Aristotle’s Theory of Justice. Explained.
“Justice is the very essence of the State and no polity can endure for a long time unless it is founded on a right scheme of justice.” Aristotle
For Aristotle, justice is virtue in action. He argues that everything in the universe has an end or telos and man’s telos is to reach happiness. Justice is essential to realise man’s happiness.
According to Aristotle, the aim of the State is to produce good citizens, that is, individuals living a virtuous and happy life. Justice is complete virtue. The primary task of the State should then be to ensure justice.
Aristotle talked about two types of justice:
- Distributive Justice
- Corrective/Rectificatory/Remedial Justice
ARISTOTLE’S DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
Aristotle’s distributive justice consists in proper allocation to each person according to his worth or deserts. In other words, it involves dividing benefits and burdens fairly among members of a community. Accordingly, offices, wealth, rewards, and dues should be distributed among people according to their contributions and merit.
The mean of justice lies between the vices of getting too much and getting too little, relative to what one deserves.
Aristotelian distributive justice, in a sense, is the other name of proportionate equality. It says that a man’s rights and rewards should correspond to his merit and social contribution.
In Aristotle’s political philosophy, the essential criterion of justice is treating equals equally and unequals unequally in proportion to their relevant differences.
Aristotle argued that there are differences in the natural capacities among people. Human inequality is natural. Some men are marked as superior and fit to rule from birth, while others are inferior and marked from birth to be ruled by others. Aristotle said that masters are there to rule, while slaves to be ruled.
For Aristotle, justice involves equality not for everyone, but only for equals. It requires inequality for people who are unequal. According to Aristotle, it is unjust to treat equals unequally. It is equally unjust to treat unequals equally.
Aristotle said that democracy is intrinsically unjust because it tries to treat unequals equally. Similarly, oligarchy is also intrinsically unjust because it tries to treat equals unequally.
According to Aristotle, in a just political society, those who contribute the most to the common good will receive a larger share of society’s honours. In that sense, aristocracy contributes most to the common good and hence deserves to rule.
Aristotle advocated distributive justice since he was convinced that inequality breeds revolution. He famously stated that the greatest crimes are due to excess rather than want; no man becomes a tyrant in order to avoid feeling the cold.
ARISTOTLE’S RECTIFICATORY JUSTICE
Aristotle’s rectificatory justice was required to rectify unfair distribution. If a member of a community has been unfairly benefitted or burdened with more or less than is deserved in the way of social distributions, then corrective justice may be required by a court of law.
Rectificatory justice requires us to try to restore a fair balance in interpersonal relations where it has been lost such as contracts and criminal law.
CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF ARISTOTLE’S THEORY OF JUSTICE
Aristotle is no believer in equality. On the contrary, he tried to counter the principle of equality by justifying inequalities.
Aristotle’s theory of justice is against modern democratic values and egalitarian society.
Aristotle was a supporter of meritocratic society. Meritocracy is desirable where there is social and economic equality but not in a society where there is stark inequality.
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