Distributive justice

What philosophers have expressed their views on views on distributive justice?

-Aristotle
-Thomas Aquinas
-Karl Marx
-Chaim Perelman

What is Distributive Justice?

-This is justice concerning the fair allocation of resources, including anti-discrimination laws, minimum wage and redistribution of wealth through taxation and the welfare state

What is Aristotle’s view on distributive justice?

-He argued that:
-A just state will distribute its wealth on the basis of merit, giving to each according to his ‘virtue’ and to his contribution to society.
-This is a proportionate system where the worthiest, rather than the neediest, receive the greatest share.
-He argued that to allocate resources based on peoples needs would be unjust, as it would reward the lazy as much as the hard working.

What is Aquinas’s view on distributive justice?

-For Aquinas:
- Distributive justice concerns the fair allocation of goods and responsibilities throughout the community
-This is governed by the principle of due proportion
-People receive what they are due in accordance with their merit,rank and need
-Concerning merit, it would be wrong to pay workers an equal amount for unequal work

What is Karl Marx’s view on distributive justice?

-He developed a different model from distributive justice, which came his slogan ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need’
-This enshrines two principles of the ideal communism, These are:
-Each will maximise their contribution to the commonwealth by making full use of their abilities
-Each will receive according to their need, irrespective of the personal contribution they have made to the production process.

What is Aristotle’s criticism of Marx’s view o n distributive justice?

Aristotle would have regarded Marx’s model of distribution as unjust,as it has potential for giving the greatest rewards to the least productive and therefore least deserving members of society
-The main criticism is that, no country has been able to successfully put them into practice to bring about the just society envisaged