1st Edition

Social Justice in Contemporary Housing Applying Rawls’ Difference Principle

By Helen Taylor Copyright 2019
    116 Pages
    by Routledge

    114 Pages
    by Routledge

    Philosophy is not usually seen as a guidance for modern housing policy, but in this new book, Dr Helen Taylor argues that there is something innovative, unusual, and worth discussing about the application of philosophy to housing. The philosophical framework used within this book is John Rawls’ conception of justice as fairness. The UK has gone through several shifts in housing policy over the past decade, most recently by introducing the controversial ‘Bedroom Tax’, in an effort to make more cuts to benefits and social welfare.





    Social Justice in Contemporary Housing: Applying Rawls’ Difference Principle suggests that by using ideas of agency we can understand the impact that social policy has on individuals and wider society. The work outlines the liberal principle of legitimacy and argues that Rawls’ concept of reasonableness can, and should, be used to justify the intervention of policy in individuals’ lives. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students of housing as well as philosophy and social policy, and also those working around the creation and implementation of social housing in the UK.

    Chapter 1 – Housing Studies, Philosophy, and Policy



    The epistemological foundations of housing studies



    The relationship between philosophy and policy



    Applied philosophy



    Policy: homelessness and housing first





    Chapter 2 – The Role of the Reasonable in Public Justification



    Introduction



    The two moral powers



    The use of reasonableness as a regulatory mechanism



    A political conception of justice



    The liberal principle of legitimacy



    Applying reasonableness to social policy: The ‘Bedroom Tax’



    Chapter 3 – A Rawlsian Account of Justice



    Justice as fairness



    The difference principle



    Applying the difference principle



    Justifying the use of the difference principle



    Reflective equilibrium



    Extending the concept of reflective equilibrium



    Chapter 4 – Primary Goods: An Appropriate Metric?



    Criticisms of primary goods



    Alternative metrics



    Revising primary goods



    Chapter 5 – Self-Command and Basic Justice



    Self-respect as a primary good



    Self-command and social freedom



    The revised metric



    Chapter 6 – Applying Philosophy to Housing



    The modified test



    Application to policy



    Conclusion



    Bibliography

    Biography

    Helen Taylor is a lecturer in housing studies at Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. She is Communications Officer for the Housing Studies Association, as well as a board member for housing sector organisations Newport City Homes and Cymorth Cymru, and sector publication Welsh Housing Quarterly.