Abstract
The complexities of how justice comes to be realized, and by
which agents, is a relatively neglected element in contem-
porary theories of justice. This has left several crucial ques-
tions about agency and justice undertheorized, such as why
some particular agents are responsible for realizing justice,
how their contribution towards realizing justice should be
understood, and what role agents such as activists and com-
munity leaders play in realizing justice. We aim to contribute
towards a better understanding of the landscape of these
kinds of questions. First, we argue that theorists should dis-
tinguish between (i) agents who are responsible for realizing
justice, but not committed to it, (ii) agents who are not re-
sponsible for realizing justice, but who are committed to it,
and (iii) agents who are both responsible for and committed
to realizing justice. Second, we discuss how to incorporate
agents of justice more robustly into theorizing about justice.
which agents, is a relatively neglected element in contem-
porary theories of justice. This has left several crucial ques-
tions about agency and justice undertheorized, such as why
some particular agents are responsible for realizing justice,
how their contribution towards realizing justice should be
understood, and what role agents such as activists and com-
munity leaders play in realizing justice. We aim to contribute
towards a better understanding of the landscape of these
kinds of questions. First, we argue that theorists should dis-
tinguish between (i) agents who are responsible for realizing
justice, but not committed to it, (ii) agents who are not re-
sponsible for realizing justice, but who are committed to it,
and (iii) agents who are both responsible for and committed
to realizing justice. Second, we discuss how to incorporate
agents of justice more robustly into theorizing about justice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e12770 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Philosophy Compass |
| Volume | 16 |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |