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Social Justice – Class 11 Political Science notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 11 Political Science, chapter 14. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Justice concerns giving each person what is due to them. Social justice seeks a fair distribution of goods, opportunities and burdens in society, so that all can live with dignity. Principles of justice include equal treatment for equals, proportionate reward for effort, and recognition of special needs. John Rawls's theory of justice uses the 'veil of ignorance' to argue for fair institutions that benefit the least advantaged.

Principles of justice

Equal treatment for equals: people should be treated equally with respect to basic rights and not discriminated against on grounds such as caste or gender.
Proportionate justice: rewards should be proportionate to effort and skill.
Recognition of special needs: people with disabilities or disadvantages may need special consideration to achieve equality.

Just distribution

Social justice requires fair distribution of resources such as land, education and jobs, and removal of unjust inequalities.
The Indian Constitution abolished untouchability, provided reservations and allowed land reforms to promote social justice.
Debates exist on how far the state should redistribute and how to balance justice with freedom and efficiency.

Rawls's theory of justice

In A Theory of Justice (1971), John Rawls asked people to imagine choosing rules from behind a 'veil of ignorance', without knowing their own position in society.
Since anyone could end up among the worst-off, rational people would choose rules that protect basic liberties and benefit the least advantaged.
Free market supporters argue that markets reward talent and effort, while critics say markets alone cannot ensure basic minimum standards for all; a minimum standard of living is widely accepted.

Key terms

Justice: giving each person what is due to them
Social justice: a fair distribution of resources and opportunities in society
Veil of ignorance: Rawls's idea of choosing principles of justice without knowing one's own position in society
Proportionate justice: rewards proportionate to effort, skill and contribution
Least advantaged: the worst-off members of a society

Important questions with answers

State the three principles of justice.2 marks

The three principles are equal treatment for equals, which means people with equal status should be treated equally; proportionate justice, which means rewards should match effort and skill; and recognition of special needs, which means people with disabilities or disadvantages should receive special consideration.

Explain Rawls's concept of the veil of ignorance.3 marks

Rawls asked us to imagine that we must choose the rules of society without knowing our own position in it, such as our caste, class, gender or talents. Behind this veil of ignorance, rational people would choose rules that protect basic liberties and benefit the least advantaged, because they could themselves end up among the worst-off. It helps design fair and impartial principles of justice.

What is social justice? Explain the principles of justice and the arguments about how to achieve a just society.5 marks

Social justice refers to a fair distribution of goods, opportunities and burdens in society so that all people can live with dignity. Three principles guide justice. Equal treatment for equals means people should enjoy equal basic rights and not face discrimination on grounds such as caste, religion or gender. Proportionate justice means rewards should be proportionate to effort, skill and contribution. Recognition of special needs means that people with disabilities or historical disadvantages should receive special support to achieve equality. In India, the Constitution promotes social justice by abolishing untouchability, providing reservations for SC, ST and backward classes, and allowing land reforms. John Rawls, in A Theory of Justice (1971), suggested that fair rules are those we would choose behind a veil of ignorance, not knowing our position in society; rational people would then protect basic liberties and arrange inequalities to benefit the least advantaged. There is debate about how to achieve justice. Supporters of free markets argue that markets reward talent and effort and promote efficiency and choice, and that the state should only ensure fair rules. Others argue that markets alone cannot guarantee a basic minimum of food, health, housing and education for all, so the state must intervene through welfare and redistribution. Most agree that a just society must ensure a basic minimum standard of living for everyone.

Quick revision

Equal treatment, proportionality, special needs.
Just distribution; constitutional measures.
Rawls: veil of ignorance (1971).
Free market vs state intervention; basic minimum.

Exam tips

Learn the three principles of justice with an example each.
Explain the veil of ignorance as a thought experiment in simple words.

Practice MCQs

Justice means
1. giving everyone exactly the same goods
2. giving each person what is due to them
3. rule by the strongest
4. only punishment
Show answer
Answer: (b) giving each person what is due to them. It is a central political value.
A Theory of Justice was written by
1. J.S. Mill
2. John Rawls
3. Karl Marx
4. Plato
Show answer
Answer: (b) John Rawls. It was published in 1971.
Reservation for disadvantaged groups promotes
1. inequality
2. monarchy
3. feudalism
4. social justice
Show answer
Answer: (d) social justice. It helps fair distribution of opportunities.
Paying higher wages for harder or more skilled work reflects
1. proportionate justice
2. equal treatment
3. special needs
4. charity
Show answer
Answer: (a) proportionate justice. Rewards match contribution.
Rawls's idea of choosing rules without knowing one's position is the
1. veil of ignorance
2. social contract only
3. harm principle
4. general will
Show answer
Answer: (a) veil of ignorance. It promotes impartial judgement.
Providing ramps for persons with disabilities reflects the principle of
1. proportionate justice
2. recognition of special needs
3. laissez-faire
4. natural inequality
Show answer
Answer: (b) recognition of special needs. Special needs require special help.
Behind the veil of ignorance, rational people would choose rules that
1. protect the least advantaged
2. benefit only the rich
3. abolish all rights
4. favour one caste
Show answer
Answer: (a) protect the least advantaged. Anyone could be among the worst-off.
A common criticism of relying only on free markets for justice is that they
1. reward talent
2. may not ensure a basic minimum for the poor
3. encourage competition
4. offer choice
Show answer
Answer: (b) may not ensure a basic minimum for the poor. Some cannot compete equally.

All chapters of Class 11 Political Science

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.