ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to introduce an approach to understanding social justice which might be seen as a more fluid and contextual approach, which recognises the historical development of the concept in relation to different social and cultural contexts. It deals with a section which outlines and discusses the development of the concept of social justice, in different historical, social and cultural contexts. The chapter outlines a reflexive framework in approaching an understanding of social justice. Contemporary ideas of social justice are linked in important ways to antecedents in Western political theory and practices, and particularly to the emergence of industrial capitalism, liberal democracy and the development of welfare states. While ideas and discourses about ‘justice’ can be traced back to Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, ‘social justice’ as a term only emerged in the nineteenth century. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
