The purpose of the article is to analyze changes taking place within the meaning of the concept of justice. Initially, the term referred to the law to further describe political significance. The main approaches to the problem are discussed, starting from the ancient concepts of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. Among modern thinkers, John Rawls' theory of justice and the selected critics of the American philosopher's concept have been given the most space. Among the research methods used, the leading method is the descriptive method, and in the alternative the historical-descriptive and comparative methods. The obtained results justify the assertion that there was a breakthrough in the sense of justice, which is more often discussed now in the political sphere than legal. The legal understanding of the concept of justice was established in antiquity and its essence has remained unchanged to this day, with minor changes.