Fair and square: the four sides of distributive justice

Recent theoretical progress on inequity has left unresolved the crucial question of what constitutes equity. This paper proposes a positive theory of distributive justice, in a framework of inequity aversion, that depends on three general justice principles and context. The current study challenges the view of many previous inquiries that justice is context-specific and instead advances a theory in which justice is context-dependent: context matters, not because of the lack of general principles of justice, but due to its effect on the interpretation of those principles. Results from telephone interviews and written questionnaires are presented in support of the theory. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: A13; D61; D63