An interplay between Western and confucian concepts of justice: Development of Hong Kong housing policy

Abstract

The concept of social justice has been debated keenly, although consensus on its definition remains elusive. This paper examines and dissects various concepts of justice in the context of the development of housing policy in Hong Kong. It demonstrates how the conceptual complexity of justice involves the principles of needs, rights, deserts and equal opportunity and the ways in which the interpretation of these principles differ significantly and fundamentally within Western and Confucian approaches. The historical expressions of justice in the development of Hong Kong's housing policy can be divided into five broad periods, which illustrate the operation of different concepts of justice. Social justice may be pursued as an integral part of a housing policy, as a means to further other ends, or as a passive by-product. A housing policy is inadequate if it wholly disregards justice. A housing policy that rests solely on justice, on the other hand, may prove equally inadvisable. Hong Kong is a place where East meets West, and where an interplay between Western and Confucian concepts of justice has an impact on formulation of housing policy.