Title: Justice and Fairness - Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Headings: Justice and Fairness
Justice and Fairness
Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer
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Content: In evaluating any moral decision, we must ask whether our actions treat all persons equally. If not, we must determine whether the difference in treatment is justified: are the criteria we are using relevant to the situation at hand? But justice is not the only principle to consider in making ethical decisions. Sometimes principles of justice may need to be overridden in favor of other kinds of moral claims such as rights or society's welfare. Nevertheless, justice is an expression of our mutual recognition of each other's basic dignity, and an acknowledgement that if we are to live together in an interdependent community we must treat each other as equals. This article appeared originally in Issues in Ethics V3 N2 (Spring 1990). It was updated in August 2018. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. We welcome your comments, suggestions, or alternative points of view.