ABSTRACT
Social Justice is not an easy term to discuss in sociology. Nevertheless it is an important topic. Ideas of social justice are as relevant to the legitimation of social exclusion as they are to the creation of social inclusion in the welfare state (Offe, 1990). Whether or not modern societies share the nationally produced wealth in such a way that none of their citizens is materially excluded from society depends on the arrangements of distribution and redistribution provided by the welfare state. Whether a society accepts or is concerned about social exclusion depends on existing ideas of social justice. In this chapter I shall discuss the diverse images of social justice in the welfare states of Germany and the Netherlands.
