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Upendra asked:
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1. When we understand a theory of just society, understanding in totality is very difficult, I mean to
say we can keep few things aside. If I am right, then could we for a moment keep aside the aspect of
distributive justice?
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2. The choice theorists and the communitarians tend to advocate overlapping of individual action with
collective action, the latter saying that self is shaped by the community or group. This may be a harsh
truth, but identity politics is always a destructive factor rather than a constructive one. (Rousseau
saying about the interdependency of human beings). I want to begin with a stand that individuality is a
crucial factor for this process. What would be your reaction?
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On 2, I'm not sure who you mean by the 'choice theorists'. I do know about communitarians, though. I
agree with them that the self is shaped by community — I can't see how that can not be true. You
seem to agree — though for a reason I do not understand, you label this a 'harsh' truth. What do you
mean by 'identity politics'? Why do you claim that it is always destructive?
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It seems that maybe you think that, if our identity is always tied up in our community, then we are
always narrow and sectarian. Certainly, if we grow up in a narrow and sectarian community, we may
end up that way — but not all communities are like this. Further, you seem to think that the only
defence against this is 'individuality' — which I take to be another way of saying autonomy.
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This seems mistaken to me. It implies that autonomy is something we just have, and that community
swamps it. I can't see how we can just have autonomy. It is something that we must develop through
learning how to operate in the world — how to perceive what is there, how to reason about it, how to
react emotionally to events. All these have underlying genetic predispositions, but none of them can
come to fruition without growing up in a community. Hence, autonomy itself is dependent on
community.
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So, if you are saying that we must strive to create open, educative communities that develop and
foster autonomous individuals — those who can represent themselves and negotiate with (and
defend) others, in the communal discourse — then I would agree.
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Tim Sprod
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50
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