Justice, Care, and the Welfare State

Abstract

Abstract Western welfare states are undergoing significant transition. Changes in the nature of work and the family, the growing elderly population, and other developments have rendered existing welfare policies largely out-of-step with economic and social conditions. While welfare state reform clearly raises important questions about justice and social policy, political philosophers have been slow to explore the nature of justice in many areas of welfare policy. This book develops a theory of justice to guide contemporary welfare state reform. Applying normative political philosophy to public policy issues, it addresses questions such as: What role, if any, should states play in supporting families? Should states support national health care and, if so, why and in what form? What does society owe to the elderly? What role should welfare states play in supporting disabled people? What obligations does the state have toward the poor? The book draws on empirical data about Western societies and offers concrete policy advice for reforming welfare policies. Noting that many of the challenges confronting post-industrial societies involve issues of care, the book draws on a public ethics of care to develop his theory of welfare state justice, outlining policy proposals in the areas of the family, education, health care, old age pensions and long-term care, disability, and poverty and unemployment, and offering insights into how justice can be better promoted.