Question

Contrast socialist and libertarian outlooks with regard to their views on whether distributive should be determined by process or end state views. Ethics

Answer 1

Distributive Justice is concerned with the just distribution of societal burdens and benefits. Any given society with limited resources has only a certain amount of assorted benefits which it can bestow in a number of different ways on its members. Likewise, it has certain number of burdens which must be bared for the continuation of the society.

According to the Socialist view, Burdens and benefits should be distributed on the basis of abilities and needs. Or more specifically, the position claims that work burdens should be distributed on the basis of abilities and benefits should be distributed on the basis of need.

On this view, the just way of distributing the benefits and burdens of society is bases on the needs and the abilities of the members of that society. As Marx put it, "From each according to his abilities; to each according to his need."

Further, the benefits produced by such an arrangement should be distributed so as to maximize the welfare of the society, aimed first at meeting the basic biological needs of the members of society, then other non-basic needs on until meeting the luxury wants.

According to the libertarian view, the just distribution is whatever distribution results from free exchange.

No particular distribution can be said to be just or unjust apart from the free choices individual makes. Any distribution of the benefits and burdens of society is just if it resulted from the free choices of the members of that society. It may be stated (albeit awkwardly) as follows: From each according to what he chooses to do (give), to each according to what he makes for himself (perhaps with the contracted aid of others) and what others choose to do for him and choose to give him or what they have been given (under this maxim) and haven't yet expended or transferred. Any distribution that results from an attempt to impose a certain pattern on society (for instance, imposing equality on everyone or taking from the haves and giving to the have-nots) will therefore be unjust- no matter how noble it may appear since it is coercive.Libertarians have no target distribution in mind and are wary of any such utopian targets. Often the only way to arrive at such targets is through the coercive re-distribution of wealth, unjustly taking the justly acquired goods of one in order to distribute them to some other. This is why they object to taxation for social spending programs (health care, welfare, the NEA, etc.). All taxation is a coercive use of government power.  While taxation for the military, police and legal system is a necessary evil to safeguard our freedom, and thus a just activity of government, taxation for social welfare programs has no such justification. When governments do so they exceed their just charter and abuse their power.