Conclusion

This concluding chapter summarises the overall argument of the book. The book has sought to integrate some old and some new materials in explaining why justice in innovation and development matters. Specifically, it has attempted to apply non-ideal political theory in addressing questions of justice in innovation and development from a relational perspective. It has argued that innovative technologies presuppose relational justice in order to be accepted and legitimised as a positive force of change in society. The idea of relational justice derives from the critique of ideal theories of fair distribution, including egalitarian liberal and utilitarian perspectives, which emphasise the primacy of material resources as a currency of justice. In fact, resources or material factors are far from being the only concerns of an egalitarian theory of justice. In contrast, relational theories, including justice as equal respect, recognition and participation, and capability and ubuntu emphasise the primacy of equal relations in society. The main concern of relational justice is to create an innovative and developmental society of equals.