Political Theory Part : B Unit : 4
Social Justice
Class XI Political Science
1. Very Short Questions’ Answers:
(i) In which book Plato gave his theory of Justice?
Ans:- The Republic.
(ii) From which language the word ‘Jus’ is taken?
Ans:- ‘Latin”.
(iii) Who wrote the book Theory of Justice. HS-2015
Ans:- John Rawls.
(iv) Which German Philosopher linked Justice with dignity of human beings? HS-2019
Ans:- Immanuel Kant.
(v) What is the primary source of law in the modern age?
Ans:- Legislature.
(vi) What is the name of the law which governs the relations among states?
Ans:- International Law.
(vii) Where from the English word law is derived?
Ans:- The English word ‘Law’ is derived from the Teutonic word lag.
(viii) Is Laski a supporter of unicameral legislature?
Ans:- Yes.
(ix) “What touches all should be decided by all”. Who said this?
Ans:- J.S. Mill.
(x) Law is a ‘command given by the superior to an interior’. Who said this?
Ans:- John Austin.
(xi) Which type of Justice is given priority in the Preamble of Indian Constitutions?
Ans:- Social Justice.
2. Mention two differences between social justice and economic justice. HS-2016
Ans:-Social Justice means no one in a society should be discriminated on grounds of birth, sex, caste, creed, occupation, economic status, etc.
Eveyone in a society should get equal consideration with regard to distribution of goods and srvices.
3. What do you understand by ‘Social Justice’.
(Or) Describe Social Justice. HS-2018
Ans:- Society should provide equal treatment to all. No one in a society should be discriminated on grounds of birth, sex, caste, creed, occupation, economic status, etc. is called Social Justice. It also calls for subjugating individual interests in favour of those of the community or society.
4. Describe Political Justice. HS 2017 Marks : 4
Ans:- Political justice means all citizens without any discrimination have certain equal political rights such as the right to vote, right to stand for election, right to hold public office, etc. In other words, every individual in a country has a right to participate in the governance of the country. For example, the denial of political rights to the Black people of South Africa under apartheid regime was a case of political injustice. It is seen that political justice takes place only in a democratic set up.
5. Write a note on John Rawl’s Theory of Justice. HS-2015, 2017, 2019 marks : 4 / 6
Ans:- Rawls’s theory of justice revolves around the adaptation of two fundamental principles of justice which would, in turn, guarantee a just and morally acceptable society. 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.
A key problem for Rawls is to show how such principles would be universally adopted, and here the work borders on general ethical issues. He introduces a theoretical “veil of ignorance” in which all the “players” in the social game would be placed in a situation which is called the “original position.” Having only a general knowledge about the facts of “life and society,” each player is to make a “rationally prudential choice” concerning the kind of social institution they would enter into contract with. By denying the players any specific information about themselves it forces them to adopt a generalized point of view that bears a strong resemblance to the moral point of view. “Moral conclusions can be reached without abandoning the prudential standpoint and positing a moral outlook merely by pursuing one’s own prudential reasoning under certain procedural bargaining and knowledge constraints.”
6. Discuss the different principles of Justice. HS-2018 Marks : 6
Ans:- These different principles of Justice have been discussed below:
1. Equality among Equals:-
The proponents of human rights believe that irrespective of race, caste, gender, community etc, every human being is same and they should be treated equally. Equality among equals means that people doing equal job with equal efficiency should be treated equally. This should not be partial on the basis of religion, caste, colour of skin etc. Also people doing equal jobs should be given equal wages. For example, two teachers or office assistants having same qualification, responsibility and workload should not be given two different salaries. The principle of social justice is violated if differentiation is present.
2. Proportional Equality:-
According to some scholars, if everybody is treated on the basis of absolute equality then also social justice may not be imple- mented. It may pose as an obstacle to the progress of society. If everybody is given equal wage and facility only because of being human or born to a particular group then nobody will try to improve themselves and become more efficient. Hence all students writing the same examination don’t get same marks and in a swimming competition all competitor’s do not win.
3. Recognition of Special Needs:-
Providing special benefits based on the recognition of special needs is an important component of social justice. The weaker sections of people in society must be given some special benefits. It is to be noted that if the weaker section is left to starve without food or are unable to clothe themselves, then we cannot claim that social justice has been implemented.
7. Which are the main types of justice?
Ans:- Justice is defined as giving each person his or her due to develop himself/herself and to pursue his/her desired goals. The main types of justice are:
(i) Legal justice: The justice a citizen gets on account of the laws passed by the state is known as legal justice. It establishes the rule of law. Whenever a person’s rights are infringed upon by another individual or the government, he can approach the court and get justice from the court. If his rights are genuinely violated, the court will make sure that he gets justice. This is known as legal justice. However, the jurisdiction of the law is also determined by law. The courts have to follow the laws passed by the government as well as the higher courts of the land. Legal justice is vital for the establishment of peace and security in the country.
(ii) Political justice: Political justice means all citizens without any discrimination have certain equal political rights such as the right to vote, right to stand for election, right to hold public office, etc. In other words, every individual in a country has a right to participate in the governance of the country. For example, the denial of political rights to the Black people of South Africa under apartheid regime was a case of political injustice. It is seen that political justice takes place only in a democratic set up.
(iii) Social justice: Social justice implies that all members of a society are given equal treatment and consideration and that there is no discrimination on grounds of birth, sex, race, religion, status, etc. Society cannot and must not segregate people on the basis of their birth as ‘low class’ or ‘high class’, Practices such as untouchability, bonded labour, etc. go against the spirit of social justice and that is why, these were abolished by the Indian Constitution. Social justice calls for equal opportunities for development. Therefore economically and socially backward communities must be encouraged by various ways to reach the level of others.
(iv) Economic justice: Economic justice implies that equal opportunities for economic development are provided to every citizen. This calls for equal opportunities for education, employment, equal pay for equal work, security of job, etc. It also demands the fair distribution of national resources and services. These should not be concentrated in few individuals or families.
8. Define distributive justice. Mention any two principles adopted by the Government of India to establish social justice. HS-2015
Ans:- Distributive justice concerns the nature of a socially just allocation of goods in a society. A society in which incidental inequalities in outcome do not arise would be considered a society guided by the principles of distributive justice. The concept includes the available quantities of goods, the process by which goods are to be distributed, and the resulting allocation of the goods to the members of the society.
Often contrasted with just process, which is concerned with the administration of law, distributive justice concentrates on outcomes. This subject has been given considerable attention in philosophy and the social sciences.
9. Explain various dimensions of social justice. HS-2017 Marks- 6
Ans:-
Dr. Ratanlal Brahma, M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Post Graduate Teacher (Political Science)
H.N.Seminary Model HS School, Bagribari, Dhubri, Assam
Email : brahmaratan@gmail.com
Whatsapp no. : 7020477396
Axom Vidhyalay Hub 
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