Overview

Global justice is an issue in political philosophy arising from the concern that the world is unjust. It focuses on the moral obligations we have to people across national borders.

Core Idea

The core idea is that birth is a lottery. Being born in a rich country vs. a poor country is luck, not merit. Therefore, do rich nations have a duty to help poor ones?

Formal Definition

Global justice investigates the moral basis for the distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities across the globe, and the moral status of the nation-state.

Intuition

  • The Drowning Child: Peter Singer argues: If you saw a child drowning in a pond, you would ruin your shoes to save them. You can save a starving child in Africa for the price of new shoes. Distance doesn’t change the moral obligation.
  • Borders: Why should an imaginary line determine your life expectancy or rights?

Examples

  • Cosmopolitanism: The view that all human beings belong to a single community. We are “citizens of the world.”
  • Nationalism: The view that we have special duties to our fellow citizens that we don’t have to foreigners.
  • Climate Justice: Rich countries caused the problem; poor countries suffer the most. Who pays?

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: It’s just charity.
    • Correction: Many argue it is a matter of justice (reparations for colonialism, unfair trade), not just optional charity.
  • Misconception: We must have a World Government.
    • Correction: Global justice can be achieved through treaties, reform of institutions (IMF, WTO), and aid, without a single world state.
  • Human Rights: Universal rights held by all people.
  • Distributive Justice: How resources should be shared.
  • Sovereignty: The right of nations to govern themselves (often conflicts with global justice).

Applications

  • Foreign Aid: How much should rich countries give? (UN target is 0.7% of GDP).
  • Migration: The ethics of open borders vs. border control.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Realism: International relations is about power, not justice.
  • Brain Drain: If we open borders, skilled workers leave poor countries, making them worse off.

Further Reading

  • The Law of Peoples by John Rawls
  • One World by Peter Singer
  • Cosmopolitanism by Kwame Anthony Appiah