What do you mean by "Justice"?

[fluxrad]

I'm just wondering what everyone's definition of "justice" is. I've heard it thrown around a bit and some of the conversation in the death penalty thread intrigued me.

People talk about how the death penalty serves "justice" but that doesn't really explain what kind of justice is being talked about? Does that imply that it is "just" to put someone to death? Isn't "justice" served by a conviction itself? How, exactly, does justice dictate which punishment should be given for which crime?

I hope this doesn't turn into another death penalty thread, but how would you yourself define justice?

["spaceman"Bryce]

I do not believe in justice

[lastchance]

Justice is a concept made up by human beings to describe personal feelings about what should happen when they think something has been done wrong.

[[censored]]

I looked it up for my own benefit.

justice

1. The quality of being just; fairness.
2.
a. The principle of moral rightness; equity.
b. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness.
3.
a. The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.
b. Law The administration and procedure of law.
4. Conformity to truth, fact, or sound reason

Of course that is only the dictionary definition and not what you were asking but I think it does help.

For me it acting in a fair and equitable manner that is in conformity with one's moral code or the moral code of society. A just decision is one that weigh's many things, a just society for example gives weight (although not alwatys equal) to the belief's and rights of both the majority and minority.

[player24]

To some extent, the application of "justice" is based on a desire for for symmetry in society's reward system.

If there are circumstances under which a person might deserve some reward then there are likewise circumstances under which he might deserve some punishment.

A person who has done right has contributed to the common good and deserves a beneficial treatment as a reward.

A person who has done wrong has subtracted from the common good and deserves a harmful treatment as a punishment.

This is not an argument for the death penalty, simply a recognition of the societal notion that one should get what one deserves - and for certain bad actions, one deserves punishment.

[Bodhi]

Thrasymachus said: 'Justice is the advantage of the stronger.'

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
Thrasymachus said: 'Justice is the advantage of the stronger.'

[/ QUOTE ]

And then he got owned by Socrates

[Felix_Nietsche]

Justice is an elusive concept where wrongs are righted.

But remember, there is JUSTICE and there is the LAW. Sometimes these two concepts meet....but not often. Justice is usually corrupted by egotistical officers of the court. Most who have suffered one too many 'atomic wedgies' as children and as adults they have a sub-concious desire for revenge which manifests istself as abuse of their power. E.g. 90% of your local DAs (District Attourneys = prosecuters) place a VERY LOW value on justice but they do place a VERY HIGH value on HIGH CONVICTION% (helps with running for higher office).

If you think inncocent people don't go to prison, then your living in the land of make believe. I knew a man who got laid off ('sacked' for you Europeans) and he found difficulty getting a new job. He then found a job as a telephone solicitor and sold a product over the phone. It turned out his employers were crooks and they took the money and disappeared. This man was arrested and questioned by the Feds. He told them truthfully he was just a 'worker bee' in the organization and the 'owners' did not reveal they scheme to the employees. THIS makes sense right? If your running an CRIMINAL SCAM the SMART thing to do is to keep it a SECRET and not blab it to everyone. ANYWAY, the Feds said he was a liar (a $10/hr liar !?!) and told him they were going to prosecute and he faced 15 years in a federal prison. He caved, took a plea for 2 years. He died within one year out of prison. Personally I thought he was a coward for taking the plea but the threat of 15 years in prison is scary for most people.

'The Law' is a concept of elected people who reach a compromise. Since the law is made by power hungry dopes who care about there image more than justice, laws rarely dispence justice... The typical politcian does not want to appear to be 'soft' on crime so they take a 'macho' approach to making laws. And the results have had a devastating effect on society. I think it is sad that murderers and armed robbers get smaller sentences than a person selling 100lbs of marijuana a month.

Such laws, metaphorical claim that people feel safer walking by a armed mugger than by a guy selling weed on the corner.

[bholdr]

Felix makes an important distinction between 'justice' and the law ('criminal justice') the two rarely intersect...

Plato, in 'the republic' attempted to create a definition of the concept of 'justice'- put very simply, it was 'a place for everything and everything in it's proper place'. of course, it's more complicated than that, but that is i good starting point for the discussion.

Another mistake people make is failing to make a distinction between justice and reciprocity or revenge... the idea of reciprocity suggests that 'the punishment fit the crime' and so on, but fails to consider many of the nuances of 'justice'...


so what do we mean when we say that something is 'just'? When i use that word, i intend it to maen the action or maxim under consideration is A: a moral one, B: proportionate and approiate to the given situation, C: fair (which is a whole 'nother can of worm that i won't open right now) D: considerate of all factors involved.


this is still a very loose definition, but justice is one of the more complicated concepts that a thinking person is obligated to try to understand, IMO.


there are many components/ feilds of 'justice', criminal, social, political, moral, etc... it's very complicated and there is no one accepted set of definitions for these.

[Matty]

Justice is Paris Hilton being a millionaire.