In the past twenty years, social injustice has increased enormously
in Britain and the United States, regardless of the party in power.
At the same time, the idea of social justice itself has been
subverted, as the mantras of personal responsibility and equal
opportunity have been employed as an excuse for doing nothing about
the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many and for making
ever harsher demands on the poor and vulnerable.
With grace and wit, Brian Barry exposes the shoddy logic and
distortion of reality that underpins this ideology. Once we
understand the role of the social structure in limiting options, we
have to recognize that really putting into practice ideas such as
equal opportunity and personal responsibility would require a
fundamental transformation of almost all existing institutions.
Barry argues that only if inequalities of wealth and income are
kept within a narrow range can equal prospects for education,
health and autonomy be realized. He proposes a number of policies
to achieve a more equal society and argues that they are
economically feasible. But are they politically possible?
The apparent stability of the status quo is delusory, he
responds: radical changes in our way of life are unavoidable.
Whether these changes are for better or for worse depends partly on
the availability of a coherent set of principles and a programme
flowing from them that is capable of mobilizing the growing
discontent with business as usual. That is, ultimately, why social
justice matters.
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