--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Justice means equality for equals, and…" description: "\"“Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for unequals.”\" — C.S. Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg" --- # Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for… ![“Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for unequals.” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg) > ““Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for unequals.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justice requires treating equals equally, but recognizing that unequal individuals may need different treatment. **In simple terms:** Treat equals equally, but consider differences. Key Takeaway Apply fairness with nuance. Themes justice equality fairness Mood thoughtful analytical Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - legal judgments - educational policies - resource allocation Key Concepts ethical philosophy social equity human rights Questions to Reflect On - When should unequal treatment be justified? - How do we balance equality with equity? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on equality can ignore individual needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Equality Equals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality-equals-5390205/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justice Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice-means-762877/) [Means Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-equality-784999/) ## Related quotes > [Equity means equality of outcome, not equality of opportunity. It is the very DNA of Marxism and everything bad flows from it, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/equity-means-equality-of-outcome-not-equality-of-opportunity-it-is/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [“Freedom means equality. If you don't believe in equality for all, you don't believe in freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/freedom-means-equality-if-you-don-t-believe-in-equality-for-all-you/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [Equality means equality for all- no exceptions, no 'yes, buts', no asterisked footnotes imposing limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/equality-means-equality-for-all-no-exceptions-no-yes-buts-no/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [When I speak of The Case for Equality I mean human equality; and that, of course, can only mean one thing: it means equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/when-i-speak-of-the-case-for-equality-i-mean-human-equality-and-that/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [To me, feminism means equality between men and women. I want to make people laugh and also point out some injustices or inequalities I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/to-me-feminism-means-equality-between-men-and-women-i-want-to-make/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [“Love, the great, the strong, the conquering god --- Love that subdues a world, and rides roughshod over principle, virtue, tradition, over home, kindred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmuska-orczy/love-the-great-the-strong-the-conquering-god-love-that-subdues-a/) [Emmuska Orczy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmuska-orczy/) > [“For our children-not your children, but ours-the children of the poor gentlemen looked down upon by everyone-know what justice means, sir, even at nine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-our-children-not-your-children-but-ours-the-children-of-the-poor/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“As though you could use violent, unjust means and achieve peace and justice! Means determine ends; and must be like the ends proposed. Means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/as-though-you-could-use-violent-unjust-means-and-achieve-peace-and/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [In matters of government, justice means force as well as virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-matters-of-government-justice-means-force-as-well-as-virtue/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Justice is the means by which established injustices are sanctioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/justice-is-the-means-by-which-established-injustices-are-sanctioned/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [Whether you're a libertarian liberal or a more egalitarian liberal, the idea is that justice means being non-judgmental with respect to the preferences people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/whether-you-re-a-libertarian-liberal-or-a-more-egalitarian-liberal/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [ Environmental justice \[means that\] no community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/environmental-justice-means-that-no-community-should-be-saddled-with/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [Social justice is a cancer. Social justice means you are ruled by whatever the mob does. What social justice does is destroy individual responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/social-justice-is-a-cancer-social-justice-means-you-are-ruled-by/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [Justice means minding ones own business and not meddling with other mens concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/justice-means-minding-ones-own-business-and-not-meddling-with-other/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Justice never means "treating everybody the same way", but "treating people appropriately".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/justice-never-means-treating-everybody-the-same-way-but-treating/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Equality quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Nothing says the party is over more than when you run out of ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rande-gerber/nothing-says-the-party-is-over-more-than-when-you-run-out-of-ice/) [Rande Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rande-gerber/) > [I hope that we always have diversity, that we have equality and representation every step of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/i-hope-that-we-always-have-diversity-that-we-have-equality-and/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) > [“Unless man is commited to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labours in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton-powell/unless-man-is-commited-to-the-belief-that-all-mankind-are-his/) [Adam Clayton Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clayton-powell/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) > [ \[Fighting for equality for women\] that's what my mission has been for the last years. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/fighting-for-equality-for-women-that-s-what-my-mission-has-been-for/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-restore-power-to-the-family-to-the-neighborhood-and-the/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [When we speak about equality, you want to be playing on the best pitches with the best facilities. You want to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/when-we-speak-about-equality-you-want-to-be-playing-on-the-best/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [Free milk will be provided in Hoxton and Shoredith, in Eton and Harrow. What more social equality can you have than that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-wilkinson/free-milk-will-be-provided-in-hoxton-and-shoredith-in-eton-and-harrow/) [Ellen Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-wilkinson/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I will always support legislation which respects and values life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gresham-barrett/i-will-always-support-legislation-which-respects-and-values-life/) [Gresham Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gresham-barrett/) > [Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/sporting-events-like-the-olympics-have-developed-and-maintained-a/) [Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Browse all 3,799 Equality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for unequals.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-inequality-for-unequals/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Equality" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-inequality-for-unequals/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d87/c-s-lewis-121_equality_justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-in_2292228.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Justice means equality for equals, and inequality for unequals.” — C.S. Lewis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "C.S. Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Justice means equality for equals, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-inequality-for-unequals/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/justice-means-equality-for-equals-and-inequality-for-unequals/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```