Origins of the Concept of Justice

While law and justice are associated concepts, they possess divergent definitions that often do not have common characteristics. For example, justice is not one and the same as "good." It is a concept that focuses on fairness and rights, not charity or needs. The history of justice has its origin in the Greek language. The Greek word dike communicates the idea of remaining in your allotted place or role. Plato described justice as upholding society's order as each individual carries out his or her expected role. Aristotle singled out several categories of justice, identifying that which would be considered honorable in certain circumstances.