"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" is a slogan that Karl Marx popularized in his 1875 book Critique of the Gotha Programme. The slogan refers to the free access to and distribution of goods, capital, and services.
The phrase means that each person should contribute to society according to their best efforts, and should receive from society what they require to survive in relative health and safety. It recognizes that people have different abilities, talents, capabilities, and needs.
The phrase comes from the Book of Acts, which documents the practices of early Christian communities in Jerusalem. In the Book of Acts, believers “were together and had all things in common” and sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds within the community “as any had needs”
Here are some more variations on both parts of the principle with brief explanations:
From each according to his faculty, to each according to his needs: Contribute based on natural abilities, receive based on needs.
From each according to his competence, to each according to his efforts. Contribute based on demonstrated skills, receive based on exertion.
From each according to his capacity, to each the same. Contribute based on ability, receive an equal share.
From each according to his talents, to each according to his deeds. Contribute based on aptitudes, receive based on actions.
From each according to his potential, to each according to his contributions. Contribute based on capabilities, receive based on what is contributed.
From each according to his qualifications, to each according to his work. Contribute based on training, receive based on amount of work.
From each according to his skills, to each according to his merit. Contribute based on mastery, receive based on worthiness.
The first part defines the contribution rule based on individual factors like faculties, competence, capacity, etc. The second part defines the distribution rule based on criteria like needs, efforts, equality, deeds, and so on. Together they make different principles of economic justice.
Types of Justice:
commutative justice, which refers to that which is owed between individuals, e.g., in conducting business transactions;
contributive justice, which refers to what individuals owe to society for the common good;
legal justice, which refers to rights and responsibilities of citizens to obey and respect the rights of all and the laws devised to protect peace and social order; and
distributive justice, which refers to what society owes to its individual members, i.e., the just allocation of resources.
Retributive justice is concerned with punishment for wrongdoing.
Restorative justice tries to heal the past injustice through some process of restoration and reconciliation.
Intergenerational Justice: What do we owe future generations, and how do we respect and honor the generations before us?
John Rawls: Justice as Fairness
Original position, veil of ignorance. Strip away the particular situation from which you judge, then figure out which model of justice you want.
2 Principles:
Liberty Principle: equal basic liberties for all citizens. 'Basic' liberty entails the freedoms of conscience, association and expression as well as democratic rights; Rawls also includes a personal property right, but this is defended in terms of moral capacities and self-respect, rather than an appeal to a natural right of self-ownership.
Difference Principle:
those with comparable talents and motivation face roughly similar life chances (equality of opportunity), and:
inequalities in society work to the benefit of the least advantaged.
Liberalism, and Welfare State. Justice as fairness.
Ethics of Care:
Questions to consider:
What kind of justice is required to address the economic class differences in America?
What kind of justice is required to address the segregation into minority groups? What kind of justice do these groups require?
How deep is the link between race and class, and how can it be addressed? What form of justice would be required?
Discuss these questions with examples of your choice. Make some concrete policy suggestions.