Distributive justice concerns what is just or right with respect to the allocation of goods in a society. Thus, a community whose individual members are rendered their due would be considered a society guided by the principles of distributive justice. Often contrasted with procedural justice, which is concerned with just processes such as in the administration of law, distributive justice concentrates on just outcomes and consequences. A prominent contemporary theorist of distributive justice is the philosopher John Rawls, although this subject matter has now received wide treatment across philosophy and the social sciences (see James Konow, 2003).

Distributive justice and wealth

Distributive justice considers the distribution of goods among members of society at a specific time, and on that basis, determines whether the state of affairs is acceptable. For example, someone who evaluates a situation by looking at the standard of living, absolute wealth, wealth disparity, or any other such utilitarian standard, is thinking in terms of distributive justice. Generally, those people who hold egalitarianism to be important, even implicitly, rely on notions of distributive justice.

However, not all advocates of consequentialist theories are concerned with an equitable society. What unites them is the mutual interest in achieving the best possible results, or in terms of the example above, the most perfect distribution of wealth.

Distributive justice in real life policies

Many governments are known for dealing with issues of Distributive justice, especially countries with ethnic tensions and geographically distinctive minorities. Post-apartheid South Africa is an example of a country that deals with issues of re-allocating resources with respect to the Distributive justice framework. These issues, in a different way, are also relevant to Israel where about 92% of land is managed by the state, some of which belong to the Zionist organization of K.K.L (Jewish National Fund). The K.K.L is currently trying to lobby for a legislative amendment by which its land can be allocated to Jewish citizens only (hence, not to Arab citizens), since the original explicit aim of the K.K.L donors was to promote Jewish establishment in Israel. This move was highly criticized by the Israeli left-wing and was also addressed by the Association for Distributive justice in Israel (an NGO that deals specifically with these themes).

See also

• Retributive justice
• Restorative justice
• Interactional justice
• Injustice
• Utilitarianism and/or Consequentialism
• Extended sympathy
• Distribution (economics)
• Justice (economics)
• Wikileaks
• Teaching for social justice

References

• Edmund S. Phelps (1987): "Distributive justice,"The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, v. 1, pp. 886-88.
• James Konow (2003): "Which is the fairest one of all?: A positive analysis of justice theories," Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 1188-1239. http://www.atypon-link.com/AEAP/doi/abs/10.1257/002205103771800013