Abstract
In this article, I discussed the possibility of empirically approaching from a psychological perspective to the legal concept of “justice.” The discussion was mainly based on the review of recent developments in the area of social psychology as well as on the four papers presented in this mini-symposium. First, findings from social psychological studies that emphasize the distinction between distributive and procedural justice were discussed. Furthermore, recent research in diverse forms of justice such as retributive and restorative justice was reviewed. Next, I summarized the current state of the “morality boom” that can be found in recent psychological research. In particular, the gist of major theories such as Moral Foundation Theory, the intuitionist model of morality, and the Relational Model Theory was presented. I then critically evaluated the potential contribution as well as the limitations of the evolutionary perspective. Finally, on the basis of the contrast between normative and empirical theories (represented by the theories of law and psychology, respectively), I pointed out the possibility of mutual collaboration between these two fields. The significance of a meta-theoretical perspective was emphasized.
