Critique of Aristotle’s theory of justice

John Vespasian explains that, after Aristotle’s death in 322 BC, the next generation began to question the principles of identity and causality, and rejected Aristotle’s concept of justice. Epicurus (341-271 BC) completely distorted Aristotle’s idea of justice. Instead of viewing it as a major virtue, Epicurus did not even consider it worth pursuing. He talked of pursuing serenity and happiness, but defined them in a vacuum. He regarded them as individual experiences detached from morality, causality, or justice. Epicurus considered justice a tool (legal procedure) with the sole purpose of preventing and settling conflicts in society. He wanted justice to function well in order to be left alone to seek pleasure and happiness. Other than that, Epicurus did not care if each person would actually receive his due. The concept of justice presented by Epicurus is subjective, instrumental, and relativistic. In his eyes, the main command of justice is “to refrain from causing harm.” His conception of justice is so vague that it is worthless for making decisions. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/critique-of-aristotles-theory-of-justice/