Rechtvaardigheid voorbij staat en economie

Abstract

Justice beyond state and economy. The debate about social justice concerned for a long time the problems of material redistribution. In the nineties a new orientation on social justice arose: the attention focuses on the recognition of culture, difference and identity. In this article the 'recognition paradigm' is laid down under the magnifying glass. The new paradigm calls doubts especially around its conceptualization of culture, historical claims, and the range of social criticism of it. Does this criticism undermine the relevance of the recognition paradigm? Can one speak of a necessary schism between 'modern' distribution and 'postmodern' recognition-thinking? The recognition paradigm not only led interestingly enough to a criticism on unilaterally economic thinking concerning justice, but also to further reflection on unilateral political perspective on justice. I conclude that the recognition paradigm. gives little concretely political definite answers, but has vital heuristic and descriptive value. It adds important themes to legal and economic thinking concerning justice, and summons to an integration of modern and post-modern themes in the justice theory.