Abstract

Justice is an ancient topic of concern among those interested in the social dynamics of organized groups. For example, it appears in discussions of society by both Aristotle and Plato. In these and subsequent discussions by figures as diverse as Machiavelli and Marx, a consistent theme has been that people recognize principles defining what is appropriate and fair that are distinct from the ability of those with power and resources to do as they will and that people respond to whether other people are acting justly. While the idea of justice has been frequently mentioned by a wide variety of political, social, and religious theorists, there has been little effort to systematically articulate and test psychological models of justice.