Justice & The Good Society Flashcards
Define ‘utopia’.
The perfect society where there is no negative factors.
Plato described that a perfect society needs to be…
Totalitarian and ruled by ‘philosopher kings’.
More’s idea of complete utopia is…
An absolute communist society.
Bacon’s idea of a complete utopia is…
An institutionalised meritocracy.
Define ‘dystopia’.
Imaginary society of great suffering and injustice.
The two infamous and influential dystopian societies are…
Orwellian and Huxleyan.
In a Orwellian dystopia, citizens are…
Controlled by an absolute totalitarian regime.
In a Huxleyan society, citizens are…
‘Drowned in entertainment’, being able to do what they want.
The main social factors that need the right balancing in a society are:
- Person as social function VS Person as an individual.
- Social status VS Equality.
- Obligations VS Rights.
Define ‘legitimate power’.
It is a justified power or authority.
Define ‘tyranny’.
Abuse of power.
What are the 4 competing philosophical positions?
- libertarianism.
- conservatism.
- communitarianism.
- authoritarianism.
Define libertarianism.
The view that people have the right to be free from any government interference unless it is necessary.
What are the two main views of libertarianism?
Anarchism and liberalism.
Anarchism is the…
Abolition of any ruling power.
Liberalism emphasises…
The positive rights of an individual over the negative ones.
Define conservatism.
They value family values, culture and traditional principles & institutions.
Define communitarianism.
They reject individualism and focus on the stability of societies as a whole.
Define authoritarianism.
The view that places law and order over personal value.
Define ‘free market’.
Prices of goods and services are auto-regulated by the forces of supply & demand.
Define ‘command economy’.
Economic decisions that are made by the government and are then followed as rules.
Define ‘left-wing policies’,
Seeking to change the rules and traditions of a country.
Define ‘right-wing policies’.
Keeping a country’s status quo.
Define ‘rights’.
Claims or entitlement to something.
Define ‘duties’.
Moral obligations.
Define ‘positive rights’.
Rights to be helped/supported in some way.
Define ‘negative rights’.
Acting without interference to anyone.
Define ‘distributive justice’.
Concerned with the distribution and allocation of benefits, goods, and resources across a society.
‘Justice as Equity’ is the philosophical view that…
Every individual in a society should get the same amount and kind of material benefits.
What is the problem with this viewpoint?
Many might need more than others, and some might need less, or something else entirely.
‘Merit-based Justice’ is the philosophical view that…
Individuals are granted good and services based on their achievements and talents, making it unequal.
What is the problem with this viewpoint?
‘The rich will get richer and the poor will become poorer’.
Rawls disagreed with…
Merit-based justice. He considered it a secret plan to allow the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer.
Define the term ‘rags to riches’.
People who raise to the top by committing unjust acts.
Define the term ‘Veil of Ignorance’.
When no one has any idea what life they will lead, allowing a fair chance to all.
Define the term ‘Justice as Fairness’.
Justice that’s granted based one’s needs.
Define ‘retributive justice’.
The belief that a wrongdoer should suffer the same consequences they inflicted on others.
Define ‘restorative justice’.
The wrongdoer must mend their ears and repair the harm they’d caused.
What is the problem with restorative justice?
Not all victims would be ready to accept or recount what happened to them.
What is Welfare Maximisation?
Giving wrongdoers some form of punishment due to the pain and suffering they caused.
What is Rehabilitation?
Giving wrongdoers the help they may need so they can become lawful citizens.
Define ‘deterrence’.
The punishment of wrong doers needs to be very severe (depending on the crime), as it discourages people from committing the same crimes.
