Inside Job Essay

1996 Words8 Pages
Inside Job Question 1: Using specific examples from the film Inside Job, discuss whether the political and economic system portrayed in the film improves justice in society. In order to determine with specific examples from the film Inside Job, whether the political and economic system portrayed in the film improves justice in society, two theories of justice have been discussed, those being Robert Nozick’s theory of justice, and John Rawls’ theory of justice. Specific examples of the political and economic system have been also discussed, and then analysed under the two theories of justice by Robert Nozick and John Rawls. The first theory of Justice that can be referred to is philosopher Robert Nozick’s theory of justice. Nozick’s theory is based upon writings from social contract philosopher John Locke. John Locke stated that there are four rights to which all human beings possess; they are life, liberty, health, and legitimate property. These rights are natural, meaning that all people have them by way of being human, and no person, business, or political authority can legitimately interfere with them. Nozick refers to these rights as ‘Lockean rights,’ (Kerwin, 2011). Lockean rights require that people must refrain from acting in certain ways, in particular refrain from interfering with others. Nozick’s theory of economic justice, which is called ‘entitlement theory,’ maintains that people are entitled to their holdings (for example, goods, money and property) as long as they have acquired them fairly, meaning that they have been acquired without violating anybody’s Lockean rights (Shaw, Barry, & Sansbury, 2007 (a)). Nozick’s entitlement theory has three principles, acquisition, transfer, and rectifying injustice in holdings. Acquisition refers to the fact that a person who acquires a holding without violating anyone’s Lockean rights is entitled
Open Document