Can Social Justice Truly Be Achieved?

Humans evolved from other primate like creatures over a hundred thousand years ago. By then they had already developed many of the features we would recognize today. The change that came about between monkeys and men was not always a smooth one. Indeed there is still a missing link in the evolutionary chain. What may be noted is that chimpanzees and humans are two of the only creatures on Earth known to commit murder. This is not to say that they kill. Many creatures kill each other in defense of their homes or in order to gain a quick meal. Chimpanzees and humans will, however, kill for entertainment or due to ephemeral concepts like jealousy. These are habits that make them capable of evil, a factor which is one of the most destructive forces that an organized society can encounter. With this in mind, one can wonder if social justice can ever truly be achieved.

Yes, it can

There have been massive strides in the eradication of the majority of the ills that humans have suffered over time. Medical conditions that would have once leveled entire nurseries can now be cured or carefully managed so that a child can grow to adulthood in relatively good health. The predators that once were a serious danger to their human neighbors have now been corralled into ever shrinking corners of the remaining forests and we will soon reach a point where even poverty is eradicated by the use of a robotic workforce which takes over the more dangerous and undesirable jobs. In such an era all humans could conceivably be given jobs that preserve their dignity if they need to continue to work at all.

No, it cannot

Social injustice has never existed because it has to. Even in a future where there are enough resources produced for everyone to live well, there will be people who hoard whatever is available so that they can be wealthy. This is actually the situation we live in currently. The addition of new technological advances will not fix this. If anything it is likely that such an advance will leave the poorest members of society cut out of the loop entirely because they no longer have anything to offer to the rich.

Like all theories, the ones put forward here need to be tested before they can show their worth. In the future we will decide how just humanity can become.