Within the Confucian tradition, what is often called “justice” is not an abstract legal principle but a lived moral order grounded in relationships, character, and harmony. The closest term is *yi* (righteousness), which signifies doing what is morally appropriate in a given situation, even at personal cost. This sense of justice is always contextual and relational: one acts rightly as ruler, parent, child, minister, or friend by fulfilling the specific obligations of that role. Such righteousness is understood to be in accord with a larger moral pattern, aligned with the order of Heaven and with the welfare of the community rather than with individual gain.

This vision of justice is inseparable from *ren* (humaneness) and *li* (ritual propriety). *Ren* infuses justice with compassion and concern for the dignity and well-being of others, so that decisions are never merely punitive or procedural. *Li* provides the concrete forms—rituals, manners, and norms—through which just behavior is expressed in daily life, giving structure to respect, hierarchy, and mutual responsibility. Justice, in this sense, is realized when people act with humaneness within the patterns of propriety appropriate to their station and circumstances.

A further dimension appears in the doctrine of the rectification of names (*zhengming*). Justice requires that titles and realities match: rulers must truly rule with benevolence and righteousness, ministers must truly serve, fathers must truly care, and children must truly be filial. When names and actual conduct diverge, social disorder and moral confusion arise. The exemplary person (*junzi*) therefore strives to embody the role fully, prioritizing righteousness over profit and serving as a moral model whose conduct quietly corrects and educates others.

On the level of governance, Confucian thought envisions justice as rule by virtue rather than by coercion. Rulers are called to govern through moral example, to ensure the people’s welfare, and to maintain social harmony by practicing benevolence in leadership. Punishment and law are not rejected, but they are secondary and remedial, used sparingly and oriented toward moral correction rather than retribution. A society is just when its leaders and citizens alike cultivate virtue, fulfill their roles with integrity, and allow righteousness, rather than self-interest, to guide their decisions.