Social Justice: Between Classical Th eory and the Realities of Polycrisis: Review of the monograph by V. M. Novikov “Problem-Oriented Methodology for the Study of Justice” (Kyiv: Akademperiodyka, 2025. 238 p.)

Abstract

The review provides an theoretical and methodological analysis of the monograph Problem Oriented Methodology for the Study of Justice by V. M. Novikov, which addresses social justice as a fundamental category of socio-economic development, ethical economics, and institutional dynamics. The relevance of the reviewed work is determined by the intensification of social imbalances, the erosion of institutional trust, and the deepening of inequalities under contemporary polycrisis conditions, which impart to the issue of justice not only a normative but also a security-related dimension. The review demonstrates that the author’s problem-oriented methodology enables an integrated interpretation of classical moral philosophy and political economy alongside modern theories of social choice, institutional economics, and welfare economics. Particular attention is paid to the author’s reinterpretation of the intellectual contributions of A. Smith, I. Kant, J. Rawls, A. Sen, and other thinkers whose ideas shaped the conceptual foundations of social justice. It is emphasized that the monograph consistently distinguishes justice from simplified notions of equality or mechanical redistribution, conceptualizing it instead as a complex institutional form of socio-economic relations. Special emphasis is placed on the author’s attempt to operationalize the concept of social justice through statistical and analytical tools, which represents an important step toward overcoming long-standing critiques regarding its empirical indefiniteness. At the same time, the review formulates a set of analytical remarks and forward-looking recommendations aimed at strengthening the applied relevance of the study in light of contemporary challenges, including war-related demographic losses, spatial development asymmetries, socio-economic security risks, and post-crisis recovery imperatives. The review concludes that under polycrisis conditions social justice should be understood not merely as an ethical or theoretical construct, but as a key imperative for societal resilience, social cohesion, and sustainable postcrisis development in Ukraine.