Justice- Meaning and its Types

Justice is a moral and legal concept that describes how individuals behave in a way that is impartial, equitable, and fair to everyone. Justice is the most important and most debated objective of the state and society. It is the cornerstone of a human life lived in harmony. To ensure full equality, reasonable compensation, and an equitable distribution for everyone, justice demands that people's self-serving actions be regulated.

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This Story also Contains

1. Meaning of the word "Justice"
2. The Major Concept of Justice by Various Political Thinkers
3. Kinds of Justice
4. Types of Justice
5. Conclusion

It stands for striking a balance between individual interests and group objectives. Justice is highly valued in political thought. To support or refute governmental laws, policies, judgements, and acts, appeals are filed on behalf of justice. Everybody who participates in any kind of activism to defend their rights always raises the banner "We Want Justice." In the end, all civil rights efforts are rationalisation campaigns.

Meaning of the word "Justice"

• A wide concept, justice has an impact on almost every aspect of human existence.

• The Latin word for justice, Junger, implies "to bind or tie together."

• "Jus" can also mean "bond" or "tie."

• According to this interpretation, a system of justice is one in which individuals are interconnected.

• The goal of justice is to unite divergent viewpoints and structure all interpersonal interactions around it.

• Justice therefore requires tying, uniting, or arranging individuals into a just or equitable relational order.

Evolution of Justice

• The primary goal of justice in the prehistoric civilisation was to punish the criminals. The penalty was rather severe.

• A tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye was just one aspect of the judicial system. The aim was to deter such acts in the future.

• Because of this, justice in the ancient worldview was entirely negative. It is predicated on accepted morals, habits, or traditions.

• Political philosophers have characterised the idea in a variety of ways, starting with Plato (427–347) and continuing until the twenty-first century.

• Justice is a matter of functional specialisation, according to Plato, the father of political philosophy, in his book THE REPUBLIC. His view of justice was philosophical or ethical rather than grounded in traditional morality.

• If a person carried out the tasks for which he was qualified and trained, he would provide justice.

• Furthermore, Plato believed that an organic society was the goal and that it was a characteristic of the soul and habit of thought. According to Plato, fairness is the highest virtue.

The Major Concept of Justice by Various Political Thinkers

• Aristotle: Aristotle defined justice as the combination of the lawful and the just, while fairness is the impartial allocation and the perfection of the unequal. Since he believes that justice is the fundamental value of the state, it is equally vital to him. A state is founded on justice, which also gives it a vision and, when paired with ethics, elevates the state to the highest moral standard.

• Plato: Justice, according to Plato, is a component of human virtue and the thread that unites people in society. That is the quality that makes a guy moral and gregarious. As vital to the soul as health is to the body, justice is an order and duty of the elements that make up the soul. Justice is not a legal but a moral ideal, according to Plato.

• Rawls: Rawls argued that rather than utilitarian ideologies, the optimal condition of nature should be one of equal resource distribution. According to his Theory of Justice, every person has an equal right to fundamental freedoms and ought to be afforded the same opportunities and chances as others with comparable abilities.

• Cephalus: He established the classic philosophy of justice and served as a representative of the traditional morals of the former merchant class. "Justice consists in speaking the truth and paying one's debt," he said. Cephalus consequently identifies moral behaviour with fairness.

• Salmond: Justice refers to giving each person their fair share.

• Aquinas: He promoted a pro-rata mutuality-based legal system. In other words, everyone who is virtuous gives to others what they are due in accordance with their obligations. Your duties to them will be based on both civil and moral law, so this won't be the same for everyone.

They highlight the idea of justice in different philosophers' philosophies. Although virtue and politics are justice's key characteristics, there isn't a single, widely recognised definition of justice. A given scenario and the laws that were in effect at the time define what justice is.

The Consequences of Justice

The following consequences flow from the idea of justice:

• It necessitates a just situation.

• It is under moral principles.

• It conveys the idea of fair distribution of gains and losses and, as an exception, typically predominates in non-democratic settings.

Kinds of Justice

There exist three primary forms of justice:

Social Justice

Nowadays, a great many scholars would rather define justice as "social justice." The equality of all people in a society, free from prejudice based on their position, colour, sex, religion, caste, or creed, is known as social justice. On the other hand, there are many different ways that scholars understand the concept of social justice. Some contend that distributing everyone's fair share of the social pie is necessary for social justice. Some contend that the fair allocation of social benefits and rights by the rule of law and justice constitutes social justice.

Economic Justice

Economic justice and social justice are closely related since the market economy is always a part of the social structure. Economic prospects and rights for individuals are frequently entwined with the broader social structure in which they are situated. To achieve economic justice, every person must have equal opportunity to earn a living and reasonable compensation, which will allow them to meet their fundamental needs and support their development. The government need to make sure that people are financially secure when they are ill, aged, or unable to work.

Political justice

Equitable political rights and opportunities for participation in national governance must be extended to every person to attain political justice. Voting should be open to all citizens without fear of discrimination based on social status, gender, race, class, religion, or place of birth. Every qualified voter and public office candidate needs to be afforded equal opportunity. Legal justice has two aspects: the creation of just standards and the application of justice in conformity with those standards. The will of the rulers should not be imposed onto the will of the ruled while creating legislation. The wishes of the state and the general public should direct legislation. The significance of societal values, ethics, customs, and the feeling of good and wrong must always be remembered.

Legal Justice

Legal justice is the application of the rule of law, not the application of any particular norm. It declares that everyone is treated equally by the law and that all men are equal before it. It guarantees that the law protects everyone. The rich and the impoverished are treated equally by the law. Legal justice requires the impartial and correct administration of justice by courts of law. The judicial system ought to be clear-cut, efficient, quick, equitable, and reasonably priced. Effective mechanisms should be in place to discourage illicit activity.

Types of Justice

There are four categories of justice:

Distributive Justice:

• It emphasises the equitable distribution of resources among community members.

• It guarantees that everyone receives resources, opportunities, and other social advantages that they are entitled to.

Procedural Justice:

• Worried about how equitable and open the procedures are for resolving conflicts and allocating funds.

• Highlights the significance of impartial rule application and fair and uniform processes.

Retributive Justice:

• Focuses on the proper penalty for misconduct.

• It strives to implement the "an eye for an eye" principle by making sure that criminals get punishments commensurate with the crimes they have committed.

Restorative Justice:

• It aims to undo the damage done by illegal activity.

• Its goals include relationship restoration and victim reparation, involving the offender, victim, and community in the healing process.

The Essentials of Justice

• The most important and hotly contested objective of the state and society is justice.

• The idea of justice served as the foundation for almost all political ideas of the ideal state put out by different thinkers.

• Justice is the name on which appeals are filed in support of or opposition to the policies, laws, and regulations of any government or other authority.

• Because justice is so important to our society, every civil rights struggle is an important step towards achieving justice.

• Justice is among the most significant moral principles in the legal and political spheres.

• Without justice, political and legal systems are unable to uphold the desired state of law and order.

• Over time, the idea of justice grew. Without it, people find it impossible to lead fulfilling lives.

• It guarantees and shields individuals against a range of discriminatory practices in society.

Conclusion

"Justice" is regarded as an ideal aim rather than a legal system. It is a utopian concept. The idea of justice changes with time. In popular culture, the concepts of justice, fairness, moral righteousness, and equality are all used to refer to getting what one deserves. The expression "justice as fairness" has gained notoriety in social scientific fields due to Rawls' impact. It also serves as a full explanation of the concept of justice. Because of its nature, justice is difficult to describe.