Justice and Fairness

• The reason people are talking about justice all

the time is that it is one of the most
fundamental, social, ethical, and moral
principles we deal with everyday
• “what if every barangay and towns will NOW RISE UP
IN ARMS AND GO AGAINST THESE UNWELCOME
ELEMENTS? THEIR LOCAL SYMPATHISERS MUST BE
BANISH! LET THE PEOPLE TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR
LANDS, BARANGAY, TOWNS AND PROVINCES. THESE
UNWANTED ELEMENTS WHO THINKS THEY ARE
FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM OR WHATEVER CAUSE
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTING, WE DO
NOT NEED THEM REALLY. TELL THEM AND SHOW THEM
THEY ARE NOT NEEDED OR WANTED OR WELCOME SO
IF THEY JUST GET OUT THE HELL IN OUR AREAS?”
• “very sad event. Killing your own country men is
abominable...”
• “may i share for a while, arm struggle it's not about
ideology but due to the worsening situation of the country,
widespread poverty affecting the marginalized, poor
majority of the Filipino people. Rampant corruption with in
the bureaucracy, our government is being controlled and
run by the elites, big foreign corporate
businesses/companies, high officials of the land and others
to name some resulting to various human rights violations,
there will be never peace unless the root causes of arm
struggle will be solved. Rights are not given in a silver
platter but it should be fought! Thanks”
• “all said and sadly, almost countries are governed
with Kleptocrats, some countries are even worse
and at the expense of the vulnerable poor. No
one in their right mind condone such dastardly
Act. If only those so called do-gooders divert their
time doing good will instead of trying to correct a
system that is corrupted to the core, be great if
they can... sometimes with arm struggle, they are
adding more insult to the injury. We all know that
there is two side in one coin. Just feel sorry for
the victims... No one ever learn... And that is the
very sad truth.....”
 Justice and Fairness
• Activists talk about economic justice
• Lawyers/police talk abt criminal justice
• Students/teachers talk about justice
• everybody
We find ourselves talking about what is FAIR.

JUSTICE
Is justice about
• Equality
• Fairness
• Getting what we deserve, or
• Getting what we need?
Justice – harmony in Greek

• A just society is one which everyone fulfills

their roles so that society runs smoothly
• Violating your place in the social order even if
it’s a place you do not want to hold is unjust
• Is it sending a criminal to jail?
• Is it giving a beggar a meal?
• Is it giving merits to students who are
participating?
• Is it giving donations to the earthquake
victims?
In the end, what Justice means to you personally
define how you think society should work.
Stuff
• who has more stuff like
– food
– money
– Access to services like health care, sanitation
• Who gets to decide on who will get stuff and on what
basis?
Distributive Justice – area of moral philosophy
that considers questions on Justice

Schools of Thought of Distributive Justice

1. Justice as equality
Belief that everyone should get the same
kind of the same amount
2. Need- based Justice
Belief that everyone should not get the same
amount of stuff because our needs are not the
same
– Those who need more get more

Everyone gets what they actually need

Merit-based Justice
• Justice is giving unequally based on what
each person deserves
– Based on what the person has
done/accomplished
– Trouble makers gets punished with what they
have done
• Egalitarianism
• Capitalism
• Socialism
Egalitarianism
• For a just distribution each member of society should get
completely equal shares of the burdens and benefits.
• Egalitarian usually contend that there are no relevant
differences among the members of society to justify
unequal treatment.
• Therefore, a just distribution according to an egalitarian
is one in which every member of society is given exactly
equal shares of society's benefits and burdens.
• The argument for this view depends on the notion that
all human beings are equal (in some fundamental
respect) and that in recognition of this they ought to be
accorded equal shares of society's burdens and
benefits.
Egalitarian Positive:

• When workers in a group receive

equal compensation, they tend to
become more cooperative with each
other and also feel greater solidarity
with each other. This has been found
to be more effective especially in
collectivistic cultures
Egalitarian Criticisms:
• There is no quality that all human
beings possess precisely in the same
degree
• Everyone is given the same things
• The individuals will have no incentives
to exert greater efforts in their work.
Capitalism
• Benefits should be distributed according to
the value of the contribution the individual
makes to a society, a task, a group, or an
exchange.
• Capitalists are typically wealthy people who
have a large amount of capital (money or
other financial assets) invested in business,
and who benefit from the system of capitalism
by making increased profits and thereby
adding to their wealth.
Capitalism Issues:
• status differences emerge
• Your life depends on whether you’re a
worker or a boss
• Capitalism takes the position that
“greed is good”
Socialism
• Distribute according to needs and abilities
• The position claims that work burdens and
benefit should be distributed on the basis of
abilities and needs
• Meeting the ‘basic biological need” and then
other “ non-basic need”
• John Rawls theory of justice revolves around
the adaptation of two fundamental principles
of justice which would, in turn, guarantee a
just and morally acceptable society.
 Principles of Rawls Theory
• The first principle guarantees the right of each
person to have the most extensive basic
liberty compatible with the liberty of others
• The second principle states that social and
economic positions are to be a) to everyone’s
advantage and b) open to all.
• Form of need-based justice
• Rawls believe that there are certain natural
inequalities and these natural inequalities are
beyond our control
• Rawls proposes that the most reasonable principles of
justice for a society are those that individuals would
themselves agree to behind the “veil of ignorance”, in
circumstances in which each is represented as a moral
person, endowed with the basic moral powers. What
this position supports is that while each person has
different ends and goals, different backgrounds and
talents, each ought to have a fair chance to develop his
or her talents and to pursue those goals – fair equality
for opportunity. It is not a race or contest where the
talented or gifted prevail, it should be complete
cooperation among all so that there may be reasonable
life for all
An old man was in need of money, so he talked to
his boss if he can get his salary which he worked
hard for, to pay for the hospital bill of his wife. Sadly
the boss did not allow him to get his salary because
it is stipulated in the contract that he can just get
his salary by the end of the month. The old man
does not have any choice so he stole money from
his boss for the hospital bill.

Share your thoughts regarding the matter having in

mind the theory of Justice and Fairness.
The State and Citizens Responsibilities to
Each Other
The primary duty of the Government is to serve
and protect the people.

It Shall be the duty of every citizen to be loyal to

the republic of the Philippines, honor the
Philippine Flag defend the state, contribute to its
development and welfare, uphold the
constitution and obey laws, pay taxes and
cooperate with the authorities.
• We have rights but it implies an obligation
– Paying taxes
• Who should benefit more from taxes, the rich
or the poor?
• What is your stand on the revolutionary taxes?

The NPA extorts "taxes", mostly from businesses, in the

areas where it operates.[8] The CPP refers to the NPA as
"the tax enforcement agency of the people's
revolutionary government".[9] "Revolutionary taxes are
used to fund community services and never go to the
pockets of corrupt leaders" said National Democratic
Front (NDF) spokesperson, Fidel Agcaoili.