Nozick’s Entitlement Thesis, Political Corruption and Distributive Injustice in Post-colonial African States

With corruption and injustice plaguing contemporary societies like incurable diseases, this paper examines the conjoined problems of political corruption and injustice in Post-colonial African States through the philosophical lens of Robert Nozick's entitlement theory of distributive justice. According to Nozick, holdings are just if they arise from just acquisition, just transfer and the rectification of the past injustices. However, in many African States, political corruption which manifests in different ways violates conditions for just acquisition and transfer. Consequently, all forms of unjust acquisitions invalidate the moral legitimacy of the current properties and wealth distributions among politicians and public office holders. This paper argues that applying Nozick's principles to the issue of political corruption in Africa challenges the assumption that current properties and wealth distributions among politicians and political office holders can be defended without addressing the deeply embedded foundational injustices. Furthermore, the paper examines the strengths and the limits of Nozick's entitlement thesis. It argues that African anti-corruption measures and corrective justice are not only compatible with Nozickian framework, but are also necessary to restore legitimate entitlements. Finally, it concludes that Nozick's entitlement theory offers a valuable framework for addressing ongoing social injustices by promoting fair principles that ultimately contribute to a more just and well-ordered society.