Theories of Justice: A Treatise on Social Justice, Vol. 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Brian Barry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 1991 | Series: Treatise on Social Justice (Book 1)

What is social justice? In Theories of Justice Brian Barry provides a systematic and detailed analysis of two kinds of answers. One is that justice arises from a sense of the advantage to everyone of having constraints on the pursuit of self-interest. The other answer connects the idea of justice with that of impartiality. Though the first book of a trilogy, Theories of Justice stands alone and constitutes a major contribution to the debate about social justice that began in 1971 with Rawls's A Theory of Justice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brian Barry's magisterial Theories of Justice, the first of three projected volumes, takes as his two main examples the theories of justice set out by Rawls and by David Hume. In 400 closely reasoned and often luminous pages he goes a long way towards explaining both the impact of Rawls's book and some of the most puzzling features of its reception." -- John Dunn, Times Literary Supplement

"This book is a state of art presentation of the analysis of distributive justice as well as a critical discussion of this literature. The insights of modern game theory, decision theory as well as moral philosophy and philosophy of science are used to shed light on an important issue. . . . Well worth reading." -- Manfred Kraft, Kyklos

About the Author

Brian Barry is Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and author of Political Argument, among other titles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 443 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (September 3, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520076494
• ISBN-13: 978-0520076495
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fight or compromise, What would it be?, March 16, 2003

By 

gaston magrinat (abord s/v La Danseuse) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Theories of Justice: A Treatise on Social Justice, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

" A Treatise on Social Justice is addressed to the question that Plato asked in the Republic 2500 years ago: What is Justice?"
This are the first words of the book, in them, Prof. Barry summarizes extremely well the contents of the book and then proceeds to make good on his promise.
In less than 400 pages the reader obtains a wealth of information fron subjects related to political philosophy and ethics (with an exhaustive review of game theory), a thorough review of Western thought and an understanding of the difficulties involved in creating a just society, a Utopia not yet unrealized by any Polity.
The book is a tough read if you have no knowledge of basic Political Philo, of Hume's and Rawl's thories, etc. But, if you work at it, at the end you will be able to do quite well in Political Philo 303!
Both Hume's Treatise and Rawls seminal "Justice as Fairness" serve as a platform to analize the monumental problem of creating a "fair" society, Prof Barry stily is not consistent, however, and parts of the book are made harder by his difficulty in keeping "on the subject", but this is compensated by others, luckily in the majority, where he is lucid and succinct.
Perhaps the hardest part is the first, where the theory of games, and of baganing solutions, are exhaustively discussed with relative success in making it understandable for the mathematically challenged.
The basic thesis is the similarities between Hume's and Rawl's take on Justice, despite their different basic philosophies. By keeping this as the central subject, the author succeeds in, not only proving his point, but giving an exellent review of both these giants in political theory.
All and all, this is a must read for anyone interested in the subject, I await the other 2 volumes with interest.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Theories of Justice, June 21, 2000

By 

Jane Boyd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theories of Justice: A Treatise on Social Justice, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

Brian Barry does an outstanding job tackling the complicated world of Justice. He discusses the many theories of Justice in a clear and concise fashion. He gives extremely accurate criteria of how each type of justice is achieved and which theories are less likely to occur. This is an excellent study for anyone interested in the concept of Justice and what the various differences and similarities are. For a Lincoln Douglas debater it is a must.