The historical development of justice can be described with the help of the following points: 

(i) Plato’s theory of Justice : 

First of all, the thoughts of justice were presented by Plato, the Greek philosopher. Plato in his book ‘Republic’ elaborately describes the nature of justice and its related subjects. According to Plato, justice is such a virtue by which a person searches his good from the welfare of all.

According to the convention of Plato, justice is a concept, wherein every person performs his designated task and does not intervene into the tasks of others. Plato regards two forms of justice – personal justice and social or state-related justice. According to Plato, like the justice embedded in human soul balances different sides of personality, in the similar way, justice pervaded in the state makes coordination among ruler class, soldier class and producer class of the society.

(ii) Aristotle’s theory of Justice : 

Like Plato, Aristotle also regards justice an important element for a state. According to Aristotle, the justice is regulated by human emotions. A state comes into existence only after the eruption of justice in people’s mind. Whatever is equal, judicious, appropriate is included in justice. According to Aristotle, justice is of two types : 

1. Distributive or political justice, 

2. Corrective justice.

Distributive justice emphasises that filling of political posts should be on the basis of equality of citizens and services rendered by them. In corrective justice, it is duty of a state to protect life, property, honour and liberty of an individual.

Justice-related thoughts in Medieval Period : 

In medieval period, different Christian thinkers defined the justice in different ways. Saint Augustine presented concept of divine state and regarded justice an important element. Thomas Aquinas regards equality, the base of justice. He says, ‘Justice is embedded in spending a systematic and disciplined life and obeyance of duties, which a system demands for.”

Justice-related Concept in Modern Period : 

The main proponents of justice-related Concepts in modem times are David Humes, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill etc. According to Humes, public utility is the sole source of justice. Jeremy Bentham, proponent of utilitarianism, says that distribution of public goods and services should be on the basis of utility .John Stuart Mill regards justice an important element of social utility.

Justice-related throughts of John Rawls : 

He has analysed justice in modem context in his book “A Theory of Justice”. Rawls regards the most appropriate justice to a theory wherein people accept ‘blinds of ignorance’ on their own. Justice-related Concept in Indian Political Philosophy : Manu, Kautilya, Shukra, Vidura, etc. regard justice a soul of state. Manu and Kautilya emphasise on impartiality and truth in justice and say that the king, who cannot arrange a system of justice to his subjects, does not deserve to live.