Abstract

The South African society is diverse and complex, consisting of various racial groups, each with its own cultural heritage. ;Apartheid developed from 300 years of contact between these different groups. Criticism against the system resulted in questions as to the ethical justification of apartheid. ;In this study apartheid was evaluated against Rawl's theory of justice, representing liberal thinking and the Afrikaner's sense of justice as perceived from his interpretation of the Scriptures and the realities of the South African situation within the broader African context. ;Despite different interpretations of certain basic premises, apartheid was found to have a moral base if applied with justice to everybody