Distributive justice theory has experienced little development since its growth in the 1980’s, despite active research. Problems in the construction and evaluation of distributive justice theories is lack of attention to the clear definition and consistent use of theoretical terms or to the development of logical arguments from which to derive empirical hypotheses. Weaknesses in these areas hinder the evolution of improved theories. However, Markovsky (1997a) has provided eight criteria for evaluating the language and logic of theories. These criteria state that a theory’s statements should be conditional, abstract, devoid of contradictions, devoid of ambivalence, relatively precise, and parsimonious. Improving theories requires applying these criteria at the most rudimentary levels. The analysis concludes that social scientists need to use a rational selection process for theories so that distributive justice theories can advance beyond their current status. Footnotes and 68 references