Justice is an important concept not only for followers to understand in terms of moral understanding but in regard to political concepts. The typical definition of justice defines the “just” person as one who “does what is morally right.” Over the course of this semester, the concept of Justice was defended by many noted authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Augustine. First, Plato’s defense consisted of elements both of the individual and of the state. Second, Aristotle claims that justice is a virtue practiced toward other people, which is related to the community. Third, Cicero’s view on justice involves the idea of respect for humanity. Finally, Augustine’s thought evolved that justice without order and peace is not logical. In terms of the variety of opinions and teachings, Plato offered the first discussion of the nature of justice throughout the Republic. Here is a noted discussion of justice and its relation to happiness from three degrees of attention. Therefore, out of all the authors we examined, Plato’s defense of justice was the most extensive explanation which provided the best understanding of justice as a concept.
Plato’s interpretation of justice is notably apparent while reading the classic, The Republic. Throughout these encounters with Socrates, a development on justice and the relation to happiness appears. Two main questions are explored, first “what is justice?” and second, “what is the relation of justice to happiness?” Plato’s defense of justice was nearly perfect to me due to the fact justice is addressed in both terms of political communities and the individual person or soul. Therefore, as the defense of justice is represented by claiming a person is better off ‘just’ than ‘unjust’. Plato alone wanted to define justice and through the definition represent how justice is in and of itself. In order for Plato to locate justice, he designs his own ideal state. This ideal state consists of three classes of people that have their own function of power to others. To Plato, justice exists to an individual life as specific parts of the soul are placed. "And this, then, is the genesis and being of justice: it is a mean between what is best—doing injustice without paying the penalty—and what is worst—suffering injustice without being able to avenge oneself." (359a). Human nature alone to Plato does not come from God but from wisdom, courage, and appetite. Justice is a quality, a quality existing in the moral life, “Justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger” (4). Ideas of justice are applied with logic and morality, as one can realize justice has benefits of bettering the minds, bodies, and spirits, of individuals and societies. Plato identifies political justice as a harmony that exists throughout a structured political body and throughout oneself. What really stands out to me in terms of understanding a true defense of justice, is how it relates back to the soul of a human. Rational, spirited, and appetitive parts of the soul all relate making an individual truly just. For someone to be just within themselves positions them to be just within society. “Justice implies superior character and intelligence while injustice means a deficiency in both respects. Therefore, just men are superior in character and intelligence and are more effective in action. As injustice implies ignorance, stupidity, and badness, it cannot be superior in character and intelligence. A just man is wiser because he acknowledges the principle of limit” (78). Plato’s take on justice represents that a person to truly have happiness in life along with justice comes with have character and intelligence which I do believe is still true to this day.
Aristotle and Plato worked hand in hand at Aristotle’s academy, yet Aristotle’s moral and political virtue of justice was somewhat apparent in differences. In Politics, Aristotle has a strong belief that political justice has a relation to equality. In terms of similarities between Plato, both agree that democracy is unjust because it treats those that are considered unequal as equal. “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost” (381). Aristotle and Plato also believed that justice is the essence of the state. A claim is made that justice in an individual is the harmony of the soul. “So, it is clear that the search for what is just is a search for the mean; for the law is the mean” (227). A connection is made here in regard to vices of excess and deficiency with a constant maintaining that justice is a complete expression of virtue. Justice alone is a virtue practiced toward others had has a large relation to the community. Aristotle emphasized political justice in particular. Political justice has two divisions, distributive justice, and corrective justice. Ultimately, justice exists where a control by law is apparent. Justice is not meant to be an advantage which is why the law rules since a person is unlikely to rule for an advantage.
Interestingly enough, Cicero mentions in On Government, “And so, after reviewing the arguments of Plato and Aristotle in favor of justice… he uses his own peculiar method of argument, analyzing everything from a purely verbal rather than a factual point of view” (176). This alone really ‘justifies’ that Plato’s arguments on justice had a major impact on philosophers and really introduced the conversation which allowed various opinions to shine through. “For justice, when it exists, is the most generous and liberal of all virtues, loving itself less than it loves all the people in the world, and living for the benefit of others rather than of itself” (176). This statement helped me understand the true essence of what Cicero was truly trying to define as justice and how important it is to exist. “Justice demands that we should be merciful to all men, act in the interesting of the entire human race, give everyone what they are entitled to, and never tamper with religious property or what belongs to the community or to private persons” 181). The general account of the duty’s justice has carried two parts. First, justice has no harm to anyone, unless provoked by doing a wrongful act and second, common things as common and private possession are one’s own. “So, laws, then, can vary considerably and can be changed. If they had all come from God, that would not be so. For, in that case, the same laws would applicable to all, and besides, a man would not be bound by one law at one time of his life and by another later on. Laws are not imposed on us by nature – they are imposed by the fear of being penalized. In other words, human beings are not just, by nature, at all” (179). Cicero is concerned with having respect for all humanity yet emphasizes mirror opposite of the belief from Augustine that God does not have power with every little thing including laws and justice. Cicero has a unique way of combining the Platonic principles of justice as eternal yet still recognizing law exists in nature, while ultimately binds all men together. When all show obligation to the laws of nature, justice further exists in the state.
Although Cicero and Augustine have pure mirroring opinions of justice especially in terms of god both refer to Aristotle and Plato’s argument on justice before conducting their own opinions while also referring to a religious aspect of nature and God in their philosophies. Augustine was the first Christian philosopher that had intellectual views on political and social sides. In Augustine’s Political Writings, his view of “justice” is introduced and how it is related to his conversion experience. “What about justice, whose function is to render to each his due, thereby establishing in man a certain just order of nature, so that the soul is subordinated to God, and the flesh to the soul, and consequently the flesh and the soul to God?” (145). Book XIX is begun with an analysis of the views of philosophers and how they propose to reach happiness and peace. “Concerning the ends of good and evils, philosophers have engaged in many and varied disputes among themselves; but the question they have pursued with the greatest effort, turning it over in their minds, is, what makes man happy?” (141). Augustine has full awareness of the virtues and pleasures that a man will consider in hopes of reaching a life full of peace and happiness. However, there are three fundamental issues of justice. (1) Justice is a call to commit to a way of life that ends up in eternal peace. Peace alone has a dependency on justice when it is granted to those that exist in a society. Peace and justice go hand in hand in terms of areas such as family and the city. But with peace comes difficulties. Augustine covers the question of how to maintain happiness founded off of justice and peace to exist in a world that has misery. A man’s lone desire does not strive for justice as justice is not a question of feelings. Augustine states that the matter of justice is a choice. A choice similar to those who prefer right from wrong. Those that choose to pick what has right seen that peace of unjust men has no comparisons to those of the peace that is just. (2) Justice has the capacity for submission. Augustine argues “We do not have in ourselves power to live rightly but can do so only if he who has given us faith to believe in his help to help us when we believe and pray” (144). Therefore, justice is a term to be taught and put in practice from the guidance of God. Augustine also states that a strong government grants peace, and submission of society to the government grants justice. A righteous person who seeks to live by faith has a strong desire to be governed by God himself, and (3) Justice through the use of temporal goods reveals the eternal purpose of peace. Augustine’s view of God revolves around the notation of him being the creator and the most “just” of all above. Men put in society have a spiritual calling to practice justice through positive things such as health, safety, shelter, and beauty (154). Peace of all things alone is the tranquility of order as the order is the distribution which allots things equal and unequal each to its own place (154). Augustine reveals that finally, the practice of justice as a virtue of God is a tool given to each man to obtain the furthest point of eternal peace and justice.
Justice is an important concept not only for followers to understand in terms of moral understanding but in regard to political concepts. The typical definition of justice defines the “just” person as one who “does what is morally right.” Over the course of this semester, the concept of Justice was defended by many noted authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Augustine. First, Plato’s defense consisted of elements both of the individual and of the state. Second, Aristotle claims that justice is a virtue practiced toward other people, which is related to the community. Third, Cicero’s view on justice involves the idea of respect for humanity. Finally, Augustine’s thought evolved that justice without order and peace is not logical. In terms of variety of opinions and teachings, Plato offered the first discussion of justice and its relation to happiness from three degrees of attention. Therefore, out of all the authors we examined, Plato’s defense of justice was the most extensive explanation which provided the best understanding of justice as a concept.