Reference:
Churnosov, I. M..
Ronald Dworkin’s Theory of Justice
// Politics and Society. – 2014. – ¹ 3.
– P. 358-371.
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Abstract: People begun to wonder about justice since the very moment when philosophy was created. It is not by accident that
one of the most famous Plato’s dialogues starts with the question about justice. However, in the middle of the 20th century
touching upon the topic of justice during discussions was considered bad manners just like to bang the table with the fist. It
became quite clear that what was just and fair for someone, could not be just and fair for the other. Then all of the sudden
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ was published. In his book Rawls proved that there could have been a common concept of
justice. That evoked interest towards the matter. Ronald Dworkin was one of those who participated in the discussion. The
present article is devoted to the critical analysis of the theory of justice offered by Dworkin. In order to analyze the aforesaid
concept, the author of the research article uses the method offered by Dworkin – the so called ‘constructive interpretation’.
The purpose of the method is to show an object in the best light (supposedly, as the best theory of justice). Consequently, all
disadvantages are viewed as the result of internal contradictions in the theory. Along with the concept offered by John Rawls,
Ronald Dworkin’s theory of justice is one of the most powerful in the sphere of the political and legal thought in the West.
Everyone who cares for justice in general has to choose whether to accept or deny this concept.
Keywords: justice, Dworkin, Rawls, Nozick, equality, freedom, law, auction, insurance, utilitarianism.
References:
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Dworkin, R. “What is equality? Part I: Equality of Welfare; Part II: Equality of Resources”, Philosophy and public affairs, 1981, 10
Dworkin, R., “Rights as Trumps”, 1984, Waldron
Hobhouse, L. T. “Liberalism and Other Writings”, Cambridge University Press
Kymlicka, W. “Contemporary political philosophy an introduction”, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press
Macleod, C. “Liberalism, Justice and Markets: A Critique of Liberal Equality”, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998
Mapel, D. “Social Justice Reconsidered”, 1989, University of Illinois Press, Urbana
Nozick, R. “Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Blackwell Publishing, 2012
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Borisov,