Elements of a Critical Theory of Justice

The capacity to take part in dialogues and justify one's positions constitutes the normative core of critical social justice. Ensuring this capacity to every citizen is the main objective of justice, which requires transforming social structures and relations as well as counteracting the effects of capitalist dynamics. "The capacity to take part in dialogues and justify one's positions constitutes the normative core of critical social justice. This capacity is what makes citizens autonomous, so ensuring it is the main objective of a critical theory of justice. For citizens to become the true masters of their lives it is necessary to transform social structures and relations as well as to counteract the effects of capitalist dynamics on one's reflective capacities. To effectively intervene in real societies it is necessary to have the normative guidance provided by the principles and normative concepts presented in this book, which emerge from the constructive question: 'what are the necessary conditions for someone to be able to take part as an autonomous subject in decision making processes?'"--Publisher's website Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-8 Front Matter....Pages 9-10 Justice and Recognition: Two Models....Pages 11-22 Evaluation of Fraser’s and Honneth’s Normative Approaches....Pages 23-41 Front Matter....Pages 43-44 Foundation and Application....Pages 45-60 Reciprocal Recognition Autonomy as a Decentred Autonomy....Pages 61-79 Front Matter....Pages 81-82 Conceptions of Justice and Reciprocal Recognition Autonomy....Pages 83-102 Principles and Scope of Justice....Pages 103-136 The Background of Application....Pages 137-172 Front Matter....Pages 173-173 Democratic Ethical Life and Public Reason....Pages 175-193 Narrative, Emotions and Democratic Ethical Life....Pages 194-213 Back Matter....Pages 214-246