From the first book, one overarching question becomes apparent: what is the nature of justice, and how does one define it?
While this seems like it should be a clear cut Merriam-Webster case, it is actually a much more complex philosophical dilemma. Can justice be truly objective? Socrates argues that it is actually subjective, and the nature of justice as defined by Polemarchus stating that "justice is helping friends and harming enemies" cannot be universally applied to any form of law or structured system, but must remain relevant solely to the individual. If Justice can not be maintained from person to person, can anyone really be just in anyone's eyes but his own? Can a government have a justice system? I was thoroughly confused by the idea of a fluid and changing justice as opposed to the concrete form of justice I had constructed in my mind.
I suppose with a christian world-view perspective, justice is defined by the perspective of YHWH, the ultimate judge. However, is justice subjective if the subject is completely and wholly objective?
Basically, I have no answers, just a lot more questions of my own to add to those of Socrates...
P.S. I commented on Caleb Zessin's
I believe that sin has separated us from justice. Sin caused death, and as we all know justice can never be served through death. Man's ways will never cause justice. Plato didn't have the answer that us christians have, that justice can only be served through innocent blood being spilt (Christ). This is just my thoughts on justice.
ReplyDeleteYeah... at this point I have no idea what I think. I've always been a little less than impressed with our legal/justice system but now I'm just disgusted with everything. I want answers, not "this isn't actually justice, never mind." But I'm not even sure if there is such a thing as an actual answer.
ReplyDeleteThe part about justice being up to the individual had really bothered me. I mean, to have justice you need more than one person, right? It involves some kind of action between people and how that action is perceived/handled. So justice can't be up to the individual... right? I'm just pretty confused at this point.
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