Aristotle and the Scope of Justice

Abstract

It is often thought that Aristotle restricts the scope of justice to existing communities.  Against prominent treatments of this problem, this paper argues that while Aristotle does indeed restrict the scope of justice, he recognizes eudaimonic reasons to cultivate co-operative and benevolent relations and to eschew manipulative and exploitative ones.  His limitation of justice to existing communities thereby avoids the unsavory implications often attributed to it.