My last book was called Culture and Equality. Its (more informative) subtitle was An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism. As several reviewers noted, while the book delivered the promised critique, the egalitarian premises from which my criticisms were derived - equal opportunity, equal treatment and so on - were never systematically set out or explained. This was not an oversight on my part. Because 'multiculturalism' is an umbrella under which a number of different notions dwell - sometimes making messy bedfellows - I had to write a long book to separate out the ideas and to show how they worked in a variety of contexts such as religion and education. The underlying principles from which I criticized the implications of multiculturalism were expounded throughout the book on a,'need to know' basis, though I may add that I laboured mightily over the index so as to make it possible to assemble the theoretical framework by following through the entries under the main headings.

In the past twenty years, social injustice has increased enormously in Britain and the United States, regardless of the party in power. At the same time, the idea of social justice itself has been subverted, as the mantras of 'personal responsibility and equal 'opportunity' have been employed as an excuse for doing nothing about the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many and for making ever harsher demands on the poor and vulnerable. With grace and wit, Brian Barry exposes the shoddy logic and distortion of reality that underpins this ideology. Once we understand the role of the social structure in limiting options, we have to recognize that really putting into practice ideas such as 'equal opportunity' and 'personal responsibility' would require a fundamental transformation of almost all existing institutions.

Barry argues that only if inequalities of wealth and income are kept within a narrow range can equal prospects for education,health and autonomy be realized. He proposes a number of policies to achieve a more equal society and argues that they are economically feasible. But are they politically possible？ The apparent stability of the status quo is delusory, he responds:radical changes in our way of life are unavoidable. Whether these changes are for better or for worse depends partly on the availability of a coherent set of principles and a programme flowing from them that is capable of mobilizing the growing discontent with 'business as usual'.

That is, ultimately, why social justice matters.

Preface

PART I Social Justic: The Basics

 1.Why We Need a Theory

 2.The Machinery of Social Injustice

 3.The Scope of Social'Justice

PART II Equality of Opportunity

 4.Why Equal Opportunity？

 5.Education

 6.Health

 7.The Making of the Black Gulag

PART III What's Wrong with Meritocracy？

 8.The Idea of Meritocracy

 9.The Abuse of Science

PART IV The Cult of Personal Responsibility

 10.Responslbdgy versus Equality？

 11.Rights and Responsibilities

 12.Irresponsible Societies

PART V The Demands of Social Justice

 13.Pathologies of Inequality

 14.Wealth

 15.Jobs and Incomes

 16.Can We Afford Social Justice？

PART VI The Future of Social Justice

 17.The Power of Ideas

 18.How Change Happens

 19.Meltdown？

 20.Justice or Bust

Notes

Index