Social Justice: Western Perspectives

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how recent developments in international relations have determined a new dimension of the definition of social justice. The paper relates that, nowadays, there is a tendency to consider social justice from a universal point of view while also taking into account the western perceptions on justice and society. The paper then discusses the factors that determine the differences in the notion of social justice at the international level and concludes that the precepts of social justice today in the international community are based on the liberal thoughts of the 18th century and are viable to this day.

From the Paper:

"Recent developments in international relations have determined a new dimension of the definition of social justice. Nowadays there is a tendency to consider social justice from a universal point of view but taking into account the western perceptions on justice and the society. This is largely due to the fact that the West appears to have the full control of the international arena and at the same time to be able to export the norms and values which are determinant for their own societies. Even so, the cultural specificities cannot always be ignored and in many cases this can lead up to cultural clashes.
"Samuel Huntington pointed out in one of his most famous theories the danger of a clash of civilizations (1996). This would result from the different perceptions peoples around the world would have on the values that govern their societies. More precisely, Huntington underlines the fact that in the globalised world there are different understandings of notions such as freedom, justice, religion, rule of law, tolerance (Huntington, 1996). At the same time, given the fact that the West still continues to maintain the power in global affairs, it also tries to impose, at the international level, its own concepts on the issue of social justice."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berstein, S. and Milza, P. (1994) Histoire de l'Europe. Paris: Hatier.
• Braunstein, F., and Pepin, J. F. (1998) Les Grandes Doctrines. Paris: Ellipses.
• Dunleavy, P. and O'Leary, B. (1987) Theories of the state. the Politics of Liberal Democracy. London and New York: Macmillan and Meredith.
• Fukuyama, F. (1989) "The End of History". The National Interest. pp 3-18.
• Hay, A.M. (1995) "Concepts of Equity, Fairness and Justice in Geographical Studies". Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Volume 20, Number 4. pp. 500-508(9).

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