A Comparative Study of Social Justice in Islam and the West (A case study the theory of justice in Viewpoints of Imam Khomeini and John Rawls)

Attempts have been made in the present study to review the definition and evolution of the concept of justice as defined by the Western and Muslim thinkers. In the next step the viewpoints of John Rawls and Imam Khomeini about social justice have been elaborated. In viewpoint of Imam Khomeini and John Rawls, justice, on the one hand, is at the top of all virtues and on the other is a criterion for assessment of the fairness of institutions and their working mechanisms. However, due to differences in their worldview and anthropology, there are differences of opinion between them regarding the nature of justice and its relations with other aspects of human being. Attempts have been made in the present paper to find out the similarities and differences of opinions of the two thinkers on the issue of social justice.