Rettferd

Rettferd is a Norwegian noun denoting the concept of justice or fairness. It refers to morally right treatment of individuals and to the idea that outcomes should be fair and deserved, particularly in discussions about how resources, opportunities, and burdens are distributed in society.

The term is related to rett, meaning right or law, and it sits within a family of terms that express notions of moral rightness and proper conduct. It is often used in connection with rettferdighet, the more common word for justice or fairness, and shares a broad semantic field with discussions of ethical and political legitimacy.

In philosophy and political theory, rettferd is used to analyze what constitutes fair treatment and just outcomes. It appears in debates about distributive justice, recognition, and social policy, including questions about welfare, taxation, and access to public goods. The word can appear in theoretical writing as well as in public discourse when arguing for or against particular policies on equality and fairness.

In legal contexts, rettferd is less common as a technical term; rettferdighet is the standard term for justice in law and philosophy, while rett can refer to rights or legal correctness. Nevertheless, rettferd is used in essays, journalism, and rhetoric to describe ideals or judgments of fairness in specific cases or policies.

See also: rettferdighet, rett, justice, distributive justice.