Why this book?
- To gain a concise introduction to the history of the concept of justice in Western philosophy.
- To understand the relation of justice to ethics, politics, religion, freedom, and law.
- To follow the path of the debate from Plato and Aristotle to Rawls and contemporary theories.
- For readers seeking a clear background in political philosophy.
About the book
A Brief History of Justice by David Johnston is a book about the historical development of one of the most fundamental concepts in political philosophy and ethics. Johnston shows that justice is not a fixed concept defined once and for all, but one whose meaning has taken shape in each historical period in relation to its political, social, and intellectual conditions.
The book begins with ancient Greece and turns to Plato and Aristotle, where justice is presented as an ordering principle of individual and social life. It then examines the Middle Ages and the relation of justice to Christian theology and religious virtue, showing how a religious understanding of the world shaped definitions of justice.
In the section on the modern period, Johnston discusses thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. In this period, justice becomes increasingly linked to natural rights, the social contract, individual freedom, and law, providing the theoretical basis for modern states and new legal systems.
The book then turns to contemporary theories of justice, especially the thought of John Rawls, while also considering libertarian, feminist, and Marxist perspectives. It is useful for readers who want a simple but serious historical map of debates about justice in political philosophy.