Remarks on the Origins of Justice

This chapter on the origins of justice pursues two objectives. Initially, it provides a general introduction to the concept of justice, setting the stage for the ensuing discussion. Subsequently, it delves into the intricate relationship between justice and equality. Over the course of the next two chapters, we will critically examine the perspectives of egalitarianism, which posits equality as the cornerstone of justice, and prioritarianism, which considers equality not as the essence but as a consequential attribute of justice. To commence, let us consider two insightful aphorisms on justice: the first from an anonymous source and the second attributed to the eminent German legal philosopher Hans Kelsen, renowned for his seminal work Reine Rechtslehre (1934).