Abstract

This article challenges the popular dichotomy of individual versus society as claimants to justice. It argues, on the basis of the phenomenon of human spatiality, that self-respect rests on other-respect. This analysis of relationality demonstrates that a concern for autonomy and self-respect is, rightly understood, a concern for justice in relations to others. The individual embodied aspects of each person's spatiality and the inevitability of our relations with others suggest modifications in our understanding of justice. The case of affirmative action is used to demonstrate the illuminative potential of this perspective.