Distributive Justice: The Right and Wrong of Our Present Distribution of Wealth

The work examines the moral foundations and practical consequences of how a society allocates the product of industry among landowners, capitalists, business managers, and labourers. It traces historical forms of land tenure, evaluates arguments for and against private landownership and rent, and proposes fiscal and institutional reforms such as taxing land-value increments and public leasing. It analyzes capital, interest, and profit, considers socialist alternatives and cooperative arrangements, and articulates distributive principles including equality, need, effort, productivity, scarcity, and human welfare. Throughout, the author assesses legal, ethical, and economic justifications for existing arrangements and recommends measures to reduce injustice and promote broader access to wealth.