A just society is not one in which everyone has to be equal, but one in which all people enjoy the same fundamental freedoms and have genuine opportunities to shape their own lives. Differences in ability, talent, resources and social position are part of every society, but they should not determine a person’s worth or become a justification for denying them rights or opportunities. Justice requires institutions to establish common conditions of freedom and prevent economic and social inequalities from becoming permanent privileges for some and inevitable disadvantages for others.

The true measure of a society should not be how far those in the most privileged positions can advance, but how it treats those in the least favourable circumstances. Inequalities can only be considered legitimate when social and economic structures also benefit those with fewer resources and opportunities. This requires questioning institutions that function well for the majority but systematically leave certain groups behind. A society does not demonstrate its justice through the well-being of those who receive the most, but through the living conditions, freedom and dignity it guarantees to those who have the least.