Distributive justice can be defined as the fair distribution of
society’s benefits and burdens. The notion of ‘fair’ is
ambiguous and subject to debate. Some people would describe this
through the idea of equality, where everybody is treated the
same and given the same no matter their economic background or
desert. However, others would argue, including Marx, that the
benefits and burdens of society should be distributed according
to desert or need. For example, those who have a limited earning
potential should not be taxed as much as those who have a high
disposable income. Such a case would be the debate as to whether
Wayne Rooney deserves to earn more money than a care worker.
From an economist’s perspective, Rooney provides a service that
provides entertainment and also contributes to a huge amount of
money throughout the economy. As a result, he deserves to be
paid more as he is one of a limited few who is able to provided
such a service at such a high performance. A care worker
requires considerably les