Reviewed Book: Lebacqz, Karen. Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987

Krentz, Arthur A.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 14Issue 2 Issues and Concerns in Ethics Article 1911-1-1988Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives fromPhilosophical and Theological EthicsArthur A. KrentzFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationKrentz, Arthur A. (1988) "Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 2 ,Article 19.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss2/19Book Reviews 117What is troubling here is not Kent’s prediction but his failure to un-dertake a full discussion of those Marxist, Feminist, and Post-structuralisttheories of history which since the early 1970s have forced church historiansand theologians fully to re-evaluate—indeed, set aside as unacceptable—any face begotten in a historical tradition, Christian or other. The firsttwo are discussed in the volume, but only insofar as they add something tothe “content” of historical study. Their serious radical theoretical critiquesare hardly noted; those of the Post-structuralists strikingly never arise.Peter C. ErbWilfrid Laurier UniversitySix Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosoph-ical and Theological EthicsKaren LebacqzMinneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986158 pp. $13.95In this book Dr. Lebacqz sketches six alternative accounts of justicedrawn from major philosophical and theological sources, and she devotes asingle chapter to outlining and analyzing each account. None of the perspec-tives she presents can be regarded as a comprehensive or complete accountof justice, since each author tends to be partial and limited by his/her ownhistorical and cultural context. Nevertheless, by juxtaposing these differentaccounts of justice, Lebacqz intends to assist her reader to develop a morecomplete understanding of justice as a basis for analyzing and dealing withcontemporary issues of social, political and economic justice.Lebacqz chooses the 19th century philosopher, John Stuart Mill, to in-troduce the topic of justice. In his Utilitarianism, Mill presents the centralidea that actions are “right” or “just” if they promote the widest possiblecommon good. Utilitarianism has some implicit popularity today as re-flected in the current emphzisis on “cost-benefit” analyses used to arrive atpublic policy decisions.John Rawls in A Theory of Justice puts forward a “contract theory”which has dominated philosophical discussions of justice in the last decade.In Rawls’ description of “justice as fairness” he attempts to avoid the weak-ness of utilitarianism by opposing the establishment of any social structuresthat would allow basic liberties and equalities to be compromised for thesake of social or economic benefits. Rawls also advocates government in-volvement in bringing about a common good within which the least advan-taged in society are benefited.Robert Nozick in his Anarchy, State and Utopia responds to utilitari-anism’s stress on political equality and to Rawls’ emphasis on government118 Consensusinvolvement in achieving distributive justice. Nozick argues for an “en-titlement” view of justice which considers merit as a criteria in the justdistribution of goods, and he favours minimal government involvement inthe choices and free exchanges that take place within a private enterprisesystem.The three philosophical works focus primarily on analyzing and con-ceptualizing a theory of justice. The next three “theological” accounts ofjustice emphasize the centrality of the Christian faith as a basis for dealingwith concrete issues of social justice. The emphasis is more on practicethan on theory, although Lebacqz is careful to point out the underlyingassumptions and the view of justice implied in each of the theological po-sitions.The Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economyproduced by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1985 offers arecent account of Catholic social and economic teaching. The letter em-phasizes that the goods of nature and society are for all people and thatthe needs of the poor and the participation of the “marginalized” in societymust be given first priority in establishing economic and social justice.Reinhold Niebuhr, who exercised a strong influence on Christian socialthought in America from the 1930s to the 1960s, presents the Protestantalternative on justice. In such works as An Interpretation of ChristianEthics^ and Moral Man and Immoral Society, Niebuhr stresses the realityof sin and its presence in the social structures of all societies. He advocatesa Christian “realism” which requires the exercise of both justice and love[agape] in working out the political and economic structures for a just soci-ety. But given the reality of sin and competing centers of power in a society,there will always be elements of structural injustice and fundamental limitsto the social harmony which a society may achieve.Jose Porfirio Miranda in Marx and the Bible utters an urgent call forjustice from the perspective of liberation theology. Concentrating on therealities of injustice manifest in the political and economic oppression inthe world, liberation theologians from Latin America seek to raise the con-sciousness of others regarding these issues and attempt to bring about fun-damental changes in society to redress these conditions. This involves afundamental challenge to the economic and social systems of capitalismand a degree of optimism regarding the ability of any new economic andsocial order to overcome current structural injustices.Given the differences in perspective of the six theories of justice, it isnot surprising that Lebacqz leaves the reader with a sense that the houseof justice is divided against itself. Fundamental differences in substanceas well as in approach and methodology separate these theories of justice.Lebacqz leaves these divisions unresolved and allows her readers to strugglewith the tensions and begin to think through the issues of social, politicaland economic justice for themselves.One important substantive difference between the philosophical andthe theological accounts of justice relates to the evaluation of capitalistBook Reviews 119economies. The philosophical accounts of justice are positively disposed tocapitalist market-based economies. The theological positions, on the otherhand, do not give unqualified approval to capitalist economic systems. Forexample, the bishops are moderately critical, while being intent on reform.Niebuhr offers Marxist criticisms of capitalism, but is equally critical of“socialist” alternatives, and liberation theologians are most vocal in theiropposition to the structural injustices of capitalism. Lebacqz gives theimpression that the theological accounts of justice have accurately identifiedfundamental social and political problems at the heart of capitalism, buthave yet to work out the solutions to these problems with equal clarity.Lebacqz’s book is well-structured and clearly written. She takes a bal-anced and fair-minded approach in presenting the central concerns of eachposition, in examining various criticisms, and in producing insightful eval-uations that probe the contributions and the limitations of each theory ofjustice. The book can be effectively read on its own, but will be especiallyuseful to anyone interested in sophisticated critical analysis of the majorworks identified in the study.Arthur A. KrentzLuther College, University of ReginaFaith That Transforms: Essays in Honor of GregoryBaumMary Jo Leddy and Mary Ann Hinsdale, eds.New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987It comes as no surprise that a Feschschrift has appeared to honor thelife and work of Dr. Gregory Baum, Canada’s most noted liberationist the-ologian, but unlike so many works of this genre, this particular one has agoodly number of most compelling characteristics. Of course, the articlesare mixed in their value and appeal. That is to be expected. Nonetheless,all of them have some value, and a number of them are superior. RosemaryRuether’s piece on theologizing from the “across-the-tracks” experience isespecially poignant, and Dorothee Solle’s article linking peace with femi-nism is thought-provoking in its insights. Douglas Hall’s “Theology Is anEarth Science” reflects his usual blend of classical thinking and radical in-sights. Especially appealing is Mary Jo Leddy’s “Exercising Theology inthe Canadian Context.” Full well she realizes the pioneering importance oflinking the gospel to issues in life within our own nation, just as she realizeshow little importance we give to this task. She speaks of Canada’s colonialexistence, and the fact that “our point of reference is always elsewhere—there but not here.'” So, for her, the question “Who am I?” must be linkedinexorably with “Where is here?” So, she concludes, we must turn away

Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 14
Issue 2 Issues and Concerns in Ethics Article 19
11-1-1988
Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from
Philosophical and Theological Ethics
Arthur A. Krentz
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Krentz, Arthur A. (1988) "Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 2 ,
Article 19.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss2/19
Book Reviews 117
What is troubling here is not Kent’s prediction but his failure to un-
dertake a full discussion of those Marxist, Feminist, and Post-structuralist
theories of history which since the early 1970s have forced church historians
and theologians fully to re-evaluate—indeed, set aside as unacceptable
—
any face begotten in a historical tradition, Christian or other. The first
two are discussed in the volume, but only insofar as they add something to
the “content” of historical study. Their serious radical theoretical critiques
are hardly noted; those of the Post-structuralists strikingly never arise.
Peter C. Erb
Wilfrid Laurier University
Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosoph-
ical and Theological Ethics
Karen Lebacqz
Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986
158 pp. $13.95
In this book Dr. Lebacqz sketches six alternative accounts of justice
drawn from major philosophical and theological sources, and she devotes a
single chapter to outlining and analyzing each account. None of the perspec-
tives she presents can be regarded as a comprehensive or complete account
of justice, since each author tends to be partial and limited by his/her own
historical and cultural context. Nevertheless, by juxtaposing these different
accounts of justice, Lebacqz intends to assist her reader to develop a more
complete understanding of justice as a basis for analyzing and dealing with
contemporary issues of social, political and economic justice.
Lebacqz chooses the 19th century philosopher, John Stuart Mill, to in-
troduce the topic of justice. In his Utilitarianism, Mill presents the central
idea that actions are “right” or “just” if they promote the widest possible
common good. Utilitarianism has some implicit popularity today as re-
flected in the current emphzisis on “cost-benefit” analyses used to arrive at
public policy decisions.
John Rawls in A Theory of Justice puts forward a “contract theory”
which has dominated philosophical discussions of justice in the last decade.
In Rawls’ description of “justice as fairness” he attempts to avoid the weak-
ness of utilitarianism by opposing the establishment of any social structures
that would allow basic liberties and equalities to be compromised for the
sake of social or economic benefits. Rawls also advocates government in-
volvement in bringing about a common good within which the least advan-
taged in society are benefited.
Robert Nozick in his Anarchy, State and Utopia responds to utilitari-
anism’s stress on political equality and to Rawls’ emphasis on government
118 Consensus
involvement in achieving distributive justice. Nozick argues for an “en-
titlement” view of justice which considers merit as a criteria in the just
distribution of goods, and he favours minimal government involvement in
the choices and free exchanges that take place within a private enterprise
system.
The three philosophical works focus primarily on analyzing and con-
ceptualizing a theory of justice. The next three “theological” accounts of
justice emphasize the centrality of the Christian faith as a basis for dealing
with concrete issues of social justice. The emphasis is more on practice
than on theory, although Lebacqz is careful to point out the underlying
assumptions and the view of justice implied in each of the theological po-
sitions.
The Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy
produced by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1985 offers a
recent account of Catholic social and economic teaching. The letter em-
phasizes that the goods of nature and society are for all people and that
the needs of the poor and the participation of the “marginalized” in society
must be given first priority in establishing economic and social justice.
Reinhold Niebuhr, who exercised a strong influence on Christian social
thought in America from the 1930s to the 1960s, presents the Protestant
alternative on justice. In such works as An Interpretation of Christian
Ethics^ and Moral Man and Immoral Society, Niebuhr stresses the reality
of sin and its presence in the social structures of all societies. He advocates
a Christian “realism” which requires the exercise of both justice and love
[agape] in working out the political and economic structures for a just soci-
ety. But given the reality of sin and competing centers of power in a society,
there will always be elements of structural injustice and fundamental limits
to the social harmony which a society may achieve.
Jose Porfirio Miranda in Marx and the Bible utters an urgent call for
justice from the perspective of liberation theology. Concentrating on the
realities of injustice manifest in the political and economic oppression in
the world, liberation theologians from Latin America seek to raise the con-
sciousness of others regarding these issues and attempt to bring about fun-
damental changes in society to redress these conditions. This involves a
fundamental challenge to the economic and social systems of capitalism
and a degree of optimism regarding the ability of any new economic and
social order to overcome current structural injustices.
Given the differences in perspective of the six theories of justice, it is
not surprising that Lebacqz leaves the reader with a sense that the house
of justice is divided against itself. Fundamental differences in substance
as well as in approach and methodology separate these theories of justice.
Lebacqz leaves these divisions unresolved and allows her readers to struggle
with the tensions and begin to think through the issues of social, political
and economic justice for themselves.
One important substantive difference between the philosophical and
the theological accounts of justice relates to the evaluation of capitalist
Book Reviews 119
economies. The philosophical accounts of justice are positively disposed to
capitalist market-based economies. The theological positions, on the other
hand, do not give unqualified approval to capitalist economic systems. For
example, the bishops are moderately critical, while being intent on reform.
Niebuhr offers Marxist criticisms of capitalism, but is equally critical of
“socialist” alternatives, and liberation theologians are most vocal in their
opposition to the structural injustices of capitalism. Lebacqz gives the
impression that the theological accounts of justice have accurately identified
fundamental social and political problems at the heart of capitalism, but
have yet to work out the solutions to these problems with equal clarity.
Lebacqz’s book is well-structured and clearly written. She takes a bal-
anced and fair-minded approach in presenting the central concerns of each
position, in examining various criticisms, and in producing insightful eval-
uations that probe the contributions and the limitations of each theory of
justice. The book can be effectively read on its own, but will be especially
useful to anyone interested in sophisticated critical analysis of the major
works identified in the study.
Arthur A. Krentz
Luther College, University of Regina
Faith That Transforms: Essays in Honor of Gregory
Baum
Mary Jo Leddy and Mary Ann Hinsdale, eds.
New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987
It comes as no surprise that a Feschschrift has appeared to honor the
life and work of Dr. Gregory Baum, Canada’s most noted liberationist the-
ologian, but unlike so many works of this genre, this particular one has a
goodly number of most compelling characteristics. Of course, the articles
are mixed in their value and appeal. That is to be expected. Nonetheless,
all of them have some value, and a number of them are superior. Rosemary
Ruether’s piece on theologizing from the “across-the-tracks” experience is
especially poignant, and Dorothee Solle’s article linking peace with femi-
nism is thought-provoking in its insights. Douglas Hall’s “Theology Is an
Earth Science” reflects his usual blend of classical thinking and radical in-
sights. Especially appealing is Mary Jo Leddy’s “Exercising Theology in
the Canadian Context.” Full well she realizes the pioneering importance of
linking the gospel to issues in life within our own nation, just as she realizes
how little importance we give to this task. She speaks of Canada’s colonial
existence, and the fact that “our point of reference is always elsewhere
—
there but not here.'” So, for her, the question “Who am I?” must be linked
inexorably with “Where is here?” So, she concludes, we must turn away


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