FAIR DEVELOPMENT

        Fair development is a human development concept based on the enlightened needs of many individuals. It is similar to the concept of sustainable development, however there are a few key differences. Fair development is currently one of the most suitable human development principles. Taking fairness as the core development element, this theory is people-centric and encourages different groups and countries to adopt the internal and external definition of fairness appropriate for themselves, on which they can establish specific development plans. If the development is fair, it will also be sustainable.

        Fair development is defined as human development that strives to ensure distributive, procedural, and restorative fairness related to opportunities, resources, and outputs, for any entity X that either exists now or will exist Y years from now.

Core Elements

Core Elements

•Human development •Non-living environment •Non-human life

        Among them, non-living environment and non-human life are two pillars of fair development, with human development sitting on top of them as not only the core object of fair development but also the overarching reason for the existence of the two pillars. Although human development is inseparable from the other two pillars, we should not care about them from the ethical and moral perspective. Fair development advocates the responsible use of resources, rather than simply only emphasizing environmental protection.

The Substance of Fairness

The Substance of Fairness

• Opportunities • Resources • Output

        Opportunities, resources and outputs are the intuitive and clear substance of fairness. It is worth noting that the fairness on opportunities and resources should be considered not only among people with different identities, but also among people in different periods. In fact, this intergenerational fairness can also be understood as the embodiment of sustainable development, where sustainable development is one aspect of fair development.

Types of Fairness

Types of Fairness

• Equality-based • Equity-based • Needs-based

        Equality means that development opportunities, resources and outputs are equally distributed among X. Equity is when resources and opportunities are equally distributed while the outputs are distributed based on the contribution of X. The least used type of fairness is needs-based, when the resources, opportunities, and outputs are allocated based on the needs of X. These three types of fairness are clear, and they are often used jointly in practice. For example, for employee training, the company will generally not only consider the employee’s contribution as well as the needs of future career development, but also ensure that every employee will receive basic training.

Forms of Fairness

Forms of Fairness

•Distributive fairness •Procedural fairness •Restorative fairness

        Distributive fairness means that any entity X should receive a fair share of the opportunities, resources, and output of human development. Procedural fairness refers to the fact that opportunities, resources, and outputs of human development are allocated to any entity X using an unbiased method. Restorative fairness means that any entity X has the responsibility to fix the damage it has caused to the world during its development.

Fair Choice

Fair Choice

• Object • Type • Form

        Fair development has different options in the object, type and form of fairness. In this regard, a very important principle of fair development is that different entities should be allowed to decide what their application of fair development should be. They can do this by making their own choices in accordance with their own situation and the problems to be solved. For example, the optimal solution for the fair development of Chinese society will not necessarily be the same as that of American society. This reflects not only the fact that the development of fairness is formed by the convergence of the ENs of different individuals, but also the requirement of the fairness concept.

Contrasting Fair Development with Sustainable Development
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT(SD)
FAIR DEVELOPMENT

    1.SD is a development model that not only meeting the needs of contemporaries, but also avoiding harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

    2.Some of the SD policies do benefit to future generations, but they also limit the opportunities, resources and output of the people or nations that are not rich, thus it could be complained or accused as conspiracy theories.

    3.The concept of sustainable lacks a solid scientific basis. It was widely used before 1987 in various meanings and it can be easily misunderstood or abused.

    4.The requirements of SD at different levels are inconsistent with its definition. It relies on an up-bottom model with lack of public participation and feasibility.

    1.According to the definitions, SD is a subset of FD. SD focuses on fairness among different generations.

    2.FD endorses policies that provide fairness to people in different conditions. With the solid theoretical basis and wide acceptance, FD leaves no room for conspiracy theories.

    3.Fairness has been a fundamental concept in various disciplines such as philosophy, politics, sociology and psychology for centuries. It has a clear definition and is widely accepted.

    4.The requirements of FD at all levels are consistent with its definition. It relies on a bottom-up model with strong feasibility.