Retributive Justice, Karma, Property

The concept of Retributive Justice--entailing reward as well as punishment--presupposes a concept of Property, i. e. the concept of an action as 'one's own.'  Hence, it is a variation on the popular notion of 'Karma'--a contrivance that effects what occurs naturally in the latter, namely, a return of an action to its source.  Thus, Retributive Justice can be conceived as a special case of respect for property rights--the process of returning something to its owner.