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READER’S COMMENTS (for the author)

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Article Title: Manley and the Philosophy of Justice

This topic is an important one given that political philosophy is dominated by Europeans even in
Caribbean contexts. Any attempt to flesh out Caribbean thinking about such important issues as justice
and equality is very welcome.

However, the author needs to approach the topic in a more scholarly rather than pedestrian way. Such
superlative phrases as messianic leadership and an attempt to hold up Catholicism as the epitome of
justice and equality do not make for serious scholarship.

Instead of trying to explain Manley by referring to Roman Catholicism, a faith that is rigidly hierarchical
with oppressive teachings against women, same-sex relationships, and a legacy of support for slavery of
Africans; the author could start with the concrete situation in which Manley emerged as a leader in
Jamaica, a situation defined by the Rasta philosophy of one love, obeah beliefs in equality of souls,
Jewish texts of the Old Testament teachings about grace, Islamic teachings on mercy, Protestant faiths in
the spirit of capitalism rather than by catholic orthodoxy; if at all it is necessary to seek the philosophy of
equality in the unlikely sources of religiosity – then reflect on all the religions that are influential in
Jamaica.

The suggestion that Manley came out of the womb with his thoughts about equality already formed is
unrealistic. There must have been influential thinkers in the Caribbean who moulded his thinking – Eric
Williams, Fidel Castro, Bob Marley, Bustamante, Walter Rodney, CLR James, Marcus Garvey? If they
did not influence him, did he react against them? It is not acceptable today in the Caribbean to attribute
any and all imaginable achievement to European clergy when the rich sources of original thinking abound
in the Caribbean.

The author should also grovel less and be more critical of Manley. After all said and done, what were his
records in reducing inequality and advancing justice for all? There are statistical records on Human
Development Index that could tell us whether Manley invested more in the funding of education, housing,
economic development, healthcare and public infrastructures or whether he simply mouthed platitudes to
equality while continuing with the same neo-colonial policies of the JLP against the suffering masses.
The radio may play the speeches of Manley all day long but that does not mean that a scholar would agree
with everything he had to say or the way he said it.

To do justice to the thinking of Manley, you must compare him with the thoughts of Seaga and other
prominent politicians with whom he worked in opposition or in collaboration.

Finally, the article has many typographical errors that need to be corrected.