When are we justified in favoring a certain person or group of people over others? Few would criticize a parent for providing food for their children at the expense of others (who may be more needy). On the other hand, a politician using such a relationship as justification for appointing the child to an important position would be frowned on. Our intuition is clear in these cases, but justifying such intuition can be tricky. Other cases of partiality are far more difficult to render a decision on - affirmative action, for example. We'll look at what a few philosophers have to say on these issues, then see what you think about them.