What does it mean to give each person his/her due? How has the meaning of "giving each his due" changed over time?
Giving each person his/her due means ensuring the well-being of all individuals in society. Just as a doctor must be concerned with the well-being of patients, a just ruler or just government must be concerned with the well-being of the people. This concept forms an essential part of our understanding of justice.
The idea that justice involves giving each person his due continues to be important in present times. However, our understanding of what is due to a person has changed from the time of Plato to the modern era.
In earlier times, the meaning of giving each his due was understood differently. Today, our understanding of what is just is closely linked to our understanding of what is due to each person as a human being.
According to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, human beings possess dignity. If all persons are granted dignity, then what is due to each of them is that they have the opportunity to develop their talents and pursue their chosen goals.
Thus, modern justice requires that we give due and equal consideration to all individuals. The meaning has evolved from a narrower conception to one that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human being and their right to develop their potential.
Explanation
This answer addresses both parts of the question as required. The first part explains the meaning of 'giving each person his due' as ensuring well-being, drawing from the doctor-patient analogy in the text. The second part traces the evolution from Plato's time to the modern understanding based on Kant's philosophy of human dignity. Key terms like 'dignity', 'equal consideration', and 'opportunity to develop talents' are highlighted as they are central concepts from the textbook.