The following text comes from a presentation given by David Augsburger, Ph.D. - a minister of the Mennonite Church and a diplomat of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Justice has many meanings, for Aristotle, the first three, for us, all five are valid forms:
Attributive justice: Give to each according to what they are or can claim to be, according to merit, status or social role.
Retributive justice: Give to each the equal proportion of what they deserve, “eye for an eye” punishment, penny for penny deprivation, repay for act/inaction.
Distributive justice: Give to each the equal proportion due to her or him.
Redemptive justice: Give to each according to what is needed to restore what is lacking to bring the person to equal well-being and fulfillment of potential.
Restorative justice: Give to each the opportunity and resources to recover a life of fairness and equality in a just community.
Justice is a plural thing, and its principles cannot be reduced to such maxims as, “From each according to ability, to each according to needs,” as Marx attempted.
Michael Walzer, the thinker who influences many of us, argues that the goal is not equality (an essentially negative goal to eliminate differences) which would create a level, conformist, hopelessly boring society, but to create a society free from any and all domination and tyranny.
We become equals when no one possesses the means of domination.
The goal is to distribute goods by three distributive principles: Free exchange among individuals, Open-ended deserts (rewards and punishments) and the consideration of need.
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