Distributive justice is guided by objectiveness and aspires to make people live in equality, equity, and depending on their needs. However, such theory is quite ambiguous because it plays out differently in diverse situations, and it led to fierce discussions in philosophy, the social sciences, and others. Regardless of procedural justice, distributive justice concentrates not on the process of determining the consequences, but on the result itself. In other words, it reflects the concept of just allocation of resources in the society.
In the particular case, education level, salary, and status (also opportunities, perhaps) are not equally distributed among the group members. There are three methods of paying the bill that illustrate the three possible distributive justice approaches, so a person should consider them one by one. The first approach is based on equity, and people receive outcomes in proportion to their inputs (Deutsch, 1975). Thus, regardless of how many dishes ordered, educated students with a good salary should pay only for their part, as the others should pay for their orders. One does not take into account the amount of money each person possesses (or not). The second approach is based on equality, where everyone receives the same result (Deutsch, 1975). Although the level of education and earnings differ (as well as the efforts may differ), the check will be divided into equal parts. The third approach explains the needs of every student, so an arrangement of economic inequalities should increase profit for those who are living “hand-to-mouth” (Deutsch, 1975). The most lacking people need their money for future living. Thus, the check will be paid entirely by affluent ones.
As for me, I believe that it is not fair to treat people in different circumstances the same way. It is complex to detach people’s background and achievements from the situation to get a positive outcome for society in general. Overall, I adhere to the first approach of distributive justice, because it seems to be the fairest to each person in the group and mostly applicable in real life.
Reference
Deutsch, M. (1975). Equity, equality, and need: What determines which value will be used as the basis of distributive justice? Journal of Social Issues, 31(3), 137-149.