Just responsibility: A human rights theory of global justice By Brooke A. Ackerly. Oxford University Press, 2018. 304 pages. Paperback. £19.99. ISBN: 9780190662943

• Date: 01 February 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1871
• Author: Intae Choi
• Published date: 01 February 2019

BOOK REVIEW

JUST RESPONSIBILITY: A HUMAN RIGHTS

THEORY OF GLOBAL JUSTICE

Edited by By Brooke A. Ackerly

Oxford University Press, 2018. 304 pages. Paperback. £19.99. ISBN:

9780190662943

This book provides a fundamental political perspective on how to

recognize the concept of Just Responsibility as well as emphasizes

the vitalization and accountability of political community. The author,

Ackerly (2018), has organized the book into mainly three parts to

systemically explain it. The Part I of the book deals with various issues

related to injustice spread out our daily life such as injustice in the

workplace and the environment. It raises the central question how

to deal with these issues together. Then the Part II of the book sug-

gests a method that confronts these injustice problems. To be more

specific, it confronts the complexity of injustice and focuses on partic-

ipation and accountability with Feminist Grounded NormativeTheory.

Furthermore, it points out that the Just Responsibility is community

dimension rather than individual level. The Part III of the book shows

a salient way to materialize Just Responsibility. Political communities

can cope with the injustice in our daily lives.

This book can bring valuable implications to our society. In partic-

ular, citizens should not regard the injustice issues as outside of their

own responsibilities. For the excuse that they are busy for their own

routine lives, they merely have dissatisfaction with politics and soci-

ety. It would not be much helpful to alleviate the injustice in our soci-

ety. This is like wanting to be the rich while doing nothing. Hence,

citizens should express their thoughts and opinions to their employers,

society, and the government. However, each opinion which is brilliant

and intelligent can not be easily accepted. This is because individual

opinion has no significant bargaining power.

Thus, the political communities are needed. It could be any orga-

nization with which people are daily affiliated such as labor union,

corporation, community, and school. Even a forum for interchanging

among small communities could also be a kind of community. Via

these political communities, people should exchange opinions with

others within the community and refine the political arguments

that the community has. If the traits of the community are heteroge-

neous and inclusive, the more diverse democratic opinions could

be expressed. Through the process of active participation and commu-

nication within the political community, people can identify and

understand the injustice which makes other people suffer. In addition,

they can share their problems with others. It would help them to

contribute and confront several injustice issues directly. They also

can express their complaints collectively and effectively to the govern-

ments. This collective action might be a kind of the Just Responsibility

to handle injustice and secure our rights.

ORCID

Intae Choi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3349-804X

Intae Choi

Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea

Correspondence

Intae Choi, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei‐ro, Seoul 03722, South Korea.

Email: intae9294@gmail.com

REFERENCES

Ackerly, B. A. (2018). Just responsibility: A human rights theory of global

justice. Oxford: University Press. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.172130

Received: 20 August 2018 Accepted: 27 September 2018

DOI: 10.1002/pa.1871

J Public Affairs. 2019;19:e1871.

https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1871

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pa 1of1