Justice from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century from the Perspective of Plato and Machiavelli

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the concept of justice in the historical context of political thought, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, focusing on the views of Plato, Machiavelli, and liberal thought. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, justice was mainly seen as a moral and cosmic order (Plato) or a reflection of divine order that emphasized the harmony of the components of society and virtue. In contrast, the emergence of modern thought, especially with Machiavelli, pushed the concept of justice towards political realism; where justice was seen as a tool for maintaining the stability and power of the state and distanced itself from idealistic concepts. With the emergence of liberalism, justice became linked to the individual and his rights. Classical liberalism emphasized individual freedoms, equality before the law, and private property, and considered distributive justice mainly as a result of the free market mechanism. In contrast, later schools of liberalism, particularly influenced by John Rawls, emphasized fair equality of opportunity and distributive justice with the aim of improving the situation of the most disadvantaged in society (the difference principle). This development marks the transition from justice as a purely positive principle (as in the Platonic order) to justice as a challenge to eliminate structural inequalities and ensure social welfare. Finally, this article concludes that the transformation of justice from a morally-based and static concept to a dynamic and institutionalized principle in contemporary law and politics has been a reflection of the shift in human intellectual paradigms in the face of the challenges of social order, individual freedom and equality. The concept of justice remains a central issue in political and social philosophy, and the conflict between the priority of freedom and equality forms the core of theoretical debates in this area.