"Social justice has been the animating ideal of democratic governments throughout the twentieth century. Yet the meaning of social justice remains obscure, and existing theories put forward by political philosophers to explain it have failed to capture the way people in general think about issues of social justice. This book develops a new theory. David Miller argues that principles of justice must be understood contextually, each principle finding its natural home in a different form of human association.

The three primary components in Miller's scheme are the principles of desert, need, and equality."--BOOK JACKET. "This book uses empirical research to demonstrate the central role played by these principles in popular conceptions of justice. This book will appeal to readers with interests in public policy as well as to students of politics, philosophy, and sociology."--BOOK JACKET.