.1. Introduction.2. Liberal nationalism.3. Communitarianism and national self-determination.4. Libertarianism and national self-determination.5. Conclusion.Chapter 5 Global distributive justice .1. Introduction.2. Egalitarian liberalism and global distributive justice.2.1. Luck egalitarianism, sufficientism and the irrelevance ofborders.2.2. Egalitarian liberalism and the moral relevance of bordersI: Rawls's.Law of Peoples.2.3. Egalitarian liberalism and the moral relevance of bordersII: Nagel's.political conception of justice.3. Communitarianism and global distributive justice.4. Libertarianism and global distributive justice.5. Conclusion.Chapter 6 Immigration .1. Introduction.2. An egalitarian liberal case for relatively open borders.2.1. A Rawlsian view on immigration.2.2. Egalitarian liberal arguments for open borders.2.3. Open borders and distributive justice: sufficiency andimmigration.3. A communitarian position: Walzer on immigration.4. A libertarian position: Hillel Steiner on immigration.5. Who should take in immigrants?.6. Conclusion.Chapter 7 Reparation for past injustices.1. Introduction.2. Egalitarian liberalism and reparative justice.2.1. Luck egalitarianism, sufficientism, and reparations.2.2. Refining the egalitarian liberal position.3. Communitarianism and reparations.3.1. The transgenerational community: in defence ofreparations.3.2. Judging the past: a very limited defence ofreparations.4. Libertarianism and reparations.5. Conclusion..Conclusion.Works cited