Judith Shklar

Question 1

What is the normal model of justice?

Answer 1

It frames principles of justice, views injustice as a rejection/breakdown of justice and is an anomaly against justice.

Judith Shklar, Giving Injustice its Due

Question 2

Who are the skeptics of the normal model?

Answer 2

Plato: Injustice is a condition of misdirected psychic energy and an unjust individual is unjust to himself.

Augustine: Injustice is a result of ‘sinful and self-destructive humanity’. All laws/rules do is prevent the worst of the injustice - people would understand justice if they were closer to god.

Montaigne: Injustice stems from inadequate knowledge of ourselves + others and attachment to rules.

Cicero: Central ideological figure for Shklar. Roman senator and one of the main philosophers from the Roman republic. Originated active v. passive injustice.

Judith Shklar, Giving Injustice its Due

Question 3

What is active injustice?

Answer 3

Active injustice is explicit violation of laws/rules/norms. Fairly easy to identify - killing, stealing, etc.

Judith Shklar, Giving Injustice its Due

Question 4

What is passive injustice?

Answer 4

The civic conception of justice - our political relationships towards others and our gov’t. Does not particularly require adherence to a certain morality or religion, just the duty of a citizen.

Passively unjust citizens fail to realize their civic relationships require more than expected by the normal model. Indifferent to the suffering of other citizens under fraud/violence. There is more of an effect than just on that person - those victims tend to take it out on other citizens.

Judith Shklar, Giving Injustice its Due

Question 5

What are your civic responsibilities?

Answer 5

You must follow just laws and report passive/active injustice in the society around you.

Judith Shklar, Giving Injustice its Due

Question 6

What is the allegory of good and bad government?

Answer 6

Allegory of good government: Looking to a higher power, scales of justice are balanced and justice is blind, shows the effect of good government through the peoples’ peace.

Allegory of bad government: Leader depicted as the devil representing tyranny, no voice of the people, violence goes unnoticed, and figure of justice is beaten and tied up below the tyrant.

Injustice is the breakdown of justice in the normal model of justice.