Verified Document

Justice In A Pluralistic Society There Are Essay

Justice In a pluralistic society there are many different groups of people whose interests often conflict, and as a result justice can be viewed very differently. When laws are created to satisfy the needs of one group, it can have a detrimental effect on other groups. Therefore, justice as a concept, as well as a reality, does not always effect the whole of society universally. Recently there has been a number of states which have created laws regarding the growing, distribution, and use of marijuana. But while these states may have legalized it in some form, national law still restricts the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana. This has created a situation in which the differing groups of society, with their differing views on marijuana, have come into conflict in regard to the laws that have been created. In other words, it has created a situation where one can discuss the varying views of justice from the varying positions within society.

Justice, as a concept, can be categorized in one of three ways: a moral concept, a legal concept, and a religious concept. Within these three viewpoints justice can be applied in a variety of ways including the traditions of the society, applying logic and reason, using cultural differences found in a pluralistic society, and personal experience of individuals. And when individuals view justice in their society, they usually see it from the perspective of the traditions learned within the family, the standards of society in general, or from one of the demographic subgroups within that society. (Dreisbach, 2013, Chapter 1) Therefore, because of the variety of ideas, concepts, traditions, personal experiences, and standards that arise in a pluralistic society, how an individual views justice can be extremely subjective. Each individual within a society comes to view justice through the prism of their own lives, viewed from their position within that society.

In the case where a state has legalized the growing, possessing, selling and distributing...

For instance, a recreational pot smoker may view the law as a moral concept. For such a person, smoking pot for recreational purposes may be considered to be perfectly moral, and therefore, anything they must do, including lying, or using unethical doctors to provide the necessary approval would be considered moral and right. They may also use their personal experience as the basis of their belief that they are acting justly, particularly if they have not had previous legal problems, or simply believe that their action is relatively moral because of the particular culture or times they are living in. (Dreisbach, 2013, Chapter 1)
But on the other hand a parent with a 12-year-old child may look at the justice of legalizing marijuana a bit differently. Concerned that the new law will increase the risks of drug addiction, a parent is also viewing the law from a moral perspective; but with opposite results. Morally a parent wants to protect their child from danger and this new law substantially increases the risk of drug use. And while they may not have any personal experience with drug use, the parents are using reason to come to the conclusion that increased drug availability may lead to increased drug addiction. They are also viewing the concept of justice from the perspective of their family, and how best to protect their family from the dangers posed by drug addiction.

Another individual viewpoint may be from a HIV patient who's doctor advises their marijuana use for medicinal purposes. The patient can view the legalization of marijuana from both a moral and a legal view. Morally, the use of marijuana is a medicinal necessity for the continued existence of normal life. But the pot was also legalized for the purpose of medicinal use,…

Sources used in this document:
References

Dreisbach, C. (2013). Social and Criminal Justice in Moral Respective. San Diego,

CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Print.

Frank, Robert. (2011). The Darwin Economy: Liberty, Competition, and the Common Good. New Jersey: Princeton UP. Retrieved from http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-27/robert-frank-darwin-economy-liberty-competition-and-common-good

Klein, Ezra. (26 Sept. 2011). "Robert Frank on 'The Darwin Economy'."
The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/robert-frank-on-the-darwin-economy/2011/08/25/gIQADTZHzK_blog.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Justice in Society According to Rawls and
Words: 1865 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

Justice in Society According to Rawls and Hampshire This is paper contrasting the political philosophies of Rawls and Hampshire according o their views in 'Political liberalism' the Law of Peoples' and 'Justice as Conflict'. 4 sources are given. Very few alternatives to the prevalent utilitarianism, dominant in most of the Western world, have emerged and made any significant impact. The theories of John Rawls however have made an important contribution to political

Pluralistic and Functional Approach
Words: 691 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

The press is paid to spread their particular message rather than to spread the truth. This is true, to a greater or lesser degree, even of the mass media in the most democratic of countries such as the United States of America. The countrywide hysteria after the 9/11 attacks is a case in point. President Bush used both the emotional state of his fellow Americans and the power of

Communitarianism Liberal Society Seeks Not
Words: 1772 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

That premise states a core value that the framers intended to protect. The intentionalist judge must then supply the minor premise in order to protect the constitutional freedom in circumstances the framers could not foresee. (Bork 15) Bork's approach was recently critiqued by Daniel Ortiz and some others, one of whom noted, with reference to the Griswold decision on privacy, that Bork saw the decision as "unprincipled" "because [e]very clash

Art Education Field
Words: 2369 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

A number of modifications have occurred within the area of arts instruction, leading to a redesigning of the whole curriculum. A few transformations involve modern trends like literacy training via art, worldwide popular culture, 21st-century abilities, social justice, art evaluation, cultural diversity, and interdisciplinary approaches. Teaching Literacy through Art According to Moody-Zoet, art-teaching offers distinctive and useful intellectual behaviors and skill sets which aid in the learning of other academic disciplines. The

Shareholder Activism in the Churches and Human
Words: 2371 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

Shareholder Activism in the Churches and Human Rights Protection Stakeholder activism The purpose of this work is to critically examine the involvement of churches in shareholder activism and its contribution to the protection of human rights. The historical path of the churches their involvement of shareholder activism and human rights campaign efforts as well as the motivational factor that compels their involvement will be examined. And as well the teachings and beliefs

Educational Equality in Canada Canada's
Words: 2862 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

436-437). In other words, official commitment to multiculturalism is just a smoke screen for many Canadian officials who believe that the Euro-Canadian way of doing things is the norm. The limits of multiculturalism in practice are also visible in the treatment of Canadian citizens and immigrants who have dark skin color. According to Kelly (1998), African Canadians are routinely "racialized" and "othered" (that is, they are put outside of the

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now