A society that comprises of human beings without any understanding of justice cannot
possibly exist. An understanding of justice in some sense or the other is required for making
social existence possible. An understanding of justice is a pre-requisite of how society
functions, how people's relationships with each other work, how an institution formulates its
policies, how a State governs its citizens and so on. Throughout the history of human
civilization, the conception of justice has evolved through many instances of horrific injustices,
bloodsheds, battles, and loss of human lives. The notion of justice has evolved through many
reformations, rearrangements, reconstructions. The functions and forms of justice are not also
unaffected. Different standards have been employed to define justice. Different grounds have
been identified as the proper locus of justice.
Justice has always been a very crucial issue in philosophical discourse especially in the
realm of social-political philosophy. From ancient Greek to modern thinkers, all have tried to
come up with answers to questions such as - what is it to be just? But the term 'Justice' or
'how to be just' has been noted to have different meanings.
Firstly, there is the question regarding who or what is to be just? Some philosophers,
especially in ancient Greece realized that it is the individual who should be just and through
that social justice can be realized in society. Thus, they proposed the notion of "individual
justice". In this understanding, justice has been considered a virtue in reference to individual
traits. Individuals are the primary focus in this notion of justice. Justice as a virtue of
individuals is significant in order for social justice to prevail.
