Reply #37: What is your definition of justice?

[armyowalgreens]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5802959


What is justice?
"I think this is an extremely relevant topic because we are always talking about injustices in the world. But what is Justice?


According to Webster, justice can be

“ 1 a: the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments”


I think that it is extremely important to focus on the phrase “the maintenance...of what is just” because it really defines the purpose of seeking out justice for wrongs. The purpose of seeking justice is to maintain what we consider to be a proper ethical system. In other words, we don't want people running around committing crimes.

Of course you could look even further into that by saying that the reason why we seek to keep a “proper ethical system” is so that we may preserve humanity and happiness (or simply the lack of suffering). So, in the end, the reason why we seek justice is so we can prevent humans from suffering. We do not seek justice because of a higher power. Justice should function purely on logical grounds.

There also needs to be a clear line established between justice and vengeance. Vengeance is the infliction of punishment or suffering because of some wrong. An act of vengeance is not taken with regard to how that act betters society. It is not taken with regard to anyone else's welfare. It is a SELFISH ACT.

An example of vengeance would be the father of a rape victim hunting down the rapist and killing him or her because of his anger. It is an action without regard for the rapists welfare or the welfare of society. It an irrational action based on anger.

That means that vengeance can never truly be just because justice is acting with more than just regard for ones self. Justice is a selfless action. It takes into account the welfare of everyone.



That is why the desire to lock up a 14 year old and 19 year old for the rest of their lives because of their crimes is not justice. It is vengeance.

That is why capital punishment is not justice. It is vengeance.


True justice would mean that we try as best we can to change the way that 14 and 19 year old thinks. True justice would be trying to change the way a murderer thinks.

It doesn't just take into account the welfare of the perpetrators. It also means that we care about the welfare of everyone in society. Who knows what the 14 and 19 year old are capable of? If they can turn their lives around, they can contribute to the betterment of man. The same goes for a murderer or any other criminal.

I am not saying that all criminals can change their lives. What I am saying is that we must give them the opportunity to do so. To do otherwise would be unjust.


If we truly want to function as a just society, we need to rethink the way we treat everyone."