Conceptualizing distributive justice in education: a complexity theory perspective.

This article examines how complexity theory, which addresses systems with multiple interdependent variables, can inform the conceptualization and practice of distributive justice in education. It argues that viewing education as a complex dynamic system challenges traditional ideal theories of justice by emphasizing system diversity, the limitations of reductionism, and the inevitability of change. The article suggests that distributive justice should account for local injustices, relational interconnections within educational systems, and the need for flexible, adaptive approaches to justice that respond to evolving contexts. Using Harry Brighouse's Rawlsian framework on school choice as a case study, the article contrasts his abstract, individualistic, and static approach with a complexity-informed perspective that prioritizes context sensitivity, systemic interactions, and ongoing adaptation. Overall, it proposes that integrating complexity theory can enrich philosophical and practical understandings of educational justice without discarding existing theories.