ABSTRACT
According to V. Z. Rogovin, "the strict implementation of the principles of social justice is an important condition for the unity and political stability of a society, for its dynamic development". Tatiana Zaslavskaia solved the problem of reconciling social equality and "social justice" by consigning it to the future. For Zaslavskaia, "social justice" referred to the establishment of social equality; according to Lenin, however, justice and equality could not be achieved during "the first phase of communism"–that is socialism. Therefore, it would be incorrect to speak of establishing "social justice" in a country that still had to implement "the basic principle of socialism." By making a distinction between "social justice" and "socialist justice," Zaslavskaia preserved ideological consistency while simultaneously avoiding the troublesome question of equality. The articles by Rogovin and Zaslavskaia confirmed that "social justice" occupied an important place in Mikhail Gorbachev's overall strategy for the "restructuring" of Soviet society.
