Title: Principles of Justice and Fairness | Beyond Intractability
Headings: Principles of Justice and Fairness
Principles of Justice and Fairness
Current Implications
Justice Versus Fairness
Deserts, Equity, Equality, and Need
Impartiality, Consistency, Standing, and Trust
What is So Important about the Principles of Justice
Current Implications
Additional Resources

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This post is also part of the
Constructive Conflict
MOOS Seminar's
exploration of the tough challenges posed by the
Constructive Conflict Initiative. Taken in its broader sense, justice is action in accordance with the requirements of some law. [ 1] Some maintain that justice stems from God's will or command, while others believe that justice is inherent in nature itself. Still others believe that justice consists of rules common to all humanity that emerge out of some sort of consensus. This sort of justice is often thought of as something higher than a society's legal system. It is in those cases where an action seems to violate some universal rule of conduct that we are likely to call it "unjust." In its narrower sense, justice is fairness. It is action that pays due regard to the proper interests, property, and safety of one's fellows. [ 2] While justice in the broader sense is often thought of as transcendental, justice as fairness is more context-bound. Parties concerned with fairness typically strive to work out something comfortable and adopt procedures that resemble rules of a game.