On this day
we remind ourselves of the idea of Justice.
In its broadest context, includes both the attainment of that which is
just and the philosophical discussion of that which is just. A concern for justice,
peace, and genuine respect for people. Synonyms: fairness, impartiality,
morals.
“Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations points us
toward something beyond inherent worth and dignity. It points us to the larger community. ~ Rev.
Emily Gage
When we
speak of justice as a virtue, we are usually referring to a trait of
individuals, even if we conceive the justice of individuals as having some
grounding reference to social justice.
However,
even the idea of individual justice seems ambiguous in regard to scope. Plato in the Republic treats justice as
an overarching virtue of individuals (and of societies), meaning that almost
every issue he (or we) would regard as ethical comes in under the notion of
justice (dikaosoune).
But in
modern usages justice covers only part of individual morality, and we don't
readily think of someone as unjust if they lie or neglect their children - other
epithets more readily spring to mind. What
individual justice most naturally refers to are moral issues having to do with
goods or property. It is, we say, unjust
for someone to steal from people or not to give them what he owes them, and it
is also unjust if someone called upon to distribute something good (or bad or
both) among members of a group uses an arbitrary or unjustified basis for
making the distribution.
To be a
just man you must develop knowledge of the rights and responsibilities that
govern your family, community, and nation. Apathy is perhaps the greatest impediment to
justice. There are many
unjust things happening in your community, state, nation, and world that fail
to produce righteous indignation because men do not care to educate themselves
about what is happening.
The bull is
a symbol of justice and order. Justice
reminds us that treating people as human beings is not simply something we do
one-on-one, but something that has systemic implications and can inform our
entire cultural way of being. We can
demonstrate openness, give people respect, and treat people with kindness on
our own. We need one another to achieve
equity and justice.
Glad Yuletide to Everyone. Hail!
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