Culture and Ethics Resource Centre – Definitions
Fairness is defined by Velasquez (2002: 106) as:
concerned with the comparative treatment given to the members of a group when the benefits and burdens are distributed, when rules and laws are administered, when members of a group cooperate or compete with each other, and when people are punished for the wrongs they have done or compensated for the wrongs they have suffered.
We often use the words justice and fairness interchangeably. This is the case because fairness is seen as a key part of justice. We can see this overlap in a definition of justice; “the fair treatment of members of groups of people… (Shaw, Barry and Sansbury, 2009: 235).”
Obviously similarities exist between fairness and justice; however we often use the term justice in situations that are especially serious. This explanation will apply the broader view which considers justice and fairness as related concepts; we’ll consider the following (see below) factors of as central to fairness.
What we mean by fairness is often difficult to explain and may change depending on the situation; however, several key points are as follows: Firstly, unfairness can be seen when people are not treated in the same fashion, unless there are some relevant differences between them. This can be tricky to judge because it’s not totally clear what we should consider to be relevant differences in each case. For example, if we look at the AFL, are all players the same and therefore should be treated in the same way, or are indigenous players different enough to justify different treatment?
Secondly, equality is also a key concept related to fairness. Although it is not totally clear as to whether people should be considered equal to begin with or if people need to prove that similarities exist. What we do know is that if someone feels they have been treated unfairly based on a lack of equality, the burden to prove that the unequal treatment is fair is placed on the person who is endorsing it.
The third component is based on the idea that people get what they deserve for what they have done; their due. In other words, on top of equality, the actions of a person must be factored in when we determine what treatment they deserve and whether in fact this treatment is fair.
The fourth component is focused on a person’s moral rights; people are treated unfairly when their moral rights are violated. For example: if a Soccer player has a right to privacy and that right is invaded or intruded upon, they have been treated unfairly.
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