Political Philosophy

A Unified Theory of Distributive Justice in Healthcare

Dr. Ram-Tiktin’s work on distributive justice in healthcare develops a unified theory of healthcare justice in which principles of allocation are systematically derived both from the foundational principles of a theory of justice and from the nature of the good being distributed. The central contribution of this research is its attempt to overcome a longstanding divide in the literature: on the one hand, general theories of justice whose application to healthcare remains theoretically and practically limited; and on the other hand, healthcare allocation models that lack a broader philosophical foundation.

The project advances a novel interpretation of the sufficiency approach by addressing two major challenges in the literature: the establishment of a non-arbitrary sufficiency threshold and the formulation of allocation principles that distinguish between conditions below and above that threshold. In addition, the research develops the capability approach through the formulation of a list of basic human functional capabilities in health, specifically tailored to questions of healthcare justice and intended to replace Martha Nussbaum’s more general list of capabilities.

These contributions have received considerable attention in the international literature, and several scholars have identified the theory as one of the most comprehensive and sophisticated frameworks developed for distributive justice in healthcare.

Representative Publications

Ram-Tiktin, E. (2012). “The Right to Health Care as a Right to Basic Human Functional Capabilities.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 15(3): 337–351.
Ram-Tiktin, E. (2016). “Equality of Opportunity versus Sufficiency of Capabilities in Healthcare.” World Journal of Social Science Research, 3(3): 418–437.
Ram-Tiktin, E. (2017). “Basic Human Functional Capabilities as the Currency of Justice in Healthcare.” In Carina Fourie and Annette Rid (eds.), What is Enough? Sufficiency, Justice and Health. Oxford University Press, 144–163.

Distributive Justice: Universal Principles and Cultural Sensitivity

This research addresses one of the central challenges of contemporary political philosophy: how to reconcile universal principles of justice and human rights with respect for cultural and religious diversity. Whereas many liberal approaches seek to resolve this tension through a rights-based framework, this project proposes an alternative approach grounded in the obligation to secure the background conditions necessary for the exercise of positive freedom.

Its central contribution is the distinction between capabilities as primary goods and functionings as secondary goods. According to this framework, a just society is required to secure for all individuals the basic capabilities necessary to pursue a wide range of life plans, while remaining free to determine the social value of particular functionings in accordance with its cultural, religious, and historical traditions. This distinction provides a principled boundary between forms of cultural diversity that deserve protection and practices that undermine the basic conditions necessary for human freedom.

Representative Publication

Ram-Tiktin, E. (2018). “Universal Principles of Justice and Respect for Cultural and Religious Diversity in the Capability Approach.” Ethics, Medicine and Public Health, 5: 35–46.

Philosophy of Education and Political Philosophy

This line of research extends questions of distributive justice from healthcare to education. As in Dr. Ram-Tiktin’s work on healthcare justice, the underlying premise is that principles governing the allocation of resources cannot be determined independently of an understanding of the good that a social institution is intended to promote.

Accordingly, this research examines the moral value of childhood and the role of education in fostering human development. It seeks to develop both a theory of educational justice and principles for the fair allocation of educational resources among students with diverse needs, abilities, and talents. Its principal contribution lies in creating a conceptual framework that integrates the philosophy of childhood, philosophy of education, and theories of distributive justice.

This project was supported by a three-year grant from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF).