What did Benjamin Franklin believe about justice?

Franklin defined justice as: 'Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.' This extends beyond avoiding harm to actively providing the help you're capable of giving.

What is Aristotle's definition of justice?

Aristotle distinguished distributive justice (fair allocation of goods and honors) from corrective justice (rectifying wrongs). Both aim at giving each person their due—what they rightfully deserve.

How is Franklin's justice different from legal justice?

Legal justice is about following laws. Franklin's justice is personal virtue: not just avoiding illegal harm but actively fulfilling duties to help others. It's broader and more demanding than mere law-abiding.

What is my duty to others according to Franklin?

Franklin's phrase 'benefits that are your duty' suggests we have obligations beyond avoiding harm. If you can help and the cost is reasonable, helping becomes a duty. Justice means not omitting such benefits.

How can I practice justice in daily life?

Practice by: keeping promises and commitments; giving credit where due; helping when you can without unreasonable cost; speaking up against unfairness you witness; and treating all people with equal respect.

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The Virtues

What Is Justice? Franklin's Eighth Virtue on Fairness

Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting benefits. Learn what Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero taught about giving each their due.

9 min read

•

January 26, 2026

Justice is the virtue most discussed by philosophers—from Plato's Republic to Rawls's Theory of Justice. Benjamin Franklin's eighth virtue distills this vast tradition into personal practice.

What makes Franklin's definition distinctive is its positive dimension: justice isn't just avoiding wrong but actively doing right.

Key Takeaways

Franklin defined justice as: "Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty."
Justice has two parts: avoiding harm and providing due benefits
Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Rawls all explored justice as giving each their due
Franklin's justice is personal virtue, not just legal compliance

What Did Benjamin Franklin Say About Justice?

"Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty."
— Benjamin Franklin

The structure reveals two components:

Negative duty: Don't "do injuries"—avoid harming others
Positive duty: Don't "omit benefits that are your duty"—provide help you're obligated to give

Most people focus only on the first. Franklin insists on both.

The Ancient Wisdom on Justice

Plato: Harmony of the Soul

In The Republic, Plato argued justice is the proper ordering of the soul, where reason rules over appetite and spirit. A just person is one whose inner life achieves harmony.

Aristotle: Giving Each Their Due

Aristotle distinguished distributive justice (fair allocation) from corrective justice (rectifying wrongs). Both involve giving each person what they rightfully deserve.

Cicero: Natural Law

"Justice is the crowning glory of the virtues."
— Cicero

Martin Luther King Jr.: Interconnected Justice

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
— Martin Luther King Jr.

Practice Franklin's System Today

Track your virtues with the same method Franklin used—now in a beautiful iOS app with morning reflections and evening reviews.

Get the App

What Makes Franklin's Approach Different?

Personal, Not Political

Philosophers often discuss justice in political terms—fair societies, just institutions. Franklin's justice is personal: how you treat others, day by day.

The Duty to Help

Franklin's "omitting the benefits that are your duty" is demanding. It isn't enough to not steal—you must also give what you owe. If you can help at reasonable cost, you should.

Justice in the Modern World

Beyond Not Harming

Modern ethics often focuses on avoiding harm. Franklin asks more: What benefits are you omitting? What help could you provide that you're withholding?