In every society, the available resources or goods are limited, and they need to be allocated among the members of that location according to certain principles. Fair distribution, law, and order depend on this, resulting in higher satisfaction levels.
Various theories exist regarding the ownership and distribution of the available benefits and the associated burdens. Distributive justice is one of them, and it is followed by most democratic communities in the world. It has been practiced for centuries, advocated by democratic societies, and followed by different economic, political, and social organizations.
This ideology is backed by certain distribution principles, ensuring everyone gets the required benefits and enough opportunities for prosperity. Learn about various theories that are working under this concept and its basic parameters for resource allocation.
What is Distributive Justice?
Certain principles that dictate the allocation of available resources in the form of goods and opportunities in a society are collectively called distributive justice. This theory highlights some practices as right and others as wrong regarding distributing available goods among society members. It ensures people get enough perks for survival and growth without unjust practices
Key Theories of Distributive Justice
Different theories evolved with time under the ideology of distributive justice and added more depth with new guidelines. The basic three theories that are supported by political and social scientists are the following.
a) Theory of Justice as Fairness
This theory was presented by the political philosopher John Rawls. According to him, the basic structure of a society defines justice or the set of rules and regulations for the working of different institutions. This structure also includes political, social, and economic organizations. The basic guidelines for this setup state that all the members of the society enjoy complete liberty and equal individual rights.
Likewise, every member has equal and equitable access to available opportunities. Less privileged groups must be entitled to more benefits to reduce economic inequalities. Freedom, resource allocation, and access to opportunities are monitored by society’s designated institutions to ensure a fair system. These rational members play a vital role in improving society as a whole.
b) Utilitarianism
This theory is based on society’s overall benefits and calls those rules just and right that result in the betterment of a maximum number of people. Social conduct and policies must be made to promote happiness in society. People will be happy if they get maximum opportunities to survive and grow. Likewise, this theory considers all such actions wrong that are against the interests of society as a whole.
Utilitarianism is primarily focused on outcomes and people’s welfare. All social, economic, or political decisions are based on the members’ happiness and unhappiness. Likewise, the rules for the allocation of resources are based on the overall utility concept. However, the biggest criticism of this ideology is the absence of guidelines or a roadmap to achieve these objectives.
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c) Egalitarianism
This is another popular political philosophy that advocates equal rights for every member of society. According to the American philosopher Elizabeth Anderson, justice in a community is defined by the equality of all members of society. This ideology highlights all the rules and regulations that help ensure an equal distribution of resources. This means it is more focused on fair distribution rather than results.
The Equal Pay Act prevailing in the United States is the biggest example of this theory. Under this law, sex-based wage is prohibited where men and women are working equally in the same setup. Equal work is defined by equal skill, effort, and responsibility. This means jobs may or may not be identical but substantially equal. In short, the theory advocates the quality distribution of all the important resources including the basic necessities of life. Countries like Iceland are true followers of this concept in promoting gender equality and removing differences based on race, ethnicity, etc.
Principles of Distributive Justice
Under distributive justice, the benefits and the burden associated with the perks are shared among the members of the society. This allocation is based on certain principles, which are the following:
a) Equality
This principle is also known as Strict Egalitarianism, which states that all humans living in a society are morally equal in status. Every individual’s right is equal access to the available resources, including opportunities, goods, and services. This is the most simple principle that is followed in distributive justice for the allocation of resources.
b) Need
This principle highlights that every individual’s needs are unique and differ from one person to another. Based on such needs, the number of required benefits also varies. So, every member of society should not get the same perks, and the distribution patterns should be based on personal requirements. Those who are more needy must get more perks than the others.
c) Merit
This is another basic principle of distributive justice that states that every person’s capability is different from the other. So many individuals are more deserving on the basis of merit, and they should get more benefits. Under that principle, those who strive hard must get the deserving benefits rather than those who don’t strive for anything.
d) Contribution
This contribution principle is almost the same as the merit principle. Here, every person contributes different amounts or levels of effort to a particular product. The perks that they should receive must be based on their contribution. Therefore, those who contribute more must get more benefits than the others. Likewise, those who contribute less are entitled to receive less benefits accordingly.
e) Proportionality
Just like contribution and merit principles, the concept of proportionality works. Under this principle, people who are putting in equal efforts for equal time duration are entitled to receive and enjoy equal opportunities or benefits. There should be no difference in the allocation of the benefits.
f) Equity
The equity principle represents the guidelines of proportionality, merit, and contribution. It describes the relation between the input and the output and the allocation of benefits accordingly. Therefore, those who put equal inputs must be treated equally with an access to the available opportunities. Likewise, individuals who have different input levels must be treated separately.
g) Power
Various theorists criticize this principle, as it promotes the unequal distribution of available resources. According to this principle, those who are more powerful are more deserving of exploiting the opportunities available in society. Those with less or no power are not entitled to such perks.
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h) Responsibility
This principle is all about caring and sharing with others. Those more privileged in terms of social status and resources are responsible for sharing their wealth with the needy. This principle is reflected by the taxation system of any country, where high rates are applied to the upper class and the lower and middle classes are asked to pay minimum taxes.
Significance of Distributive Justice
For the ultimate growth and prosperity of any region, distributive justice plays a vital role. It helps maintain law and order by offering these benefits:
- This ideology is helpful in bringing social justice and equality among people.
- Distributive justice effectively attains equal economic, political, and social empowerment in any society.
- It is helpful for deprived groups of people to prosper in their lives with access to more resources.
- It is a proper framework for the fair distribution of various resources among groups or classes of any society.
- This concept considers a person’s wealth, income, and social status before offering the perks accordingly.
- Various constitutional democracies follow this system for the ultimate satisfaction of their people.
- It effectively reduces the gap between the upper and lower classes of society and the poverty ratio.
Limitations or Challenges of Distributive Justice
There are certain challenges to the implementation of distributive justice in any society. The following are loopholes of this system:
- It opposes the concept of equal allocation of resources and against the basic rights of every human being to enjoy certain perks.
- The allocation of resources under this system is not definite, with the lack of proper guidelines.
- Distributive justice sometimes contradicts social justice as it is more concerned with individual welfare rather than focusing the society on the whole.
- The practical application of “equal share for everyone” under this law is difficult to achieve in a society, according to Libertarians.
Practical Application of Distributive Justice
a) Taxation System
In most countries and societies, the taxation system is based on the principle of distributive justice. People who have more resources or stable and significant sources of income pay more tax than persons who are less privileged. The tax burden on the rich is high, and the poor or middle class pay less tax.
b) Admission to Educational Institutes
Admission to various educational institutes, including universities, is another practical application of distributive justice. Applicants who are deserving based on high merit get the opportunity first to enroll in the available courses. After that, other students are listed in programs based on their educational certificates and scores.
c) Welfare Programs
Welfare programs are also based on this ideology, where the wealth of the rich is channeled towards the needy in the form of donations. The main aim of these programs is to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor. They also serve as a platform for the fair distribution of a society’s available resources.
Conclusion
Distributive justice is about distributing society’s available resources and the burden of these perks among individuals. Communities that strive to remove poverty follow this theory and serve individuals for their desired long-term goals. Its principles serve as a base for the implication of various political processes in a fair manner.
However, there are certain limitations to applying distributive justice in the real world. Absence of the proper laws and guidelines for distribution is one of the primary drawbacks, resulting in severe criticism of this system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Basic Types of Justice?
There are four primary types of justice:
- Distributive justice is related to the allocation of resources.
- Procedural justice is related to fair dealings.
- Retributive is related to punishments for illegal acts.
- Restorative is related to repairing the harm caused by a crime.
What Is the Difference Between Commutative and Distributive Justice?
Both types of justice are linked to the fair distribution of various things. Commutative justice concerns goods and services, while distributive justice focuses on wealth and resources.
What Is the Basic Ideology Behind Distributive Justice?
This ideology is based on the principle that every individual has specific needs that vary from person to person. So, every person’s needs must be catered to accordingly, and resource allocation is not based on equality. Those who need more resources should get enough rewards or perks.
Who Introduced the Term of “Distributive Justice “ in History?
Aristotle introduced the concept of distributive justice. After that, many other philosophers, like Adam Smith and Immanuel Kant, contributed to this ideology by offering various justice-related theories. The theories of John Rawls and Robert Nozick have significant worth and are supported by worldwide philosophers, along with a certain level of criticism.
