NCJ Number
194789
Journal
Social Justice Research Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 237-263
Date Published
2001
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This article attempts to map and classify various normative and empirically oriented theories of distributive justice through the process of taxonomy which allows for the examination of the relation between them.
Abstract
The process of taxonomy, the mode of conceptualizing distributive principles in both the normative (“ought”) and empirically (“is”) oriented theories, was proposed to examine potential relations between the two research traditions. Through incorporating together both the normative and empirically oriented theories many aspects of similarity and difference between the theories could be revealed, their relative advantages and disadvantages, and the potential exchanges between both studies of distributive justice. Taxonomy has two dimensions: (1) microjustice versus macrojustice principles and (2) the unidimensional versus multidimensional character of these principles. Through combining these two dimensions four groups of theories of distributive justice come forth: (1) unidimensional macro (the utilitarian approach); (2) multidimensional macro (Rawl’s theory of justice); (3) undimensional micro (desert and equity theories); and (4) multidimensional micro (Miller’s theory and the multiprinciple approach). The normative and empirically oriented theories’ analysis revealed many commonalities. With the utilitarian approach and the Rawl’s theory of justice, empirical research sought correspondence between the “ought” and the “is.” However, with the equity theory and the multiprinciple approach, it used some basic normative ideas and assumptions as its sharing point. The study concluded with the consideration of possible exchanges that could develop between the two research traditions with the examination of to what extent and how philosophical normative and empirically oriented research could contribute to each other. References