Recently, I have been reading Book 1 of The Republic by Plato and have come across some interesting philosophical comments regarding how the perception of justice varies depending on an individual’s own thoughts, opinions, and life experiences. What one might see as good can be seen as evil by the other person and vice versa, which we regularly see in law and justice. Additionally, I thought some of the book’s ideas could be applied to the current circumstances we have been witnessing regarding what people view as just and unjust. Therefore, today I will be talking about what justice means in our society alongside some of my own opinions.
What is Justice?
As you may already know, justice is used in law, courts, and sometimes even subconsciously as we do everyday tasks. A textbook definition of justice would pertain to moral righteousness and that people receive what they deserve depending on their actions. However, just like any topic regarding ethics, justice also has many different aspects to it. To begin with, justice is perceived differently in terms of politics and philosophy. From a political sense, one’s sense of “justice” is impacted by their political views, whether that is more conservative or liberal. On a philosophical note, justice is viewed in a moral sense regarding if justice is something we owe to everyone we encounter and to what extent that might be. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, in terms of individual ethics, justice is also seen as charity and mercy. All in all, justice has a variety of meanings and is not a simple concept.
How is Justice Perceived Today?
With the recent outcome of Roe v. Wade in the United States, it can be said that what a group of people, like the judges on the Supreme Court, believe as a “just” verdict in terms of basic women and human rights is not what a vast majority of people, including myself, believe to be justice or correct. What some of us believe as unfair and extremely detrimental can seem like a fair outcome to others. This is an example of how an individual’s political and religious beliefs can greatly impact their perspective of “justice.” With this in mind, there are countless examples of legal trials in history that provoke the question, “Was this verdict a true instance of getting justice?” Questions such as these make it difficult to decide what is just and unjust, but how is justice viewed today? An article titled What “Justice” Really Means by Paul Bloomfield accurately sums up how people don’t necessarily understand that they need to judge themselves and others fairly. In an effort to find the best verdict, we often forget that our opinion of “justice” also applies to our actions and not just those of others. Furthermore, an individual that is a poor judge of themselves cannot possibly be a good judge of others. I believe this is a flaw that we see in many political leaders and people who are in high leadership positions today. In the end, reaching justice in society begins with eliminating personal bias when approaching outcomes that impact millions of people.
Just and Unjust
In The Republic, by Plato, one of the main ideas is answering the question regarding how justice impacts a person’s life and what it means to live a “just” life. Plato creates the idea that it is more beneficial to live a just life rather than one ridden with injustice. However, I still have a lot left to read and learn from the entire collection of The Republic, and I will continue to question how justice is achieved in our society and how this concept came to be? Sometimes, I feel like we never truly know what is just and unjust as it is ever-evolving. I hope that after reading this, you have gained some insight into justice and come to your own opinions and questions. I encourage you to continue your interest in justice and ethics and your perspective regarding this matter through research and life experiences!