Az igazságosság alapja
The Foundation of Justice

Summary/Abstract: In the introduction of his book, the author depicts people as “justifying creatures” (Rechtfertigungswesen),who justify their actions both for themselves and for others, while theyexpects the same from others as well. This idea appears in the existence of social practices,through which individuals are situated in a “justifying order” built up from normsand institutions. The most important principle of this order is the concept of justice, whichrevolves around and contributes to the creation of needs and to the relations betweenindividuals. The essence of the concept of justice is the right to justification (Grund-Rechtauf Rechtfertigung): based on this Forst outlines the main principles of a social structure.Departing from a perspective centered on the question of justification, Rainer Forst triesto answer the questions raised during the contemporary debates on theories of justice:he criticizes the theories focusing on goods and distribution, he sketches out the principlesof reciprocity and generality, he comments on the problematique of autonomy andpluralism, and last but not least he investigates the limitations of the applicability of histheories. sophisticated critique of contemporary neoliberal global capitalism.

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