Justice And Economic Distribution

The issue of economic distribution justice has been debated both in academic communities and common media for a long time, however it is regretful that until now we haven't clarified this issue and found an appropriate answer. This paper intends to clarify some basic concepts and to establish a simple framework to analyze it. Firstly, some essential constituents are analyzed in the paper, which include objects, mechanism, level, range of economic distribution and so on. Secondly, by discussing the questions that should all the people be treated on the same and what kinds of people should be treated alike, this paper analyses the most prevailing and influential justice theories and intends to find their boards. Thirdly, this paper tries to clarify how do these justice theories justify and criticize our distribution mechanisms and analyze the influence of these justice theories to them. The first step is the critique of language to seek the clarity and definiteness of concepts; the second step is the critique of thought to sort out the logic of these theories; the third step is the critique of reality to seek the influence of our ideas.According to the analysis, we could safely reach these conclusions. First, the objects of economic distribution include economic opportunity, duty and right as well ass cooperation surplus. The mechanisms of economic distribution include market mechanism and planning mechanism which is regulated in some degree by the theories of justice. In the actual distribution process, market mechanism deals with the distribution of a part of cooperation surplus and planning mechanism deals with the rest of objects of economic distribution. Second, the objects of different justice theories are different. The principle of utilitarianism, liberalism and need focus on the distribution of cooperation surplus, while the principle of egalitarian, Rawls and deserve not only focus on cooperation surplus but also on the right, duty as well as opportunity. They have proposed 4 main criterions which are need, utility, deserve and right to the questions mentioned above. And Rawls' theory is a more all-round system. Third, market distribution mechanism which is at the condition of perfect competition can be justified by the theories of utilitarian and liberalism as well as the principle of deserve to some extent, while under the condition of monopolization market distribution is strongly criticized by the idea of utilitarian principle of deserve and need. The principle of need and deserve as well as the theories of Rawls and egalitarian would play a significant role when planning mechanism is working, especially to the distribution of right and duty.