Hillsdale College

Justice

Give what is due to each person and to the community.

StoriesPoemsLives of Virtue

Justice is the cardinal virtue that regulates human works and actions in relation to others. Through the habit of justice, we consistently choose to render to others what is right, seeking to establish equality between what we can give and what a recipient ought to have. In its strictest sense, justice concerns debts between equals; taken more broadly, it also governs unequal relationships and transactions that are not based simply on what is owed.

When we pursue justice, we are concerned with everyone rightly getting what he or she is due (or deserves).

Related Virtues

Gratitude

Patriotism

Respect

Responsibility

Honesty

Friendship

Generosity

Kindness

Featured Stories

The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobeC.S. Lewis
Grade 3-5

Story

Johnny TremainEsther Hoskins Forbes
Grade 4-6

Story

The Scarlet PimpernelBaroness Orczy
Grade 6-12

Story

Momotaro: Peach BoyFrom What Your Kindergartner Needs to KnowE.D. Hirsch Jr. and John Holdren
Grade K-1

Story

Cinderella: A Grimm's Fairy TaleJacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Grade K-2

Story

Saint George and the DragonMargaret Hodges
Grade 1-4

Story

More Stories

Featured Biographies

Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick DouglassDoreen Rappaport
Grade 3-6

Biography

Bread for WordsShana Keller
Grade K-4

Biography

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to FreedomCarole Boston Weatherford
Grade K-4

Biography

Who Was George Washington?Roberta Edwards
Grade 2-4

Biography

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote HistoryWalter Dean Myers
Grade 2-6

Biography

Poems about Justice

The sweetest lives are those to duty wed...

Duty
By Robert Browning
Read More of Duty

Lives of Virtue

Frederick DouglassFor his unflinching honesty in sharing his life experience, for his courage in escaping injustice, and for his relentless pursuit of justice, Frederick Douglass exemplifies moral virtue.  
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln exemplified virtue through his steadfast commitment to justice and the preservation of the Union, guiding the nation with moral clarity and courage during its darkest hours.
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony tirelessly advocated for women's suffrage and equality with unwavering courage and moral conviction.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher StoweA picture of courage, honesty, and perseverance Harriet Beecher Stowe used her powerful talent of writing to expose the injustices of slavery and inspire moral awakening across a divided nation.
More Lives of Virtue