We face the complicated tasks of comparing competing strategies and conclusions about how to achieve a better world. The Social Justice minor at Lake Forest College does not shrink from the serious, fundamental questions, e.g., of the tension between demands for individual liberty and the calls for social equity. Social justice is often perceived as a ‘liberal’ notion, but the issues transcend partisan political classifications. Grappling with these issues requires serious reflection that relies on insights from numerous disciplines, from philosophy to politics to economics and beyond. Such debates pose fundamental questions for our time. Others contend that more direct action by governments and NGOs will be necessary to overcome the enormous disparities in wealth that leave many in abject poverty. How can a more just world be created? Many have argued that the free market arrangements underlying globalization provide the best chance for improving the conditions of those individuals and nations in need. Such theoretical issues lead to more practical questions. But how do we know when such calls should be heeded? What would constitute a just world? What legitimate demands can poor individuals or nations make against the rich?
Unequal starting points or power dynamics can give some an advantage over others when do such advantages become illegitimate? Legacies of colonialism, racism, and sexism often raise calls for social justice. Yet in an interdependent world, the need for cooperation and mutual assistance is ever present. The traditional Western model of rights focuses on liberty, with the implication that individuals ought to be left to pursue their own interests as they see fit. With human rights emerging as the closest thing to an international moral norm, those questions have only multiplied. From the dawn of Western thought, considerations of justice have played a prominent role.