What is Justice?
When someone does wrong, what should happen? Punishment? Forgiveness? Repair? It depends on what you believe justice is.
How should we punish wrongdoing?
Is justice about punishment, about repair, or about something else entirely?
Three Types of Justice
Philosophers have identified different ways of thinking about justice. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses.
Retributive Justice
"The punishment should fit the crime."
This is the idea that wrongdoers deserve to be punished, and the punishment should match the seriousness of what they did.
Strengths
- • Feels "fair" -- actions have consequences
- • Deters others from committing crimes
- • Satisfies victims' desire for justice
Weaknesses
- • Doesn't address WHY the person offended
- • Can create a cycle of punishment and re-offending
- • Doesn't help the victim heal
Restorative Justice
"Repair the harm. Heal the wound."
This approach focuses on repairing the damage caused by wrongdoing. The offender, the victim, and the community work together to make things right.
Strengths
- • Helps victims feel heard and healed
- • Offenders understand the impact of their actions
- • Lower re-offending rates than punishment alone
Weaknesses
- • May feel too lenient for serious crimes
- • Requires the offender to genuinely want to make amends
- • Some victims don't want to face their offender
Distributive Justice
"How should resources be shared fairly?"
This type of justice is about how wealth, opportunities, and resources are distributed in society. Is it fair that some people have so much while others have so little?
Key Questions
- • Should everyone earn the same amount?
- • Should the rich pay more taxes to help the poor?
- • Is it just that some are born into wealth and others into poverty?
Different Views
- • Egalitarian: distribute resources equally
- • Meritocratic: reward hard work and talent
- • Needs-based: give more to those who need more
- • Which type of justice do you think is most important? Why?
- • Can you think of a situation where retributive justice would be better than restorative? And vice versa?
- • Is it possible to have all three types of justice at once?
The Trolley Problem
This is one of the most famous thought experiments in philosophy. It forces you to think about what is "just" when there is no perfect answer.
The Scenario
A runaway trolley (tram) is hurtling down the tracks. Ahead, five people are tied to the tracks and will be killed. You are standing next to a lever. If you pull the lever, the trolley will switch to a different track -- but there is one person tied to that track.
Option A: Do Nothing
The trolley continues. Five people die. You didn't cause it, but you could have prevented it.
Option B: Pull the Lever
The trolley switches tracks. One person dies instead of five. But YOU made the choice that killed them.
- • What would you do? Pull the lever or do nothing?
- • Is it morally different to CAUSE a death versus ALLOW one to happen?
- • Does it change your answer if the one person is someone you know?
- • Is it ever right to sacrifice one person to save many?
Why This Thought Experiment Matters
The trolley problem isn't just abstract philosophy. Versions of this dilemma appear in real life: doctors choosing which patients to treat when resources are limited, governments deciding who gets vaccine priority, and engineers programming self-driving cars. How we answer these questions shapes the world we live in.
Justice in the Real World
Criminal Justice
Australia's criminal justice system uses mostly retributive justice -- people who commit crimes go to prison. But there is growing interest in restorative justice programs, especially for young offenders.
Question: Would a teenager who shoplifts benefit more from prison time or from meeting the shop owner and doing community service?
School Discipline
Many schools are moving from detentions and suspensions (retributive) to restorative conversations where students discuss the harm they caused and agree on how to make it right.
Question: Does a detention actually teach a student anything? What might work better?
Global Inequality
The richest 1% of people in the world own more wealth than the bottom 50% combined. Is this a justice issue?
Question: If someone earns their wealth through hard work, is it still unjust that others have nothing?
- • Think of a time you or someone you know was disciplined. Was it retributive or restorative? Was it effective?
- • Should rich countries be required to share resources with poorer countries? Why or why not?
Key Vocabulary
Justice
The quality of being fair and reasonable; giving people what they are due.
Retributive Justice
Justice through punishment -- wrongdoers deserve to suffer consequences.
Restorative Justice
Justice through repair -- focus on healing the harm and making things right.
Distributive Justice
Fairness in how wealth, opportunities, and resources are shared in society.
Thought Experiment
An imaginary scenario used to explore a philosophical idea or test a principle.
Moral Dilemma
A situation where every available choice involves some moral cost or compromise.
Knowledge Check
Apply your understanding of justice to these scenarios.
Question 1
A student bullies another student. The school makes them write a letter of apology and spend a week volunteering at a community centre. What type of justice is this?
Question 2
In the trolley problem, most people say they would pull the lever to save five lives at the cost of one. But very few people say they would physically push a person off a bridge to stop the trolley (same outcome: 1 death saves 5). Why might this be?
Question 3
A teenager steals food from a shop because their family can't afford to eat. Which approach to justice would consider their circumstances?
Question 4
A CEO earns $10 million per year while their factory workers earn $45,000. The CEO says: "I earned this through hard work and talent." The workers say: "Without us, the company wouldn't exist." This debate is an example of:
Question 5
Studies show that restorative justice programs in schools reduce repeat offences by up to 50% compared to traditional suspensions. Based on this, which statement is most accurate?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Retributive justice focuses on punishment: the consequence should match the crime.
- ●Restorative justice focuses on repair: healing the harm and helping offenders understand their impact.
- ●Distributive justice focuses on fairness: how resources and opportunities are shared in society.
- ●The trolley problem reveals that moral choices are rarely simple -- outcomes, methods, and intentions all matter.
- ●Justice isn't one-size-fits-all. Different situations may call for different approaches.