The Meaning of Justice (Essay Sample)

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The Meaning of Justice
Introduction
The justice concept is one that has raised unending debates among different individuals because of its definition. Justice may be defined on the basis of equality while others may find it better to define justice on the basis of equity. The first definition advocates equal sharing of resources no matter the differences in the input of different individuals; while the second definition advocates for people to earn benefits depending on the proportions of their contributions (Conflict Research Consortium, 1). The second definition also advocates for more earnings and benefits for people who work harder than the rest. There are people who believe in equity, but with a safety level that offers the protection of people who cannot contribute for some reasons, for example, disability or misfortune. It is clear that there is no rational way to compare the different approaches used to define justice, but to observe the consistency of the definitions with different cultures. Thus, this paper will analyze and compare the definition of different scholars, in the world, and their definitions of justice. The paper will focus and take note of any relationships between these definitions and make judgments based on the different definitions of justice by the different scholars.
Justice According to Plato
Plato, a Greek philosopher, used the Greek word “Dikaisyne” meaning, morality in his definition of justice. He described justice as the quality of soul and virtue which necessitates men to set away their desires to selfish satisfaction and work towards achieving general benefits. Plato was driven by the highly degenerating conditions in Athens, which saw the Athenian democracy pushed into the realms of ruin (Bhandari, 1). At the time, justice was the only other way that Plato saw fit for saving Athens. He considered justice to be the only way to the effects of the Sophistic teachings, which drove many to seek self-satisfaction and ended up in cases of excessive individualism. The result was that the citizens of Greece went as far as capturing the state office and dividing Athens into two separate camps for the rich and the poor because of greed and selfishness. Thus, Plato introduced justice as a fundamental principle of law and order in society.
Plato went ahead to argue that justice is not dependent on some external force, chance or convention, but is the right condition of the human soul, which enables all individuals to seek the fullness of their environments. In his definition of justice, Plato struck an analogy between a social organism and human organisms. He stated that the human organism comprises of three elements; spirit, reason, and appetite. Justice comes from an individual if all these three elements work and perform their functions without any interference from the other elements. The three elements in the human organism correspond to three classes in the social organism; the philosopher class of reason, the auxiliaries’ class of warriors, and the appetite instinct class. The three classes of the social organism and the three elements of the human organism blend to form a web that results in a functional specialization among human beings.
Justice According to Che Guevara
Guevara had a completely different concept of justice as compared to Plato and Gandhi. His idea of justice was a symbol of the struggle in life, and he believed that the strong in society were just. He applied the concept of Marxism in his idea of justice, but this was just one-sided depending on what he believed. He also believed that justice could not be served without the shedding of blood. He stood his position strongly and was ready to die for the sake of what he believed despite the fact that the rest of the world was against his idea of justice. Guevara participated in the executions at La Cabana and carried out another execution role without mercy. Justice to him was also accompanied by tough love, and those who betrayed their people or their country deserved no mercy (Niess, 60).
Che Guevara stood up strongly to fight oppression against his people in Cuba. He supported the idea of revolution greatly and he fought with some of the world’s renounced icons, such as Fidel Castro. Much of Guevara’s ideas about justice were shown through action rather than words. He did not write articles or give speeches the way Plato and Gandhi did. In addition, he wished for the revolution to extend further than just Cuba. He wished to extend the revolution from oppression to the rest of the world. Thus, his idea of economic justice for the oppressed was an appealing message to most people at the time including scholars, political activists and intellectuals. He declared war against capitalism and sought for the sharing of public wealth among all members of the Cuban society equally. This saw him lock horns with the then Cuban leader Batista who practiced capitalism. Guevara was against capitalism as it was a form of corruption and it was an unjust system of leadership in Cuba.
Justice According to Gandhi
Gandhi approached the issue of justice based on the Hindu principle, which is concerned with the function of duties in the societies and not the rights of individuals in the society. He addressed social issues and justice parameters such as non-violence and truth. He also took into account various Hindu concepts, such as Swaraj, Satyagraha, Ramrayja, and Trusteeship theory to provide the premise for a just society in the social, political, and economic aspects of the society. He had an idea for the centralization of power and authority, and this was meant to safeguard the freedom of all individuals in society. His idea of justice was not just meant to safeguard the freedom of individuals in society, but also to invest the people with legitimate political authority capable of managing all their affairs. His idea of justice was an aspect of the society that safeguarded the liberty of all the individuals in the community, and also led ...