Restoring Social Order Through Justice: The Social Dimension of Post-War Ukraine

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2025-31-1-2

Keywords:

justice, John Rawls, freedom, equality, post-war Ukraine, European values, socio-political organization, democracy

Abstract

The article explores the issue of identifying a concept of justice that could serve as the foundation for the socio-political organization of post-war Ukraine. The authors argue that society needs a clear ideal aligned with European values, the historical experience, and the cultural traditions of the Ukrainian people. The categories of freedom, equality, and justice are examined as potential cornerstones of the future order. Taking into account the reactive nature of negative freedom, the specific perception of equality, and Ukraine’s course toward European integration, the authors justify the choice of justice as the most stable and universal foundation. Based on a comparative analysis of contemporary theories of justice, the conclusion is drawn that John Rawls’s theory of justice is the most suitable for implementation in the Ukrainian context. This concept is capable of ensuring a balance between individual freedoms and social responsibility, aligning both with the demands of Ukrainian society and the standards of the European democratic community. It combines theoretical soundness with practical feasibility. John Rawls’ principles of justice offer solutions to a wide range of inequality-related challenges. In the field of education, in particular, their implementation can form the basis for securing fair access to higher education, create conditions under which the education system promotes social mobility, and enable the introduction of fair and transparent mechanisms for granting draft deferments to higher education students. Thanks to its universality, interdisciplinary foundation, and alignment with European democratic values, this concept, in the authors’ view, can serve as the basis for an ideal form of socio-political organization – one that will guide and inspire Ukrainians in the post-war period.

Author Biographies

Tetiana Podolska, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

PhD in Philosophy, Docent, Associate Professor of the J. B. Schad Theoretical and Practical Philosophy Department, Faculty of Philosophy

Andrii Lymnskyi, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Postgraduate Student at the J. B. Schad Theoretical and Practical Philosophy Department, Faculty of Philosophy

References

Berlin, S. I. (1969). Four essays on liberty. London; New York: Oxford University Press.

Chandler, D. (2023). Free and equal: What would a fair society look like? London: Allen Lane. https://doi.org/10.1386/ctl_00170_5

Dahl, R. A. (2008). On political equality. New Haven: Yale University Press. https://doi. org/10.12987/9780300133745

European Union. (2012). Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union. Official Journal of the European Union, C 326, 13–390. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A12012M%2FTXT

Hirose, I. (2015). Egalitarianism. London; New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/ 10.4324/9781315772004

Narveson, J., & Sterba, J. P. (2010). Are liberty and equality compatible? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511712210

Narveson, J. (2001). The libertarian idea. Ontario: Broadview Press. https://doi.org/ 10.2307/2185579

Nozick, R. (1974). Anarchy, State, and utopia. New York: Basic Books, Inc. https://doi.org/ 10.1017/S0031819100021604

Pettit, P (1999). Republicanism: a theory of freedom and government. New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/0198296428.001.0001

Pogge, T., & Kosch, M. (2007). John Rawls: His life and theory of justice. New York: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195136364.001.0001

Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Rawls, J., & Kelly, E. (2001). Justice as fairness: A restatement. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv31xf5v0

Roemer, J. E. (2021). Equality of opportunity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. http://doi.org/10.1057/978–1–349–95189–5_2223

Seneca, L. A. (2023). Moral letters to Lucilius. (O. Kononenko, trans.). [In Ukrainian]. Kharkiv. Folio.

Tyler, T. R. (2006). Why People Obey the Law. Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1j66769

Downloads

Abstract views: 8

Published

2025-09-04

How to Cite

Podolska, T., & Lymnskyi, A. (2025). Restoring Social Order Through Justice: The Social Dimension of Post-War Ukraine. Filosofiya Osvity. Philosophy of Education, 31(1), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2025-31-1-2

Issue

Section

Articles

Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.