Difference between revisions of "Justice"
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[[Image:Giotto - Scrovegni - -43- - Justice.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A personification of Justice, painted by [[Giotto]].]] | [[Image:Giotto - Scrovegni - -43- - Justice.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A personification of Justice, painted by [[Giotto]].]] | ||
| − | '''Justice''' is the attribute of fairness, especially in a [[court]] of law. The concept is often misunderstood, being easily confused with retribution or punishment. The phrase "bring him to justice" means arresting a suspect, trying him, and having him sentenced; it also | + | '''Justice''' is the attribute of fairness, especially in a [[court]] of law, and is one of the four cardinal [[virtue]]s. The concept of justice is often misunderstood, being easily confused with retribution or punishment. The phrase "bring him to justice" means arresting a suspect, trying him, and having him sentenced; but it has also been used to refer to [[lynching]]. |
Some people have slogan, "No justice, no peace" meaning that they will refuse to act peacefully until they receive justice. This, obviously, is the opposite of [[Gandhi]]'s philosophy of ''Satyagraha''. During the US [[Civil rights movement]], however, Martin Luther King implored his followers to follow Gandhi's idea of suffering injustice willingly as a means of eradicating evil. | Some people have slogan, "No justice, no peace" meaning that they will refuse to act peacefully until they receive justice. This, obviously, is the opposite of [[Gandhi]]'s philosophy of ''Satyagraha''. During the US [[Civil rights movement]], however, Martin Luther King implored his followers to follow Gandhi's idea of suffering injustice willingly as a means of eradicating evil. | ||
Revision as of 14:23, December 10, 2008
Justice is the attribute of fairness, especially in a court of law, and is one of the four cardinal virtues. The concept of justice is often misunderstood, being easily confused with retribution or punishment. The phrase "bring him to justice" means arresting a suspect, trying him, and having him sentenced; but it has also been used to refer to lynching.
Some people have slogan, "No justice, no peace" meaning that they will refuse to act peacefully until they receive justice. This, obviously, is the opposite of Gandhi's philosophy of Satyagraha. During the US Civil rights movement, however, Martin Luther King implored his followers to follow Gandhi's idea of suffering injustice willingly as a means of eradicating evil.
Justice seen as confronting evil with evil - or "stripe with stripe" - is based on an idea of balance. One bad turn deserves another. In a way, this is an improvement on the ancient notion of unlimited revenge. Someone offends you, and you kill him (or him and his whole family, village, etc.)
When Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, along with the other 600 laws, the concept of retribution was cemented in the ancient Jewish understanding. To modern Christians, it may seem harsh, but it was actually better to have "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" which is equal retribution than unregulated vengeance.
The idea of justice an vengeance has predominated in history, and it even remains today in Christian America.