Fairness, on the other hand, can be split into two components; one who pursues only the goods or burdens that he/ or she deserves, and one who avoids the goods or burdens that he or she does not deserve. He further explains justice requires that others are awarded or restricted in the same way. It’s imperative that one understands these core concepts, as they are crucial to understanding the theory of punishment described by Aristotle in his theory of justice. The basis of Aristotle’s theory of justice falls on rectification, distributive, and political justice; in that, justice requires restoration of the fair balance of goods when one person wrongfully takes what belongs to another. His theory further posits that if one commits a wrongful act against another, the system of justice requires rectification; meaning, restoring the goods that have been wrongfully taken. Its’ important to note, rectificatory justice operates according, to Aristotle, based on certain assumptions that together provide the prerequisites for a just society. In describing distributive justice Aristotle refers to the distribution of wealth among the members of the …show more content…
One must understand, that the conception of punishment according to Aristotle’s theories are drastically different from the contemporary understanding of punishment, insofar as acts that are wrongfully committed must be approached on an educational level. Within his theory of justice, Aristotle holds, all people are considered equal in the sense that we all equally deserve not to be burdened wrongfully for the benefit of another. The criminal justice system is designed to facilitate a means, by which, an individual who has been wronged may have the goods that have been taken returned; and the benefits that have been wrongfully enjoyed by another be taken away. This system of justice then must necessitate that wrongful acts never go unpunished. The theoretical justification for capital punishment based on Aristotle’s ethical system faces complications. For example, there may exist a concern, in instances of murder, as to how a system of justice can determine the correct course of action when faced with the task of restoration, and returning balance between two persons, one of whom is