How many ways are there to achieve justice?

Appeared in: DSSSB 14 August 2024

Explanation

'Three' based on a prominent social psychology framework that identifies three primary 'justice rules' for fair distribution.
These three rules are the Contributions Rule (Equity), the Needs Rule (Social Responsibility), and the Equality Rule.
The Contributions Rule suggests rewards should match inputs.
The Needs Rule suggests allocation should be based on who needs it most.
The Equality Rule suggests everyone should receive the same outcome.

Option A: Justice is a multifaceted concept and is not limited to a single principle or method. Various situations call for different approaches to what is considered 'fair'.
Option C: While some discussions simplify justice into dualities (e.g., Retributive vs. Restorative), this overlooks other key principles. The distributive justice model clearly outlines three rules.
Option D: There is no standard philosophical or social-psychological theory that categorizes justice into ten fundamental types. This number is arbitrarily large.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Theories of Justice as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding different principles of justice is crucial for creating fair policies in institutions, including healthcare, law, and business.
In a workplace, applying the Contributions Rule (equity) can motivate performance, but the Needs Rule may be required for compassionate leave or accommodations.
The Equality Rule is often applied for basic rights and benefits to ensure harmony and avoid conflict.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the classification of 'justice'.
Recognize that such abstract concepts can have multiple frameworks. The options (One, Two, Three, Ten) suggest you need to recall a specific, common classification.
Scan your knowledge for established theories. A key model in social psychology discusses three rules for distributive justice.
Evaluate the options based on this model. 'Three' directly corresponds to the number of rules in this framework (Contributions, Needs, Equality).
Eliminate other options. 'One' and 'Ten' are unlikely extremes. 'Two' is a plausible distractor representing binary frameworks, but 'Three' aligns with a more comprehensive model of distribution.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 1 pp. 391-393, 390-392

Practise the full DSSSB 14 August 2024

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.