On formal aspects of distributive justice
pp. 135-146
in: Esa Saarinen, Risto Hilpinen, Ilkka Niiniluoto, Merrill Provence Hintikka (eds), Essays in honour of Jaakko Hintikka, Berlin, Springer, 1979Abstract
The concept of distributive justice is here considered in an extremely simplified form, viz. relative to the situation when n objects are to be divided among m persons (1 ≤ n ≤ m ≥2) and no account is taken of factors that could differentiate the persons as far as the division is concerned, such as their merits or needs. By so limiting the concept of justice, we gain the possibility of a formal analysis. On the other hand, the applicability of such a concept in actual social contexts is rather problematic.