JUSTICE, John Paul Vemo S.

JUSTICE: The concept of justice is as old as the human society itself
and has evolved a great deal down the ages. Thought there are certain
common principles of justice there can be no unitary justice because
the understandings of justice differ in each culture.
The word 'Justice is derived from the Latin justitia which in turn has
its roots in the word jus meaning 'right'. Traditionally, justice is
defined by the Latin tag 'suum cuique tribuere' meaning to allocate to
each his own. Accordingly each individual shall receive the benefits
or reward and the evils of its own nature and its consequent conduct.
Justice has been defined as "giving every man his due"; the
satisfaction of all rightful expectations and claims; and an attitude
of respect for the rights of human personality as an end in itself.
Justice means giving each person the conditions necessary for its
growth as a person.
The concept of justice lies at the heart of moral and political
philosophy. It is a necessary virtue of individuals in their
interactions with others and the principle virtue of social
institutions, although not the only one. For Plato justice is the
harmony of all the virtues. For Aristotle it is the practice of virtue
toward other persons.
The ancient Greeks conceived of justice as the attitude, virtue or
action that contributes to the upholding of the fundamental order that
governs both nature and society. However, with the arrival of
Christianity a new element was added to the concept of justice, that
is, divine command. Justice then, in the Christian world, was
understood as living in obedience to the laws of God.
There are various forms of justice like corrective justice,
distributive justice, social justice, commutative justice, legal
justice, retributive justice, restorative justice, ethical justice,
etc.
Ethical justice is based on the needs of a man as a moral personality
and a member of society. Ethical justice tends to stress the right of
every man to the conditions necessary for a good life. On its negative
side it condemns any violation of rights in the interest of
individuals or privileged groups. Conceptions like liberty and
equality have been closely related to the idea of justice, especially
in modern times.