Dr. Ambedkar's idea of social justice leads to 'egalitarian justice' as compared to Rawls' 'justice as fairness' which aims at the notion of 'pure procedural justice'. Comment. (UPSC CSE Mains 2022 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 1)
Justice as Fairness - Justice as fairness refers to the conception of justice that John Rawls presents in A Theory of Justice. John Rawls’ theory of justice is a theory in which he attempts to define justice. In it, he proposes a hypothetical scenario where a group of people ignorant of their or others’ social, economic, physical, or mental factors come together to make laws for themselves. From this hypothetical initial situation, which Rawls calls the “original position,” these individuals will presumably endorse two principles of justice. The first, known as the equal liberty principle, is that “each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive scheme of basic liberties compatible with a similar scheme of liberties for others,” and the second known as Principle of Difference is that “social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage, and attached to offices and positions open to all.”
John Rawl’s concept of social justice gives emphasis to fairness, it must be fair to all, to the most talented as well as the most disadvantaged section. Rawls theory of justice can find concurrence with the one of the basic premises of the Indian constitution that has provided for reservation to equalize the differences, and attempted to undo the historic injustices meted out to certain communities.
Egalitarian justice - Ambedkar’s vision of justice was of all individuals being treated as equals in terms of worth and social status. Ambedkar outrightly rejected the agents of social inequality and exploitation. He believed liberty, equality and fraternity need to be maintained in a system to secure egalitarian justice. The caste system, which violates three basic tenets, was the main obstacle to this idea of justice taking root in society. His idea of social justice is inclusive of political and economic justice too. The cornerstone of Ambedkarite justice is liberty, equality and fraternity. Ambedkar’s vision of egalitarian justice allowed for unequal treatment to benefit the least advantaged in society – which resembles John Rawls’ theory of “justice as fairness”. He recognized rights and laws as key to justice – rights determine the concept of justice and law of the land protects the rights. Ambedkar insisted that social restructuring of society precede an economic and political revamp because he believed that social justice would eventually lead to political and economic justice.
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