Distributive Justice, Equality and the Theopolitical Imperative: Oliver O’Donovan on the intersection of justice and equality: conceptual implications and practical applicability

The ongoing migrant refugee crisis and the forces of globalisation have heightened discussions on justice and the pursuit of equality across various domains, including human worth, rights, dignity, social participation, economic opportunities, and wellbeing. Nevertheless, the role of equality in justice theory remains a contentious issue, prompting questions about whether equality should serve as a foundational principle of justice.

This dissertation explores Oliver O’Donovan’s theopolitical perspective on attributive justice in relation to distributive justice and equality claims. It critically examines the conceptual implications and practical applicability of O'Donovan's proposal within the contemporary theopolitical discourse on justice, rights, and equality. Further, the dissertation introduces "Attributively Just Distributive Judgement" as a nuanced principle and matrix for evaluating more or less just distributive arrangements.

Illustrating this framework through a scenario involving resettled humanitarian refugees in Australia, the dissertation demonstrates how attributively just judgments can provide a practical matrix for evaluating policy measures and social enablement initiatives. It is essential to clarify that the notion of equality under consideration is not a moral equality between persons but rather what is justly due to an individual.