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Senior Columnist: Mitchell Wrieze
RhyDin's Idea of Justice
July 8, 2010
John Rawls, a famous modern Terran philosopher described justice as the "first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought." He claimed that a theory, however elegant and economical, must be rejected or revised if it is untrue; likewise, "laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust."
Even in a free (yet divided) society such as RhyDin, an overall conceptual interpretation of justice is just as inevitable as an incomplete one. Because of this, conflict often arises where that dissention thrives, leaving RhyDinians with otherwise stalwart consciences generally in the dark when it comes to constructive moral matters. Not that this can be avoided - nor is it particularly unwarranted or undesirable. After all, RhyDin would not be RhyDin without its daily dose of dispute. In an attempt to discern just what causes this dispute, however, I decided to take an in-depth look at justice and evaluate exactly what it means to a fly-by-the-seat-of-one's-pants society such as RhyDin on a general basis.
I would like to take a situation that Rawls created and analyze it from RhyDin's point of view.
Assume, for argument's sake, that RhyDin is a self-sufficient society, capable of recognizing "certain rules of conduct' as they pertain to everyday life and function. Assume also that these circumstances and rules of conduct revolve around the perpetuation of general equality, or the cooperation and furthering of "good" and satisfactory results for the entire population. Now, even within a purely utilitarian society, where every RhyDinian is working toward the mutual benefit of his or her neighbor, conflicts are still bound to arise due to inconsistencies in judgment, both physical and psychological, both obvious and discreet. This is why, we have found, that even in a well-ordered society where all species strive for egalitarianism, "what is just and unjust is usually in dispute."
"Justice isn't really something you can define in RhyDin the same way you do it anywhere else," explained Scotty, local mechanic and engineer. "For one, there's such a diversity of culture that it's nigh well impossible to really create any sort of justice system that covers all fairly - not without inevitably stepping on someone's toes.
I suppose to me, justice is personal - your rights end at my toes, and vice versa. I mean, obviously, if I see someone in danger or whatnot, I'll jump in to help. If I see someone who needs a home, Harold and I will front them rent for a room and help them out to find a job. But I do not need a justice system to tell me this - I just what my own personal code of justice says, and follow it. In that end, it's just that: Everyone's rights are theirs, unassailable, until they cross the rights of others to live with the same freedom. The responsibility and rewards belong to the individual."
The argument here is that rights are wholly dependent on the individual, and ideally extend no further than arm's reach. But what if there still exists a difference of opinion about mutually agreed-upon rules of conduct' Who decides those rules of conduct' Is it humane, is it fair to enforce them, even when they may encroach upon an individual's preconceived rights"
Rawls claims that men still retain a conception of justice, even in the face of dissociation and moral ambiguity: "They understand the need for, and they are prepared to affirm, a characteristic set of principles for assigning basic rights and duties and for determining what they take to be the proper distribution of the benefits and burdens of social cooperation." What responsibilities are allocated to these men, if any at all"
"Justice is ensuring that the law is properly enforced and that rights of the innocent are protected without compromise," argues Wolvinator, Minister of Defense. But to whom does the responsibility of adjudication yield" Who does the protecting"
Take Neo Eternity's self-proclaimed Seraphim Knights, for example. Before the establishment of the Ministry of Justice, this handful of men took it upon themselves to criticize, judge, and punish what they believed to be unjust, based on a collection of general principles the majority of RhyDin recognizes. Does the enforcement of these principles make the men themselves any more or less just' Do the rights themselves become unfair once they become stringently regulated" Was Rawls incorrect in arguing that, "The justice of a social scheme depends essentially on how fundamental rights and duties are assigned and on the economic opportunities and social conditions in the various sectors of society?"
"Justice, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is the principle of moral rightness, fairness and equity, especially when concerning the administration of the law," said Minister Riley O"Rourke, head of the Justice Department in the Governor's office. "But true justice is so much more than merely attending to the letter of the law. It is about the spirit of the law and doing what one's heart says is fair and just. It is about dealing equitably with both sides of any conflict and not compromising one's own morals, values, or beliefs. It is even-handedness, gentle strength and compromise. True justice is not rigid. always growing and evolving."
So lettered, the "law" O"Rourke refers to can possibly be construed as an accumulation of theories on what makes for a satisfactory civilization, taking into account a difference of opinions due to various backgrounds and social inequality. But without having established an adequate, permanent record of these theories, whose "heart' is followed on a regular basis" Who decides what is right or wrong in an arguably free society' Should there even exist such a position"
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"Justice is blind," argued Harris D"Artainian, current Keeper of Earth. "This is RhyDin. It ran itself for a long time."
Rawls argues that "A conception of justice cannot be deduced from self-evident premises or conditions on principles; instead, its justification is a matter of the mutual support of many considerations, of everything fitting together into one coherent view."
Rawls's argument, we find, is directly personified in RhyDin's yearly gubernatorial elections. By acknowledging and voting for the candidate a citizen feels is most attuned to their perception of justice and livelihood, that citizen furthermore perpetuates his idea of justice on an ulterior, political level. But are there exceptions" Is RhyDin capable of determining whether or not the arbitrary conception of justice can be tailored" Or is it pervasively resolute, and subject to censure by RhyDin's few enforcement agencies"
A self-proclaimed thief only calling himself Toby has a much more passive view on the subject: " does really mean anything. I don't think it's that important to me. Plus, I've been running into this girl lately that keeps saying she fights for it or something, and I really don't like her?"
"People shouldn't tell other people what to do," argued Toby. "It should always be their choice. And it's not right to force people to do ."
Toby conceivably ascribes to the same general idea of justice that the majority of RhyDin does; one the former Governor, Kitty Helston, was quick to enunciate:
"I've found that in a town that is the gathering place of demons, angels, gods, demi-gods, and other things, usually works out on its own."
But does Toby's superficial character interfere with his perception of justice" Does the fact that he makes a living by theft make him any more or less deserving of equal treatment than anyone else? Or is an injustice only tolerable "when it is necessary to avoid an even greater injustice?" Is it fair to tread upon another's rights, another's idea of justice to arguably prevent something that might be worse"
We are not here to criticize. We are not here to make judgments. Today, we are simply here for you.
What do you think?
A Theory of Justice, copyright 1971 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.]]
