Fairness

Fairness, or the property of being fair, is a term derived from Old English fæġer (fair, lovely, beautiful; pleasant, agreeable; attractive); it is commonly related to concepts of justice, and equitable, adequate, reasonable, or decent assessments, actions and behavior, as well as unblemished, beautiful, pleasing appearances, and sometimes specifically to light-toned colors, especially of skin or hair.

Quotes

• All's fair in love and war.
  • Francis Edward Smedley, in Frank Fairlegh: Scenes from the Life of a Private Pupil (1850)

• Because there is no precisely defined and widely agreed upon definition of fairness, what the term has come to mean in economic policy-making is that those with political power can restrict the options of individuals and enterprises, in order to produce whatever end result those in power choose to call "fair".
  • Thomas Sowell, Basic Economics, 4th ed. (2010), Ch. 24. “Non-Economic” Values

See also

• Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR)
• Justice