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Justice

: 7

  • What words denotes social norms?
  • What is a civil case?
  • What is a crime?
  • What is a law?
Theory Key Concepts Philosophers/Thinkers Key Works
Utilitarianism Justice is maximizing happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (Bentham), Utilitarianism (Mill)
Rawlsian Justice Justice as fairness, the "veil of ignorance," the original position, difference principle John Rawls A Theory of Justice (Rawls)
Libertarianism Justice as protecting individual rights, particularly property rights and freedom Robert Nozick Anarchy, State, and Utopia (Nozick)
Communitarianism Justice as promoting community values and the common good, emphasizing the role of community in individual lives Michael Sandel, Charles Taylor Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (Sandel), Sources of the Self (Taylor)
Capability Approach Justice as expanding individuals' capabilities to achieve well-being and function effectively Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum Development as Freedom (Sen), Women and Human Development (Nussbaum)
Distributive Justice Justice as the fair allocation of goods, resources, and opportunities Aristotle, John Rawls, G.A. Cohen Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle), A Theory of Justice (Rawls), Justice as Fairness (Rawls)
Feminist Justice Justice as acknowledging gendered power structures, oppression, and inequality Simone de Beauvoir, Judith Butler The Second Sex (Beauvoir), Gender Trouble (Butler)
Social Contract Theory Justice as arising from an agreement or contract between individuals to form a society Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau Leviathan (Hobbes), Second Treatise of Government (Locke), The Social Contract (Rousseau)
Restorative Justice Justice as repairing harm, restoring relationships, and reintegrating offenders Howard Zehr, John Braithwaite The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Zehr), Crime, Shame and Reintegration (Braithwaite)
Virtue Ethics (Justice) Justice as a component of the virtuous life, tied to character and the good life Aristotle, Alasdair MacIntyre Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle), After Virtue (MacIntyre)
Contractualism Justice as what could be justified to others under conditions of equality and fairness T.M. Scanlon What We Owe to Each Other (Scanlon)