Social Justice

History of Social Justice

Luigi Taparelli, a 19th century Italian Catholic priest and philosopher, first coined the term social justice in his book titled Theoretical Treatise on Natural Law Based on Fact. Expanding on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Taparelli espoused a natural law approach to political and economic systems as the ideal way to bring about social justice. The natural law of social organization is formed through the twin values of solidarity and subsidiarity, and the balance of these two principles results in a just society. According to Taparelli, such a just society is a reflection of eternal law, the divinely ordained law found not in scripture but in the workings of the universe. The natural law paradigm and social justice became a core component of Catholic social teaching. Those teachings were part of the inspiration for Liberation Theology, a movement started in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s, which interpreted the Gospels as a call to liberate those suffering in unjust economic conditions.

In Protestant Christianity, social justice is understood to be the main impetus of the Social Gospel movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The leaders who initiated this movement believed that the Second Coming would only occur once the world was rid of social evils by human effort. Applying Christian ethics to the social problems of the time, the Social Gospel provided Christians with a religious rationale to enact social change, including labor reform, public health reform, and outreach to immigrants and the poor.

Concepts similar to social justice have been identified in the teachings and doctrines of nonChristian faiths. Islamic scholars, most notably Sayyid Qutb, have contended that social justice is one of the most important components of Islam, pointing to core teachings of Islam that promote equity among all members of society. Zakaat—alms giving—is one of the five pillars of Islam and instructs followers to give 2.5% their wealth to the poor and needy. Such a mandate is reminiscent of the principle of wealth redistribution advocated by many social justice activists. In addition to alms giving, Muslims are encouraged to please God through charity (infaq) and to give out of generosity (sadaqah)—actions that purify one's self through helping others.

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