Justice Justice. It is at the heart and soul of the American ideology. We believe there is no such thing as a civil society without it. We fought a revolution to free ourselves from the laws of an unjust king. It is the only virtue stated in our pledge of allegiance, and for the last two hundred and forty years we have tried to uphold this virtue in every part of our democracy, but what is justice? Meriam-Webster Dictionary says justice is the administration of law; especially: the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity. However I believe it is more complex than that. Many philosophers have given their own definition of justice. In this essay I will look to the philosophes of Aristotle, John Locke,
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He for the most part disagrees with everything John Locke said. Locke says the state of nature for the most part is peaceful. Hobbes says the state of nature is actually a state of war. The only thing the two agree on is the need for a form government. For Hobbes In the state of nature there is no such thing as justice or injustice for that matter. Hobbes states “To this war of every man against every man, this also is consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law: where no law, no injustice.” According to Hobbes the only way to leave this state of war is for everyone to consent to falling under the rule of one political ruler with absolute power otherwise known as the leviathan. Once the leviathan is in power, justice is what the leviathan says it is. For example if a man steals a chicken to feed his starving family and is caught and the leviathan says the just thing to do in this situation is to cut off the man’s hands, cook the chicken, and force him and his family to watch him eat it. That’s justice. Why, because he said it …show more content…
It is my belief that they are all in a way right. The definitive definition we sought out for at the beginning of this essay is a combination of their philosophies. Justice is the voluntary agreement made among men to leave the state of nature, and enter into a society where men can enjoy their possessions in accordance with the law. Their possessions will be protected, and if it is taken there is a fair equitable way to remedy the situation. Justice is also in a way what the political ruler or “leviathan” according to Hobbes says it is. However political rulers that understand the teachings of Aristotle and Locke, will understand that justice must be fair and the punishment must meet the
He for the most part disagrees with everything John Locke said. Locke says the state of nature for the most part is peaceful. Hobbes says the state of nature is actually a state of war. The only thing the two agree on is the need for a form government. For Hobbes In the state of nature there is no such thing as justice or injustice for that matter. Hobbes states “To this war of every man against every man, this also is consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law: where no law, no injustice.” According to Hobbes the only way to leave this state of war is for everyone to consent to falling under the rule of one political ruler with absolute power otherwise known as the leviathan. Once the leviathan is in power, justice is what the leviathan says it is. For example if a man steals a chicken to feed his starving family and is caught and the leviathan says the just thing to do in this situation is to cut off the man’s hands, cook the chicken, and force him and his family to watch him eat it. That’s justice. Why, because he said it …show more content…
It is my belief that they are all in a way right. The definitive definition we sought out for at the beginning of this essay is a combination of their philosophies. Justice is the voluntary agreement made among men to leave the state of nature, and enter into a society where men can enjoy their possessions in accordance with the law. Their possessions will be protected, and if it is taken there is a fair equitable way to remedy the situation. Justice is also in a way what the political ruler or “leviathan” according to Hobbes says it is. However political rulers that understand the teachings of Aristotle and Locke, will understand that justice must be fair and the punishment must meet the