What is fairness (fair) and what is justice (just) Compare and contrast both - Personal Statement Example

A PERSONAL MENT (Justice and Fairness) of A PERSONAL MENT Justice and fairness can be two very confusing words, as these two words almost have the same meaning in common usage, and used almost interchangeably. However, justice means the quality of being fair, just, and equitable. It refers to the quality of being morally right in both actions and attitudes towards other people. Justice is to be fair in terms of the norms, standards, laws, and honor in the eyes of society as a whole. John Rawls has a more complex definition of justice, but suffice it to say that justice is fairness in the social contract (Rawls, 2003, p. 161). It means all citizens have the same rights as anyone else, regardless of their station or lot in life.

In Platos definition, justice means attending to the proper order of things in society. Justice means equal respect for the rights of everyone, without discrimination to age, gender, race, color, etc.Fairness, on the other hand, means a quality of being free from bias, inequity, injustice, or making decisions or judgments without any discrimination. To be fair means to be making the compromises necessary for all parties concerned, although it may not mean complete justice. The notion of fairness can be better understood in the norm of need.

This means being fair is to help all people meet their needs according to what is just, and also based on resource constraints. Not all individuals can be given what they need, but some can partly be satisfied based on fairness. A good example is the obligation of the state to provide everyone with health insurance coverage but not everybody can be covered due to limitations of financial resources or budget cuts. In this connection, the Affirmative Action program was designed to address the fairness issue, with regards to access to educational and employment opportunities (Jansson, 2009, p. 30) and intended to counteract the discrimination suffered by some minorities or segment of society.

It attempts to create an equal or level playing field, with the stated aim to achieve social justice.ReferencesJansson, B. S. (2009). The reluctant welfare state: Engaging history to advance social work practice in contemporary society. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning.Rawls, J. (2003). A theory of justice. Revised edition. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.