ABSTRACT
The psychology of the person suggests that a concern for justice is an inherent human characteristic. The idea of a scope of justice or moral community is formalizes in the concept of moral exclusion. An instrumental view suggests that the scope of justice is determines by issues of self– or group interest. The active–passive continuum of moral exclusion raises several interesting questions for future research. The future research needs to systematically examine the factors that lead to the creation, maintenance, and evolution of moral communities. The influence of role and structural effects on social justice concerns can also be understood from either an instrumental or a relational perspective. One set of contextual factors involves the scarcity or abundance of social resources or opportunities. The influence of role and structural effects on social justice concerns can also be understood from either an instrumental or a relational perspective.
