The postulate of social justice and the idea of justice

Abstract

This paper shows the conception of social justice against a background of an idea of general justice. The idea exists in philosophic debate since dawn of history. At the beginning justice was based on natural law, but from renaissance its meaning is strictly related to social contract. Ulpian demand of “constant and perpetual will to render to every man his due” is the leading concept, received also in religious field. In law sciences the idea of justice is strictly connected with such ideas of equality, dignity of human person, freedom and democracy – but justice is not the same as equality. Against the background of general justice has been born a postulate of social justice, which is present also in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (of 1997).