Justice Ethics

Justice (French justice from Latin iustitia, from iustus "just") is a concept involving the fair, moral, and impartialtreatment of all persons —often seen as the continued effort to do what is right. Justice is a particularly foundational concept within most systems of "law," and draws highly upon established and well-regarded social traditionsand values. From the perspective of pragmatism, it is the name for a fair result.

In most cases what one regards as "right" is determined by consulting established and agreeable principles, employing logic, or, in certain systems, by consulting a majority. In contexts where religionis a dominant, the pursuit of justice may be aided by deferring to religious textsand even spiritualguidance. If a person lives under a certain set lawin a country, concepts of "justice" are often simply deferential to the existing law —the issuing of punitive reprimands for violations may be referred to as "serving justice."

Classically, justice was the ability to recognize one's debts and pay them. It was a virtuethat encompassed an unwillingness to lieor steal. It was the basis for the code duello. In this view, justice is the opposite of the viceof venality.

In jurisprudence, justice is the obligationthat the legal systemhas toward the individual citizenand the societyas a whole.

Justice (in both senses) is part of the debate regarding moral relativismand moral objectivism: Is there an "objective standard" of justice, under which all actions should be judged, or is it acceptable for justice to have different meanings in different societies? Some cultures, for instance, see punishments such as the death penaltyas being appropriate, while others decry such acts as crimes against humanity.

In some cases, justice is not equated with laws. For instance, laws that supported slaveryare now considered unjust laws such as the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850in the United States. Also, many laws of illegitimategovernments are considered unjust. Further, the social justicemovement questions the morality of laws that protect property rightswithout adequate protection of the poor, especially those laws governing international trade.

One popular theory of justice holds that if a person or government initiates coercion (or the threat of it) then it is acting unjustly; physical force may only be used in defense. As long as all persons and governments adhere to this standard, justice is being observed. This theory of justice is central to libertarianism.

Justice

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