ABSTRACT

The present chapter is an essay relating some lines of justice research to the analysis and understanding of social conflicts with the purpose of forming a culture of conflict resolution by mediation. The impact of the justice motive in social conflicts is discussed in this chapter. Social conflicts result from perceived injustice and subjective justice is required for their settlement. Conflicts are unavoidable because the justice motive is universal but the views of what is just and what is unjust are not at all universally shared. For the settlement of conflicts the opponents’ views of justice have to become convergent. Conflict mediation is emphasized as an effective procedure to create social peace. The main strategies in mediation to settle conflicts and their psychological background are outlined. The justice of free and informed contracts is highlighted.