Ebook: Poverty, Justice, and Western Political Thought

Poverty, Justice, and Western Political Thought admirably fills a notable void in the growing literature on theories of justice and treatments of the history of political thought - and it does so with clear writing, careful fidelity to the texts, and a clear sense of purpose. Vaughan argues that poverty is a central concern to anyone addressing political justice - and she brings much evidence to bear in support of this thesis, drawing on thinkers from Plato through Rawls. In each instance, she lays out the broad principles of the philosopher's politics and how poverty becomes intricately linked to realizing these principles in the real world. The results - from thinker to thinker - are varied. None are perfect, though some are clearly better than others. Plato, for example, institutes a number of reforms in his Laws aimed at reducing the problem of poverty [and also the problem of wealth, for that matter]. Aristotle is also concerned about poverty, but seems to assume poverty or an impoverished existence for the majority of his population.

She goes on in subsequent chapters to explore many closely related themes. How does justice come to bear on poverty? What has been understood to be the origins of poverty? How does an understanding of these origins affect the choice of solutions? What measures are most effective? What is the role of theories of human nature in understanding the problem of poverty and its treatment?

The book accomplishes two things at once. First, it reminds political theorists that no theory of justice is complete without considering how it affects the poor. Second, it reminds policy scholars and pubic officials that much can be learned about coping with such problems from examining the rich tradition of political theory. Satisfying just one of these goals would alone make this an important book. Vaughan, however, manages to do both. I can imagine a large audience for this work, including both political theorists and public policy scholars - but also additionally, philosophers, intellectual historians, advocates for the poor, and even a general lay audience interested in the evolution of the treatment of the poor. It could easily be assigned in courses in public policy, political theory, and especially those on poverty.

This is an important and valuable study in the history of ideas, and essential reading for anyone concerned with the history of poverty, its diagnoses, and its treatment.