Coping with Frontier Society instead of Building the City Upon a Hill : A Novel Philosophy of Justice and Its Interest in Literature

Based on an investigation of recent developments in justice theory-a sub-discipline of philosophy-the chapter delineates a new perspective for exchange between literature, mostly realist fiction, and philosophy. Against the backdrop of the still dominating account in justice theory-here called ‘City-upon-a-Hill-Conception'-which has, since its initiation, been eager to shut out literature the essay sketches the outline of a novel account in justice theory-called the ‘Frontier-Society-Conception'-which is not only open to stimulation from literature but even in need of literature. The latter account needs literature because literature can be of help in identifying normative shortcomings of society which, in turn, serve as the starting points for normative inquiries. Furthermore, literature is of value to the frontier-society-conception of justice theory when it provides thick descriptions of individual suffering from concrete injustices which are, in turn, crucial for eliciting in individuals the altruistic sentiments necessary for comprehending and appreciating normative progress. Last but not least, it is expounded why literature permeates the new account in justice theory all the way down to its conceptual work in general.