From July 16 through July 21, 1984 a group of American and West German
scholars met in Marburg, West Germany to discuss their com- mon work on
the topic of justice in social relations. For over 30 hours they
presented papers, raised questions about each other's work, and in so
doing plotted a course for future research and theory building on this
topic. The participants were asked to present work that represented
their most recent state-of-the-science contributions in the area. The
con- tributions to this volume represent refined versions of those
presentations-papers that have been improved by the authors' consid-
eration of the comments and reactions of their colleagues. The result,
we believe, is a work that represents the cutting edge of scholarly
inquiry into the important matter of justice in social relations. To
give the participants the freedom to present their ideas in the most
appropriate way, we, the conference organizers and the editors of this
volume, gave them complete control over the form and substance of their
presentations. The resulting diversity is reflected in this book, where
the reader will find critical integrative reviews of the literature,
reports of research investigations, and statements of theoretical posi-
tions. The chapters are organized with respect to the common themes that
emerged in the way the authors addressed the issues of justice in social
relations. Each of these themes-conflict and power, theoretical
perspectives, norms, and applications-is represented by a part of this
book.