CONCEPT OF JUSTICE

Abstract

The concept of justice has been widely interpreted by great scholars like Plato, Aristotle, Bentham, Amartya Sen and many more and has confused the readers to a large extent. The attempt to define the vague word has been a risky venture as it has been defined at different times by the above scholars. Despite so many attempts, a satisfactory definition of justice has not been found due to its pervasive nature. But justice has a central value in disciples like law, political science and philosophy.  

There is a wide divergence in the notions of justice. Greek philosophers regard justice as supreme justice and morality constitutes an essential part of it. But for Rawls, justice is an important aspect of human existence. He calls it as a virtue of the society. Common usage continues to treat justice, despite all its inadequacies and limitations, as denoting some of the greatest human needs. Man's longing for justice is explained as the active process of preventing or remedying what would arouse the sense of injustice.i 

This consciousness of injustice arises in society in the context of a prevailing system of human relationship. The origin of justice therefore, is traced to man's consciousness of injustice in society and consequently to his urge for change in the situation towards a better and desirable one. In other words, man's craving for what is good and what ought to be is the perennial experience that gives rise to the concern for justice.ii 

The author through this article has brought to notice different interpretations of justice attempted by different scholars and different types of justice which can fit into different kind of system of governance at different times accordingly.