Social Justice

Naturalism, as a view that might take hold in an open society, has the potential to change deeply rooted attitudes that shape our conceptions of a just society. What do people deserve, and why? Given a science-based naturalism, there are no reasons to suppose certain classes of human beings deserve greater opportunity for self-expression, autonomy, or advancement. Naturalism thus supports a progressive and egalitarian vision of human flourishing in which collective action to distribute resources and opportunities to all finds strong justification.

See also the Social Policy and Criminal Justice pages.

Articles in this Section

Democratizing Success: Stating the Obvious in Service to Equality

Countering the myth of the bootstrap-powered, self-made self, and what that would mean for social equality.
The Natural Disaster of Poverty

The myth of the self-made self reinforces the illegitimate moral distinction between the poor and the victims of natural disasters.

Related Content from Other Sections

Criminal Justice As Social Justice: Review of Gregg Caruso's Rejecting Retributivism, Book Review

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Naturalism and Well-Being, Article

Chapter for "Beyond Religion," Macmillan Interdisciplinary Handbooks
United for a Fair Economy, External Resource

Challenging the status quo about the distribution of wealth by questioning the self-made self.
Secular Coalition for America, External Resource

An alliance of humanist, atheist, and otherwise naturalist groups which pays a lobbyist to represent the naturalistic world view in Washington.
Social and Economic Justice, Article

A short summary of the implications naturalism has for social and economic justice.
Empiricism and Equality: Prospects for Enlightenment 2.0, Article

Analyzes questions raised at the Beyond Belief 2 conference about the nature and role of religion in modern culture.
Opposing Christian "Science", Article

Christian Science ignores the empirical evidence that grounds good medical practice.
The Natural Disaster of Poverty, Talk

A talk for the Ethical Society of Boston, Cambridge, MA.
Hurricane Katrina, Poverty, and Conservatism, Talk

Interview on hurricane Katrina, poverty, and conservatism on Equal Time for Free Thought
Maximizing Liberty: Retribution, Responsibility, and the Mentor State, Article

In a world in which all behavior is understood to be fully caused, what justifies retribution?
Progressive Policy Implications of Naturalism, Article

By challenging the myth of the self-made self, naturalism undercuts a central justification for conservative social policies, and thus is inherently progressive in its implications.

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