One main area of issues in social justice is the distribution and redistribution of resources and people’s proper rights to social and economic goods within a society. This course introduces some major philosophical theories of distributive justice, focusing on the specific debates between Rawlsian liberalism and other schools of thought like libertarianism and communitarianism. While Rawls strives for a balance among right, liberty and equality, libertarians emphasise choice and communitarians focus on social solidarity. This course explores the implications of these debates upon various concrete social issues, particularly under the Hong Kong context, and integrates them with theoretical discussions. 

This course incorporates policy and current issues into theoretical discussions. Special topics are incorporated from time to time to exhibit the wide range of perspectives on social justice. Flexibility in the choice of topics is allowed to reflect the expertise of individual course instructors, though some suggestions are made herewith.