Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2009
Professor Braithwaite’s inaugural lecture, here published in book form,1 is a trial run at a Platonic definition of the concept of dianemetic justice; or, as he himself would put it, a rational reconstruction of the concept “sensible-prudent-and-fair”. Aristotle left it that dianemetic justice was an equality and a matter of ratios. A just distribution of őoα µεριστ? τoς κoινωνoσι τς πoλιτείαѕ2 (Greek for “Co-operators’ Surplus”) was one in which each had an equitable share, no one having either more or less than he should. Professor Braithwaite goes further and replaces Aristotle’s ordered scale of the-more-and-the-less in which only imprecise and unhelpful answers could be given, by a numerical scale in which he can frame the question “Exactly how much is a fair share?” and propound his s own solution.
page 1 note 1 R. B. Braithwaite: Theory of Games as a tool for the Moral Philosopher, C.U.P., 1955, pp. 75, 6s.
page 1 note 2 Nicomachean Ethics, Bk. V. 1130b32.
page 3 note 1 Von Neumann and Morgenstern: Theory of Games §§ 17:5—17:9, pp. 150- 162.
page 3 note 2 It is a competitive situation.
page 9 note 1 Matthew i:19.
page 10 note 1 I am indebted to Professor Braithwaite himself for drawing my attention to this.