Volume-XII, Special Issue, April 2026 |
Reimagining Justice from Western Epistemology to the Indian Knowledge Traditions Gouri Bhunia, Independent Researcher, Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
Received: 02.04.2026 | Accepted: 09.04.2026 | Published Online: 10.04.2026 | Page No: 439-445 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.specialW.311 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
Justice has historically occupied a central place in political philosophy and democratic governance. Modern theories of justice, particularly within the context of Western political thought, have primarily defined justice through the lens of institutional frameworks (such as legal rights, resource distribution mechanisms, and constitutional guarantees). While these frameworks have profoundly influenced contemporary democratic systems, their efficacy in adequately addressing actual social realities remains a subject of debate. Against this backdrop, India emerges as a highly significant case study. Despite extensive constitutional commitments to social, economic, and political justice, structural injustices, such as caste discrimination, gender-based violence, economic deprivation, environmental vulnerability, and similar issues, persist in India to this day. This gap between constitutional and institutional commitments to justice on the one hand, and actual social realities on the other, gives rise to a critical question: Are institutional theories of justice capable of adequately addressing the complex issues of justice within the Indian context? This chapter explores this problem and argues that justice cannot fully be realized solely through institutional design. Instead, the chapter proposes a reconceptualization of justice through the lens of ‘Indian epistemology,’ one that views justice not merely as a legal or procedural framework, but rather as a moral and relational practice. Drawing upon concepts such as ‘dharma’, ‘moral obligation’, and ‘collective well-being’, this chapter advances an alternative epistemological perspective that situates justice within the realm of ‘social ethics.’ Furthermore, it proposes a pluralistic framework that harmonizes institutional systems with moral traditions. Consequently, it offers a more context-sensitive and normatively robust perspective aimed at bridging the gap between constitutional ideals and social realities in contemporary India. | ||
Keywords: Justice, Western Epistemology of Justice, Structural Inequality, Indian Knowledge Tradition, Moral Duty, Pluralistic Framework of Justice |