Ethical and social justice principles can be global or not based on the human commitment and the driving force to such a better future where the world will be governed and people will corporate from the correct understanding of what is ethical and what is the purest principle of social justice. “Social justice is not what it seems to be” so says Novak and Adams (2015). The truest path to social justice is not guaranteeing equity but the correct principles that motivate men to develop right characters that will ensure happiness for all. When we achieve this we shall have created the correct application of social justice.
Ethics and Social Justice Are and Are Not Global
Ethics and social justice are and are not global. This statement seems rather confusing but it is very applicable. Philosophers have not coined a single definition for the term ethics or set rules that govern all human beings in every society, culture, and place; the understanding of what is moral or immoral has equally caused confusion among scholars (Sher, 2012). Instead, what is ethical or not is left to be decided by the morals standards of the community in which we all come from. Therefore, what is moral in one place may be immoral in another because the understanding of morality is also independent. In contrast, social justice requires that we act in the common good of all and make decisions that will mean minimal harm. Traditionally, social justice was understood as the provision of equality in resources and other opportunities until Hayek challenged the view and proposed it to be a moral virtue (Novak & Adams, 2015). Since understanding ethics is controversial and that social justice stems from morality, which is not standardized across the globe, no common rule can dictate what is ethical ins every aspect of human life and dealings nor a common standard for social justice. Whatever the standard is that is used someone will always be opposed to it given different views of what is ethical or socially just.
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However, ethics and social justice can assume a global outlook. When the application of social justice transcends that of a community to the global level it becomes global justice (Cramme & Diamond, 2009). Epictetus moral theory furnishes a comprehensive understanding of ethics and social justice that can help in bringing the different worldviews into a common understanding. His theory advocates for the development of character as the ultimate path to the achievement of both happiness and virtue, as opposed to the understanding that materialism was all man, needed to be happy and virtuous (Souryal, 2014). If we narrow our mind to the ideology that social justice deals with materialism then we may not be socially just.
Various aspects of social justice relate to morality and moral language (Sher, 2012). For instance, Epictetus' theory embodies meditation, the exercise of self-control, and the exercise of justice. He goes further to make a case that we should leave those things that are beyond our power to the will of God; he lists things like wealth, the length of life, destiny and reputation (Souryal, 2014). When we commit social justice as a tool to bring down governments or strive to ensure that all people get equal wealth then we are getting it wrong. The world should accept that when everyone pursues moral worth, to make others happy and do common good then the world will be an ethical place and social justice will prevail both in character and equality. In the end, ethics and social justice will have a global outlook rather than being sentimental about who or not should what makes people happy.
Conclusion
The understanding of ethics and social justice have been viewed by many as separate and yet essential principles. Ethics and social justice are one but the same when viewed and understood correctly. To pursue social justice is ethical in itself but the correct pursuit of justice is through the nurturing of virtue which is morality and morality is ethics. The two become twins and it is hypocritical to uphold one and suppress the other. However, the application of ethics and social justice has been limited by boundaries but these can be taken to the global level when we all pursue character development and happiness to all. When this becomes our goal, government and persons will not be in quagmire making decisions pertaining to other states and friends respectively. Therefore ethics and social justice grounded by boundaries can be pursued at the global level.
References
Cramme, O., & Diamond, P. (Eds.). (2009). Social justice in a global age . New York, NY: Polity.
Novak, M., & Adams, P. (2015). Social justice isn't what you think it is . New York, NY: Encounter Books.
Sher, G. (2012). Ethics: essential readings in moral theory . New York, NY: Routledge.
Souryal, S. S. (2014). Ethics in criminal justice: In search of the truth . New York, NY: Routledge.
