Why Is Social Justice Important

In recent times, social injustice has increased its impact worldwide, especially in developed countries like Britain and the United States. While the meaning of the concept is entirely distorted, under the guise of "personal responsibility" and "equality of opportunity," a handful of people accumulate all the wealth, while the poor and insecure are pushed to live in even worse conditions.

Brian Barry, one of the most important political philosophers of our time, details how reality has been inverted in "Why Social Justice Matters." Barry argues that we can only achieve equality in vital areas like education and health if we fix wealth and income inequality within a narrow range. He not only proposes new policy recommendations to create a more equal society but also asserts that it is economically feasible to implement them. The book, which also evaluates climate change threatening all living beings on Earth as a social injustice issue, brings concrete suggestions to this enormous problem by emphasizing that radical changes in our lifestyles are inevitable – whether we want them or not.

Brian Barry was the Lieber Professor of Sociology and Political Philosophy at Columbia University. Barry passed away in 2009.