ABSTRACT
The origin of the justice motive has a long and intricate history. As stated in the foregoing chapters, it has likely been developed out of the operation of the selfish motive and the altruistic motive (see also Kant 1900: 63/64; Verplaetse 2008). The motivation to do good to oneself and another is an important element of treating self and other in a correct way. Philosophers label doing good to self and other moral behavior. In my view, moral behavior is a component of resource allocation behavior, specifically of the resource status (respect) which takes place in an allocation event. An allocation event consists of an actor who allocates resources to other(s) or between self and other(s). Resource allocation behavior is behavior toward others through transfer of something tangible or intangible that has value for both parties: actor and recipient. The actor is the party with the discretionary power to allocate resources and can be a person (e.g., father, pupil, category of people, citizen), a private person (e.g., owner of private property, political party, entrepreneur) or a public person (e.g., government, MP). The recipient can be a person, group, private person, or public person. Observers are also part of the allocation event. Allocation can take the form of giving or taking, committing or omitting. One can offer a service or withhold a service to another. Resources have a positive valence (e.g., money) or a negative valence (e.g., punishment). It is in the nature of (it is intrinsically good; Hurka 2001) positive-valenced resources for one to desire more of them, and it is intrinsically evil to desire negative-valenced resources. People try to increase positive resources—information, status, service, love, material goods, and money (Foa and Foa 1974).
