Communitarian perspectives on justice emerged in the late 20th century as a significant critique of liberal theories of justice, particularly John Rawls's 'A Theory of Justice.' While liberalism emphasizes individual rights, universal principles, and a neutral state, communitarianism stresses the importance of community, shared values, traditions, and the common good in shaping our understanding of justice.

Key tenets of communitarian justice include:

1. Embedded Self: Communitarians argue against the liberal notion of an 'unencumbered self' – an individual who can choose their values and life plans independently of their social context. Instead, they contend that individuals are 'embedded' in particular communities, cultures, and traditions, which profoundly shape their identity, values, and moral reasoning. Justice, therefore, cannot be conceived in abstraction from these social ties.
2. Shared Understandings and Common Good: Justice is not derived from universal, abstract principles but from the shared understandings, practices, and traditions of a particular community. What counts as just or good is often culturally and historically specific. The common good, rather than individual rights alone, becomes a central concern, implying that the well-being of the community can sometimes take precedence over individual claims.
3. Critique of Liberal Neutrality: Communitarians challenge the liberal idea of a state that remains neutral among competing conceptions of the good life. They argue that a truly just society must actively promote certain shared values and virtues that are essential for its flourishing. A state that is too neutral risks eroding the social bonds and moral fabric necessary for a vibrant community.
4. Key Thinkers:
   • Michael Sandel critiques Rawls's 'original position' for assuming an atomistic self, arguing that our moral obligations often arise from our communal attachments and roles.
   • Alasdair MacIntyre emphasizes the role of 'practices' and 'traditions' in shaping moral life. Justice, for MacIntyre, is understood within the context of a community's narrative and its pursuit of internal goods.
   • Michael Walzer argues for 'complex equality,' where justice is not about equal distribution of all goods, but about ensuring that different social goods (e.g., money, power, honor) are distributed according to their distinct social meanings within a community, preventing dominance by any single good.

Communitarianism thus offers a rich, context-sensitive approach to justice, highlighting the indispensable role of community, shared identity, and collective values in defining what is right and good. While it provides a valuable corrective to some excesses of liberal individualism, it also faces criticisms for potentially leading to cultural relativism, suppressing individual dissent, or justifying illiberal practices in the name of community.