Idéale ou comparative : quelle approche pour la justice sociale ?

Sen opposes two approaches to social justice. The transcendental one deals with the question of a just society. The comparative approach is about ordering social alternatives. According to Sen, such approaches are exclusive. I discuss the argument and show that the approaches are complementary. The transcendental (or ideal) approach is necessary but needs to be extended with a derivative and comparative approach. Conversely, the comparative approach is necessary but needs some transcendental foundations. The two approaches contribute to the elaboration of a synthetic approach to social justice. Under the latter, the ethical foundations of social evaluations are made explicit. Classification JEL : B41 D60 D63