Abstract
A look at the life courses of individuals helps to uncover the grounds and limitations of the justice demanded of others. In doing so we can take a diachronic or synchronic perspective. By diachronic perspective I mean a person’s life course over time. By synchronic perspective I mean the co-existence of different life courses at a certain point in time. The diachronic perspective suggests that justice is grounded in the protection and respect of individual dignity. Accordingly, it has an intrinsic relationship to freedom. The synchronic perspective in turn elucidates that freedom is not possible without the existence, availability and use of a social network created by individuals. If freedom and social participation in the life course rely on each other mutually, then justice represents a necessary but insufficient social obligation to strengthen individuals and foster social cohesion. Precisely those who want to make justice strong need to consider care and solidarity. Later I will argue that solidarity can be understood in terms of giving and gratitude.
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Notes
- 1.
For a more detailed discussion of this idea and the relevant literature, see Dabrock (2012), pp. 287–338.
- 2.
As in similar cases, this kind of observation only measures statistical magnitude, not particular instances. The ‘old’ exist just as little as the ‘young’. Sex, disease, class and individual issues can clash with the age group distinction and exert considerably more influence on them. This does not mean that membership in a certain age group cannot in itself have a significant effect, however.
- 3.
For a more thorough discussion see Dabrock (2012).
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Dabrock, P. (2022). Life Course and Social Participation: (Not Only) a Question of Fairness. In: Schmitz-Luhn, B., Woopen, C. (eds) Justice over the Course of Life. Schriften zu Gesundheit und Gesellschaft - Studies on Health and Society, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86449-1_4
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