Social pathologies and inequality: social philosophy, redistribution and recognition

• Grant number: 22/05147-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Rúrion Soares Melo
• Grantee: Mariana Kuhn de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento (CEBRAP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/22387-0 - Crises of democracy: critical theory and the diagnosis of present time, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/13487-0 - Redistribution and recognition: another angle., BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The present project proposes to investigate the social pathologies which reaffirm inequality in contemporary societies. The investigation is grounded in Axel Honneth's theory of recognition, but it questions whether this theoretical apparatus is sufficient to deal with all matters of justice. Nancy Fraser, in a debate with Honneth, suggests that it is necessary to adopt also distributive approach of justice. Honneth disagrees with her and elects the most important scholar of the distributive paradigm, John Rawls, as his interlocutor. This first research question advances the final objective set by the project because the theoretical apparatus influences the diagnosis and the prognosis of social pathologies. The second question the project proposes deals with the pathologies themselves: which social pathologies can be diagnosed from the reactions to the distribution of goods in society and what is their prognosis? Honneth describes several social pathologies using the grammar of recognition, but he does not advance the issues of inequality, which are important factor in the obstruction to the exercise of democracy and thus to the realization of social freedom. To answer this question, the project proposes the adoption of Honneth's understanding of social relations and capitalism, and also counts on Rawls' contributions to thinking about envy and jealousy, disruptive political emotions generated by distribution in his theory. This research proposal is attached to the Thematic Project "Crises of democracy: Critical Theory and the diagnosis of present time", coordinated by Prof. Marcos Nobre and developed within the Law and Democracy Nucleus of the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning. In its methodology, the research makes use of conceptual analysis and the critical method proposed by Christopher Zurn for the diagnosis of social pathologies. (AU)