The Myth of Justice

5-23-06
Justice is man made. He determines what is just. And this justice must be maintained by man himself. The only problem comes when two men differ in their definition of justice.
Fairness is something else. “Where did we get the idea that life is ultimately unfair?” (Michael Dorris) Or the idea that “...if we haven’t found equity in this life, all the great belief systems assure us, just wait until the next. Or the next, or the next. Someday our prince will come.(Dorris)”? Nonsense. Nature is not “fair.” Nature will do what it will do regardless of what we think is fair. All there is to say is, “luck favors the prepared, so [cover] the basics.” (Edna Mode, The Incredibles). Who are we, such insignificant little creatures, to reproach Nature for being unfair? Nature is not a person and does not create the same illusions of “fairness” which we do. Nature does not owe it to us to be fair. Man simply has to make do with what he’s given. It’s not as if Nature is checking into our hotel and owes us the tip of “fairness”. In fact, it’s quite the other way around. The great thing about nature, however, is that it is predictable. We can prepare for most of the things nature brings, and we must. We cannot simply say, “Well I have been good this year, so no hurricanes will flood my home” and say that God has been unfair when our home does flood.
So long as man finds a common ground for justice, and that he does not believe Nature should be fair to him, all should be well. But this is a rather grim and bitter prospect. Enter religion with the promise of redemption in a future life and the promise that everything happens for a reason. But the backbone of justice is made of principles. And by my principles, turning to religion for hope in the form of a parent who will hug you, rock you, and promise you that everything will be all right when they really have no grounds upon which to stand this promise is giving up. And where is the justice in giving up?
It is a man’s duty to check his premises on reality at all times. It is his duty to consider justice in another man’s eye but to stand by his principles if he believes they are right... if he knows they are right. Justice will come to the man who will recognize it.

Ooh, coming dangerously close to something. The beginning throws me off. Fairness is briefly mentioned then... that part is poorly done. But by the time I get to the part about us checking into Nature's hotel, I've got something. The paper is overly sarcastic, and mysterious, it's not particularly organized. It's not welcoming a discussion, it's merely a statement, so it's not overly provocative. It's okay.