JOHN E. LaMUTH, PhD
Much uncertainty within the Social Justice Movement traces directly back to differences in the meaning of the basic motivational terms. For instance, social justice is seen by the progressive mindset in terms of an equity of outcomes, where as conservatives are more likely to identify with in terms of an equality of opportunity. Take for example, the upper right hand quadrant of terms depicted within the virtuous master hierarchy. This single quadrant is a virtual who’s who of the social justice movement, containing not only justice and equality: but also liberty, free will, and truth. Indeed, each of these various terms is schematically interconnected in terms of a meta-perspectival hierarchy grounded in the terminology of behavioral conditioning. According to this behavioral foundation, the authority figure honorably acts in a submissive fashion in anticipation of a leniently-just treatment on the part of the follower figure. Furthermore, the inevitable passage of time eventually results in leniency becoming the active role, whereby the authority figure now worrisomely acts with integrity in anticipation of the brave sense of compliance on the part of the follower figure.
Social Justice Hierarchy
(Poster, 24” x 24”)
This same basic pattern of interconnected terms applies equally well to the remaining trio of other quadrants within the master hierarchy as well. Indeed, many other notable social justice themes further come to light including austerity, decency, peace, and harmony. These terms are all represented within the lower right hand quadrant of the master diagram. Whereas the social justice movement typically focuses on themes relating to negative reinforcement, the remaining left-hand column of the master diagram, in turn, focuses upon the more positive groupings of virtues and values targeting positive reinforcement. These more positively focused quadrants within the left hand column of the master diagram chiefly enter into social justice in terms of concerns over wealth disparity and other economic inequities arising from unfettered free market capitalism. This domain is also employed to address unconscious biases that can result in micro-aggressions attributed to white privilege or colonial supremacy.