Doctrines and Dimensions of Justice: Their Historical Backgrounds and Ideological Underpinnings

Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2018 Apr;27(2):188-216. doi: 10.1017/S096318011700055X.

Abstract

Justice can be approached from many angles in ethical and political debates, including those involving healthcare, biomedical research, and well-being. The main doctrines of justice are liberal egalitarianism, libertarianism, luck egalitarianism, socialism, utilitarianism, capability approach, communitarianism, and care ethics. These can be further elaborated in the light of traditional moral and social theories, values, ideals, and interests, and there are distinct dimensions of justice that are captured better by some tactics than by others. In this article, questions surrounding these matters are approached with the hermeneutic idea of a distinction between "American" and "European" ways of thinking.

Keywords: capabilities approach; care ethics; communitarianism; healthcare; ideals; interests; justice; liberal egalitarian; libertarian; luck egalitarian; socialism; utilitarianism; values; well-being.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Bioethical Issues / history
  • Delivery of Health Care / ethics*
  • Ethical Theory / history
  • Europe
  • Female
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Philosophy / history
  • Social Justice* / ethics
  • Social Justice* / history
  • United States