Skip to main content
Log in

Community, market, and state: Reflections on their potential for achieving economic justice

  • Published:
Social Justice Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential of distinct societal decision-making and coordinating mechanisms as means of achieving economic justice. Within the enormous diversity of actual institutional arrangements that guide and shape whatever happens in economies, three overarching ideal types of mechanisms which separately or in combination enable mankind to cope with its economic challenge are discernible: communities, markets, and states. Each of these ideal types represents a different way in which economic decisions are made and the economic actions of members of society are coordinated. The specific question to be answered is how each of these mechanisms can contribute to the solution of the problem of economic justice in modern times.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arts, W., and van Wijck, P. (1989). Share and share alike? Social constraints on income equalization.Soc. Justice Res. 3: 233–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arts, W., Hermkens, P., and van Wijck, P. (1991). Income and the idea of justice: Principles, judgments, and their framing.J. Econ. Psychol. 12: 121–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Porath, Y. (1980). The F-connection: Families, friends, and firms and the organization of exchange.Population Dev. Rev., 6: 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biessen, G., and Bos-Karczewska, M. (1991). De Poolse Transitie.Econ. Statist. Berichten 76: 368–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bos, H. C. (1991).Kan Oost Leren van Zuid?, Erasmus Univeriteit, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, J. M. (1989). Moral community, moral order, or moral anarchy. In Buchanan, J. M. (ed.),Liberty, Market and State. Political Economy in the 1980's, Harvester/Wheatsheaf: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. (1986). Individual rights and the state. In Coleman, J. S. (ed.),Individual Interests and Collective Action. Selected Essays, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahrendorf, R. (1966).Markt und Plan. Zwei Typen der Rationalität, J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), Tübingen, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubcek, A. (1990).Reorientation of Economic and Social Policy in Czechoslovakia, Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etzioni, A. (1988a).The Moral Dimension. Toward a New Economics, Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Etzioni, A. (1988b). I & We: The case for the responsive community.Soc. Justice Res. 2: 81–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heilbronner, R. L. (1970).The Making of Economic Society, 3rd ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornai, J. (1990a).The Road to a Free Economy, W. W. Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornai, J. (1990b).Vision and Reality. Market and State, Harvester/Wheatsheaf, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, R. E. (1986). Market justice, political justice.Am. Polit. Sci. Rev. 80: 383–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouchi, W. G. (1980). Markets, bureaucracies, and clans.Admin. Sci. Quart. 25: 129–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phelps, E. S. (1973). Introduction. In Phelps, E. S. (ed.),Economic Justice, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1971).A Theory of Justice, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Streeck, W., and Schmitter, P. C. (1985). Community, market, state—and associations?Eur. Sociol. Rev. 1: 119–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weede, E. (1990).Wirtschaft, Staat und Gesellschaft, J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), Tübingen, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winiecki, J. (1990). Post-Soviet-type economies in transition: What have we learned from the Polish transition programme in the first year?Weltwirtschaftliches Arch. 4.

  • Wolfe, A. (1989a).Whose Keeper? Social Science and Moral Obligation, University of California Press, Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, A. (1989b). Market, state, and society as codes of moral obligation.Acta Sociol. 32: 221–236.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Arts, W. Community, market, and state: Reflections on their potential for achieving economic justice. Soc Just Res 5, 137–153 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01048704

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01048704

Key words

Navigation