Why Does Public Justice Matter?
What does justice in public life, justice in politics look like?
- Is government just a device to convert public opinion (whatever it may be) into public policy? Or is it guided by standards apart from majority rule?
If political community is the place we come together as citizens, how is that different from our coming together as friends, church members, employees, or business partners?
To understand government’s task, isn’t it necessary to understand the tasks of citizens, businesses, families, or churches?
What mix of freedoms and responsibilities constitutes citizenship? If we understood the responsibilities, would we embrace them as much as the freedoms?
Public justice matters because it provides a framework to answer these questions, a framework for citizens to engage in public life in pursuit of justice for all.
It answers the question, how do we live life together in a way that provides diverse people with a common justice, a justice for all, public justice.