Betty Reardon’s philosophy of peace education and the centrality of justice

Abstract

There is no clear description of an approach to justice that is related to peace education. Betty Reardon’s writing holistically connects peace and justice. While there are various traditions of justice, such as utilitarianism and contractarianism (social contract), the breadth of Reardon’s writing suggests that justice, in terms of its relationship with peace, is most consistent with the capabilities or human development approach to justice. Popularized by Nobel - prize winning economist Amartya Sen and University of Chicago philosopher Martha Nussbaum, capabilities are substantive opportunities and freedoms, consistent with human dignity, that enable persons to choose their own life path. Articulating Reardon’s conception of justice might provide peace educators, researchers, and activists with more clarity about the nature of justice in relation to peace, places to begin inquiry, and critical and conceptual understanding about the meaning of ‘NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!’.

Keywords:

• human rights
• education
• learning
• equality
• equity
• peace theory
• philosophy

Notes

1. The term ‘global justice’ is also used periodically by peace educators and is discussed in more detail in Chapter 3.

2. See Kymlicka (2002) for more information on Utilitarianism.

3. See Rawls (1971).

4. See Ragland (2012).

5. See Figure 1 for chart comparing the traditions of in terms of Snauwaert’s dimensions.

6. See http://www.democracynow.org/2014/4/22/earth_day_special_fierce_green_fire-Democracynow.org’s discussion of the disproportionate effect of ecological degradation on women and people of color.

7. Reardon’s conception of positive peace is analogous to Snauwaert’s (1993) view of developmental democracy in terms of its purposes i.e. human development.