Distributive Justice: The type of justice concerned with the fair or just distribution of benefits and burdens.
I. The General or Fundamental Principle of Distributive Justice:
In the assignment of benefits and burdens, those who are equal in relevant respects should be treated equally, those who are unequal in relevant respects should be treated unequally in proportion to their inequality.
II. Specific Principles of Distributive Justice: specify what respects are relevant.
A. Strict egalitarianism: Every person should be given exactly equal shares of society's benefits and burdens.
B. Contributivism:
Persons should be assigned benefits reflecting their contribution to the aims of the group.1. Work Effort. The more effort people put forth in their work, the more reward they deserve.
2. Output/Productivity. The greater the quantity and quality of the work output of an individual, the more benefits he/she deserves.
3. Demand-satisfaction. The extent to which one should receive benefits is determined by the relative scarcity of what one has to offer and the desires of the purchasing public. (This type of justice is automatically produced by a "perfectly competitive market.")
C. Ability/Need Justice (Marx's Ideal). Burdens are assigned according to abilities; benefits according to need.