Exploring Catholic Social Teaching

the best of their ability — i.e., food, shelter, medical care, education, safety,
etc. All of these examples show us how distributive justice pertains to those
in authority over a community. The responsibility of legitimate authority is
to ensure that society treat every person fairly. Those subject to authority
also have responsibilities, which we will discuss shortly.
Distributive justice also pertains to the fairness surrounding rewards
and punishments. In school, for example, a teacher owes students the
grade they deserve — without infl ation or punity. Have you ever suspected
that you received a grade lower than you deserved because a teacher did
not like you? Yet perhaps the opposite has also happened: you may have
received a higher grade than you deserved due to a teacher’s favor. Would
you protest as much in the latter as in the former circumstance? Likewise,
in the criminal justice system, punishments should never be disproportionate
to the crime committed, except perhaps in a case where showing mercy
is appropriate. Furthermore, when people show outstanding success or go
above and beyond the call of duty, we owe such individuals honor through
recognition, awards, and gratitude. As you can see, distributive justice refers
to any situation in which a community gives what is justly due to its
individual members.
Legal Justice
Legal justice is the corollary to distribute justice and pertains to those who
are subject to a higher authority. Individual members of society have an
obligation to contribute to the good of society by building up the common
good. One of the most important ways we do this is by obeying just laws
and respecting those in positions of legitimate authority over us. In general,
to disobey legitimate authority by breaking the law harms the community
and undermines the common good. Those subject to authority “should
regard those in authority as representatives of God, who made them
stewards of his gifts” ( CCC 2238). Scripture teaches that all authority
comes from God and is a participation in God’s own governance of the
world. This is why St. Peter wrote, “Be subject to every human institution
for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or to
governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the
approval of those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing
good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free, yet
without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God” ( 1
Pet. 2:13–16).
Just laws exist to establish a proper ordering of social life to the common
good. For example, when a person disobeys traffi c laws, they often
put others at risk. Laws that protect property rights and people’s financial
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
Vocabulary
Authority (n.): The quality
of exercising power over
others and expecting
obedience from them.
All communities need
someone or some institution
in authority. Authority is
exercised legitimately only
when it seeks the common
good of the group and
employs morally licit means
to attain it.
Legal Justice (n.): What
each person owes in
fairness to the community,
such as obeying just laws
and respecting legitimate
authority.
Property (n.): Those
things we legitimately
own, including our
material possessions and
the fruits of our labor.
Property helps guarantee
the freedom and dignity
of persons, and helps us
take care of ourselves and
our families. We have a
responsibility to make our
property fruitful and share
its benefi ts with others,
especially our families.
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7 What comes to mind when you
hear the term “legal justice”?
This question is meant to activate
prior knowledge students may
have about justice under law.
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
© Sophia Institute for Teachers
High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice
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