What on earth is "Social Justice"?

[MarxSchmarx]

The phrase "social justice" gets thrown around a lot on the left. Sure it's catchy, has a righteously compelling ring to it, and demands for it are routinely asserted with the utmost vehemence. But when I put my mind to it, I have no clue what people are supposed to mean by it :confused:

I mean, "economic justice" makes some concrete sense (equalize the wealth), "racial justice" certainly, hell even "environmental justice" like keeping polluting smudge factories out of poor communities sounds OK. And just plain old "justice", yeah it's complicated but I more or less get the sense of what is meant by it.

But social justice? Can somebody explain to me what this means?

[Devrim]

It was a phrase adopted by social democrats when they decided that maybe even the word 'socialism' was a little radical.

Devrim

[Die Neue Zeit]

Seconded (Devrim's remark). The more religion-friendly "social justice" has taken the place of class struggle in most "socialist" organizations.

[MarxSchmarx]

Do you think we should call people out on using such a term? If that's so, then it's a pretty crummy substitute (it is not concrete at all).

However, I'm not sure the reformists you guys describe, when pressed, would say "it's code for 'class struggle', hush hush". This is for two reasons. First, there's a certain amount of manipulative cynicism they would have had to go through to get to that, and I don't think the reformists types going on about "social justice" have it in their constitution to make the connection. Second, there are plenty of less-vague substitute phrases for "socialism" like "radical democracy", "socialized industry", "worker's control" etc... each of which mean, at least vaguely, something concrete and visual. It doesn't take much thought to come to this conclusion. If indeed such reformists are thoughtful enough to believe "social justice" is code for socialism, I have a hard time believe the best they could up with was "social justice".

[Die Neue Zeit]

Do you think we should call people out on using such a term? If that's so, then it's a pretty crummy substitute (it is not concrete at all).

We should indeed, comrade. :(


However, I'm not sure the reformists you guys describe, when pressed, would say "it's code for 'class struggle', hush hush". This is for two reasons.

You forgot a third: they reject the concept of class struggle altogether, going all the way back to Bernstein and Mussolini. Like you said in one of my articles, "class struggle" is a concept that is taken too much for granted by us comrades. :(


Second, there are plenty of less-vague substitute phrases for "socialism" like "radical democracy", "socialized industry", "worker's control" etc... each of which mean, at least vaguely, something concrete and visual.

How 'bout the terms described in my work, such as, proletocracy/ergatocracy, social proletocracy/ergatocracy, and social-abolitionism (one half of the former term)? :crying:


If indeed such reformists are thoughtful enough to believe "social justice" is code for socialism, I have a hard time believe the best they could up with was "social justice".

They're theoretically bankrupt. What else did you expect? ;)

[MarxSchmarx]

How 'bout the terms described in my work, such as, proletocracy/ergatocracy, social proletocracy/ergatocracy, and social-abolitionism (one half of the former term)? http://www.revleft.com/vb/../revleft/smilies2/crying.gif

Haha didn't forget them:D - it's just that they weren't around when reformists adopted "social justice".

[Sweetpotos]

What it is not is the demand for social revolution. And that pretty much tells you what it is right there.