Single Idea 23079

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique]

Full Idea

The liberal conception of justice …excludes the essence of justice: desert.

Gist of Idea

Liberal justice ignores desert, which is the essence of justice

Source

John Kekes (Against Liberalism [1997], Pref)

Book Reference

Kekes,John: 'Against Liberalism' [Cornell 1997], p.-3


A Reaction

Certainly our normal concept of justice includes such thoughts as 'serves him right'. The trouble with the Kekes view is his society is continually morally judging people, and most people's grounds for that are fairly irrational. It's why we have courts.