Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using codes given below the lists: List-I - List II
(i) Justice as one person, one duty, one class, one work - (a) Aristotle
(ii) Justice as the interest of strong - (b) Thrasymachus
(iii) Justice as fairness - (c) John Rawls
(iv) Justice as proportionate equality - (d) Plato

Question

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using codes given below the lists: List-I - List II
(i) Justice as one person, one duty, one class, one work -  (a) Aristotle
(ii) Justice as the interest of strong - (b) Thrasymachus
(iii) Justice as fairness - (c) John Rawls 
(iv) Justice as proportionate equality - (d) Plato

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

[Detailed explanation of why it is correct — include conceptual, or contextual depth.]

The correct match is **i-(d), ii-(b), iii-(c), iv-(a)**. This option accurately connects each philosophical concept of justice with its originator.

(i) **Justice as one person, one duty, one class, one work** is the core concept of **Plato's** theory of justice, as detailed in his monumental work, *The Republic*. Plato believed that justice in the state mirrors justice in the soul, requiring every citizen to perform the task for which they are naturally best suited (philosopher rulers, soldiers, or producers). This specialization and harmonious functioning of the three classes is what constitutes true justice in his ideal state, ensuring social righteousness and efficiency.

(ii) **Justice as the interest of the strong** is the famous, provocative definition put forward by the Sophist **Thrasymachus** in *The Republic*. Thrasymachus argues cynically that justice is merely a convention established by those in power (the strong) to serve their own advantage, effectively claiming that morality is a tool used by rulers to keep the weak subservient.

(iii) **Justice as fairness** is the central concept of the contemporary liberal theory developed by **John Rawls** in his book *A Theory of Justice*. Rawls proposes that principles of justice are those rational individuals would choose in an initial situation of equality (the "Original Position"), shielded by the "Veil of Ignorance." These principles, especially the Difference Principle, aim to ensure a fair distribution of primary goods, which defines his theory as justice as fairness.

(iv) **Justice as proportionate equality** belongs to **Aristotle**. Unlike Plato’s holistic definition, Aristotle focused on distributive justice, where goods, honors, and opportunities are distributed according to merit or worth. Proportionate equality means that people who are equal in relevant ways should receive equal shares, and those who are unequal should receive unequal shares relative to their contribution or merit. This concept distinguishes him from earlier thinkers by grounding justice in empirical social relations.

The incorrect option is 2:

[Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.]

Option 2 suggests the match i-(a), ii-(c), iii-(b), iv-(d). This is incorrect because it fundamentally misattributes the concepts. It links (i) Justice as one person, one duty, one class, one work to Aristotle, whereas this holistic, functional definition of justice is explicitly from Plato. Furthermore, it incorrectly links (iii) Justice as fairness to Thrasymachus; Thrasymachus’s view is far more radical, defining justice as purely the interest of the powerful. The core concept of "justice as fairness" belongs exclusively to John Rawls's modern liberal theory. The misattribution of these central ideas makes this option philosophically unsound.

The incorrect option is 3:

[Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.]

Option 3 suggests the match i-(d), ii-(a), iii-(c), iv-(b). While it correctly identifies (i) with Plato and (iii) with John Rawls, it incorrectly matches the remaining two. It links (ii) Justice as the interest of the strong to Aristotle. Aristotle did not view justice cynically as the interest of the strong; rather, he viewed justice as a virtue and a form of proportionate distribution within a political community. It also incorrectly attributes (iv) Justice as proportionate equality to Thrasymachus, whose entire argument was about power, not the careful proportionality of distribution that is characteristic of Aristotelian ethics.

The incorrect option is 4:

[Detailed explanation of why it is incorrect — include conceptual, or contextual depth.]

Option 4 suggests the match i-(d), ii-(b), iii-(a), iv-(c). This option correctly identifies (i) with Plato and (ii) with Thrasymachus. However, it severely fails in matching the last two key concepts. It attributes (iii) Justice as fairness to Aristotle. Aristotle's main contribution was proportionate equality, not the modern contractarian "justice as fairness" developed by Rawls. Most significantly, it attributes (iv) Justice as proportionate equality to John Rawls. Rawls's theory revolves around the two principles derived from the original position (including the Difference Principle), which he defined as "justice as fairness," not Aristotle's classical concept of proportionate equality based on merit.