Just society
A Just society is a normative phrase used to describe what a society "ought" to be. It generally appeals to notions of fairness, equality, and liberty. There is no single definition, and authors disagree about social organization to achieve it.
The idea of a just society first gained modern attention with 19th-century philosophers such as John Stuart Mill. In Canada the phrase was popularized by prime minister Pierre Trudeau to describe his fundamental principle that governed his policies, from multiculturalism to the creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms during the 1970s and '80s.
History
The idea of a just society first gained modern attention when philosophers such as John Stuart Mill asked, "What is a 'just society'?" Their writings covered several perspectives including allowing individuals to live their lives as long as they didn't infringe on the rights to others, to the idea that the resources of society should be distributed to all, including those most deserving first. In 1861, John Stuart Mill published an essay entitled, "Utilitarianism". In this famous essay, Mill advocated the latter view, in which decision makers attended to the "common good" and all other citizens worked collectively to build communities and programs that would contribute to the good of others.Canadian usage
The term was used as a rhetorical device by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to encapsulate his vision for the nation. He first used the term in the 1968 [Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|1968 Liberal Party leadership contest], at the height of "Trudeaumania", and it eventually became identified as one of his trademark phrases.The phrase is now an ingrained part of Canadian political discourse.
Unlike the "Great Society" of US President Lyndon B. Johnson, the label "Just Society" was not attached to a specific set of reforms, but rather applied to all Trudeau's policies, from multiculturalism to the creation of the Canadian [Charter of Rights and Freedoms|Charter of Rights and Freedoms].
In Canadian law, the notion of a "just society" is an ideal that is theoretically in the Constitution, particularly in Section 15 of the [Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms], that promotes legal equality, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. The concept is also supported by the Criminal Code's sentencing objectives, which aim to maintain a just, peaceful, and safe society.
Trudeau defined a just society prior to becoming the prime minister of Canada in 1968 as:
Trudeau himself later wrote in his Memoirs that "Canada itself" could now be defined as a "society where all people are equal and where they share some fundamental values based upon freedom", and that all Canadians could identify with the values of liberty and equality.